Camila Cabello seemingly takes aim at ex Shawn Mendes with 2024 MTV VMAs performance of ‘Godspeed’

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: At the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards, Camila Cabello delivered a performance that seemed to speak volumes about her past relationship with Shawn Mendes, who was also in attendance.

The 27-year-old singer took the stage at the UBS Arena in New York on September 11, delivering a striking performance that diverged from fan expectations.

Camila Cabello’s dramatic stage set reflects relationship ups and downs

The set began with a video of Camila Cabello sporting blonde hair, singing the first verse of her track 'June Gloom'.

As the video ended, Cabello emerged on stage with her new brunette look, setting the tone for a dramatic shift. She proceeded to perform a poignant rendition of 'Godspeed', enclosed within a recording booth while masked dancers wielding baseball bats attempted to break in.

The performance seemed to mirror the tumultuous nature of her on-again, off-again relationship with Mendes.

The emotional climax came when Cabello slammed the laptop to the ground before delivering the final verse of 'Godspeed': “I let you go, and I feel more like me / I wish you well, but far away from me / Godspeed.”

Earlier in the evening, Mendes had performed his track 'Nobody Knows', which is rumored to be about Cabello.

Sabrina Carpenter, who reportedly dated Mendes during a 2023 breakup with Cabello, also took the stage with a mashup of 'Taste' and 'Espresso'.

Cabello had previously hinted at the inspiration behind 'June Gloom' during an interview with Nylon in June.

She described the term as a “weather phenomenon” where foggy days make it feel “like you’re in a cloud.”

The song’s lyrics reflect her feelings about reconnecting with an ex: “June gloom, tule fog / I might as well say, ‘Meet me in Montauk’ / Cold beach, you walk / I feel my body scream when you talk.”

Camila Cabello’s 'June Gloom' hints at her ex partner Shawn Mendes

The track 'June Gloom' details a tumultuous relationship, hinting at the ex’s new partner before their reunion on the East Coast: “She’s cool, I heard / Won’t act surprised, I saw the pictures / We’re a house fire, for sure / Hope it’ll burn out, but it just gets bigger.”

Cabello questions her ex’s intentions in the pre-chorus: “If she’s so amazing / Why are you on this side of town? / If you like her so much / What are you here tryna find out?”

This song, part of Cabello’s fourth studio album, 'C, XOXO', closely aligns with the timeline of her relationship with Mendes, including his rumored involvement with Carpenter.

Cabello and Mendes, who dated from 2019 to 2021, briefly rekindled their romance in early 2023 before separating again by June of that year, as reported by Us Weekly.

Carpenter’s recent album, 'Short n’ Sweet', includes tracks that fans speculate may reference her fling with Mendes.

In 'Coincidence', Carpenter sings, “The second I put my head on your chest / She knew, she’s got a real sixth sense.”

Additionally, the opening track 'Taste', featuring Jenna Ortega in the music video, adds fuel to the rumors, with Carpenter singing: “I heard you’re back together and if that’s true / You’ll just have to taste me when he’s kissin’ you.”