Photo Credit: ShutterstockLast month, Cuban American singer-songwriter Camila Cabello shared with her 12.2 million followers on TikTok a candid video proudly highlighting her natural body. The short clip showcases the 24-year-old singer recounting her experience of being spotted by paparazzi while running in a public park wearing a sports bra. She explores how the moment of initial self-consciousness turned into a body-positive reminder.

In the now widely praised video captioned “i luv my body”, Cabello walks fans through her thoughts stating, “Honestly, the first thing I felt was super insecure just imagining what these pictures must look like, but of course there are bad pictures, of course, there are bad angles. My body’s not made of rock, or all muscle, for that matter.” She continues, “I am grateful for this body that lets me do what I need to do. We are real women with curves, and cellulite, and stretch marks, and fat, and we got to own that.”

While the pop princess may be acclaimed for her spectacular performances, she is no stranger to pulling back the celebrity façade and sharing a more intimate side to her. Cabello often uploads images onto Instagram of bare-faced selfies or photos captured of her dressed in comfortable loungewear. However, being outspoken on the topic of body positivity and learning to love her natural form, stretch marks, cellulite, and all, has been a “really liberating” experience.

Two years ago, Cabello shared her truthful thoughts on unrealistic beauty and body standards in an Instagram Story. She wrote, “I’m writing this for girls like my little sister who are growing up on social media. We have a completely unrealistic view of a woman’s body. Girls, cellulite is normal. Fat is normal. It’s beautiful and natural. I won’t buy into the b— today! Not today Satan and I hope you don’t either.”

Cabello recently spoke with English celebrity news program Lorraine in a virtual interview and discussed her mental health, the impact of social media on young people, and the discourse sparked by her public proclamation of self-love.

Although Cabello has been in the public eye for several years and has since amassed an immense following, she expresses her prioritization of self-care in the form of social media breaks. She states, “it makes my brain go so fast, and sometimes you just need to take a break.”

On the contrary, she emphasizes how social media can be used as a beneficial tool to shape one’s own image. She explains, “a lot of the times I feel and I’m sure a lot of people feel, especially female pop stars or pop singers, that the narrative can be written for you. The thing I’m thankful for social media is that it lets me take control of my own narrative and actually share who I am, as opposed to people telling other people who they think I am.”