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Camila Cabello kept her buzzing nerves at bay and fulfilled a lifelong dream last night. Despite "acid reflux-inducing" jitters, the 22-year-old singer made an epic Saturday Night Live musical guest debut on October 12 alongside Stranger Things star David Harbour. Boasting ornate costumes, high notes for days and her ever-present charm, the American-Cuban pulled out all the stops for the live variety show, delighting her fans and earning some new ones. And it all began with her channeling one of the most polarizing queens in history.
Scroll to watch her performance!
Camila demanded attention from the get go. For her first performance she sang her new single Cry For Me while dressed in a Marie Antoinette-like gown. She ruled court over equally period-costumed backup dancers as she sang her heart out on the iconic mini stage. The star affectionately referred to her alter ego as Victoria.
"Welcome to... Victoria's (that’s Victoria with a British accent in the red) scandalous tea party!" she wrote to fans along with photos of her and the dancers, adding: "both literal and figurative tea.'
Cami's second song was less elaborate, but equally powerful. Taking to the spotlight in a simple silk gown, she belted out her single Easy, a deeply personal unapologetic love song which may be about her beau Shawn Mendes. Both songs are from her upcoming sophomore album Romance.
Fans and friends were in awe of Camila’s electric performance. Although she had previously said: "I'm on SNL tonight I’m 10000% peeing my pants at least two drops TUNE IN TO SEE," the award-winning songstress didn’t look nervous at all. She summed up her feelings in a sincere statement after appearing on the NBC show.
"Every time a performance is super important to me, it feels like a big mental challenge - I saw myself all day as a little girl who loved to sing in her room, I saw all the hard parts of this journey, and saw a bunch of inspiring videos and really tried to give this moment to myself, to allow myself to give myself fully," she wrote. "I'm so happy to say I did, I really put my heart and emotion in this and it feels like I conquered nerves and doubts.'