Lil Nas X and Camila Cabello are joining forces on a new song coming out this Friday. While it’s the first time the pair have worked together, this collaboration has been literal years in the making, as a wholesome, recently unearthed video now shows.
On Thursday, Cabello announced the new single, titled “He Knows,” on Instagram. “SHE’S A PROVOCATEUR, DANCEFLOOR CONNOISSEUR,” she wrote in the caption. The photo shows a closeup of Lil Nas X and Cabello embracing at the Met Gala, each showing off their spectacular nails.
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While the announcement and subsequent release date are sudden, Lil Nas X has been waiting for this collaboration for at least five years. Fan account @lilnasxmajor recently surfaced a 2019 video (filmed not long after the release of breakout single ”Old Town Road”) in which Lil Nas X encounters Cabello and Shawn Mendes outside the American Music Awards.
After greeting Cabello, Lil Nas X can be overheard broaching the topic of a featured track. “Yeah, man,” she says. “Text me. You have my number.” The three then proceed to compliment one another on their style and performance.
In the time since, Lil Nas X has signed onto a major record label, released his debut album and three Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles. Now, he’s channeling this momentum to make his dream collaborations come true.
“He Knows” is a featured track on Cabello’s upcoming album, C, XOXO, which she announced on Monday. It will be the former Fifth Harmony member’s first album in two years.
Following the success of the debut album Montero in 2021, Lil Nas X has been going back to his Soundcloud roots, releasing four tracks for his mixtape Nasarati 2. Before that, he entered his “Christian era” with singles “J Christ” and “Where Do We Go Now?”
While we’ll have to wait until “He Knows” releases for an idea of its sound, Cabello has given a hint: the single aims to make us all provocative dance floor connoisseurs. Camila Cabello and Lil Nas X’s “He Knows” drops on May 10.
RelatedIt’s Lil Nas X’s birthday and to celebrate, we’re taking a trip down that “Old Town Road” to prove why he’s the queer pop star we deserve.“Back in middle school, I was fiending for d**k / 7th grade, sending my homies some pics”