Camila Cabello's American Dream

Heartache, struggle and a billion streams: How a 21-year-old Cuban immigrant became pop’s new superstar

- Alex Morris

SUFFICE IT TO SAY that Camila Cabello is a hugger. The hugs she bestows include, but are in no way limited to: waiters, nail technicians, music managers, daughters of music managers, moms of daughters of music managers, her mom, her choreographer, her dancers, fans who’ve paid to hug her, and fans who haven’t but are deeply desirous of hugging her nonetheless. When she runs into her drummer on the streets of Los Gatos, California, the idyllic town where she stayed between her two Santa Clara performances opening for Taylor Swift’s Reputation tour, she hugs him and then hugs his lady friend, and then she recommends the shrimp and grits and the apple-cinnamon French toast at a place called Southern Kitchen and (paradoxically) a subsequent visit to a bikini store nearby. When, during lunch at an Italian joint the day before, a fan had sent over a peach sorbet and a request for a selfie, he got said selfie and a hug as well. (“I’m freaking out,” he said, panting. “I met Obama on Monday. I’m like, ‘Who’s next week? Oprah?’ ”)