‘The Voice’: Camila Cabello Sparks Drinking Game With Constant Reminders About Her ‘X Factor’ Days
The Voice isn’t Camila Cabello’s first singing competition, and she won’t let anyone forget it. Season 22 marks the “Havana” singer’s first time on the coaching panel, but she has first-hand experience from competing on The X Factor USA when she was a teen.
One of her most common tactics for getting teammates on The Voice has been to talk about her experience — so much so that it inspired a new drinking game. Here’s more on Camila Cabello and how The X Factor has helped her navigate The Voice.
How old was Camila Cabello when she went on ‘The X Factor’?
Fans of the girl group Fifth Harmony are likely very familiar with the Cuban-born singer’s journey on The X Factor USA. Camila Cabello auditioned for The X Factor in 2012, at just 15 years old, because she hoped to meet Harry Styles. She was eliminated during boot camp in Miami, Florida, but got called back to form a group with four other artists — later known as Fifth Harmony.
Fifth Harmony made it to the finals on The X Factor and ultimately finished in third place. After the show, Cabello continued to release music and tour with the group until 2016. She decided to pursue a solo career, going on to release hits like “Havana,” “Señorita,” and “Bam Bam.” Now, she’s sharing the knowledge she gained from her journey with her team on The Voice.
Camila Cabello never lets anyone forget her ‘X Factor’ experience on ‘The Voice’
During the Blind Auditions of The Voice Season 22, which wrapped up on Oct. 10, Cabello often used her singing competition experience to entice artists to join her team. Dozens of times, she said something along the lines of, “I’ve been on a singing competition before,” and added that she could help singers work through competition nerves. The tactic did work in some cases, but even Cabello recognized how frequently she brought it up.
“Take a shot every time you hear me say that on this show,” she once joked.
Cabello’s fellow coaches, Blake Shelton, John Legend, and Gwen Stefani, have often poked fun at Cabello for the constant reminders. They feigned shock whenever she brought up The X Factor.
In Cabello’s defense, though, the experience does give her a slight advantage. She spoke about her “unique perspective” in an interview with Extra before The Voice Season 22 began.
“I was kind of put through the wringer so early,” she said. “Like, imagine at 15 being like, ‘And now, sing for America!’… So that’s why, when I basically twist my brain up like a pretzel to be like, ‘How do I make this situation not scary?’ It’s like, ‘Because I had to.'”
Kelly Clarkson inspired a drinking game in season 21 by constantly using 1 word
Cabello’s “drinking game” is reminiscent of her predecessor coach, Kelly Clarkson. Last season, Shelton and Ariana Grande started their own game because Clarkson liked to use one word — “navigate.” Like Cabello, she often reminded artists that she knew how to “navigate” a competition like this.
“I think Kelly’s trying to ‘navigate’ her way into a thesaurus,” Legend joked at the time, per Entertainment Tonight.
Fans can tune in to the Battles on The Voice Season 22, starting on Oct. 11, to see how many more times Camila Cabello brings up The X Factor. New episodes of The Voice air every Monday and Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on NBC, with next-day streaming available on Peacock.
