If you're a pop star that arrived on the scene sometime within the last three decades, then you owe dues to the ultimate blueprint for female chart-toppers otherwise known as Madonna. On Sunday (March 11), Camila Cabello paid tribute to the titan with a show-stopping performance of her breakthrough smash, "Havana," and the sizzling number saw her basically recreate the concept from the "Material Girl" video.
Introduced by Modern Family star Sarah Hyland, Cabello kicked off her number with a batch of backup dancers dressed in an ensemble similar to the Queen of Pop's iconic outfit from the 1984 clip. Shimmying in a body-forming pink dress with lavish jewelry, the star worked in the sexy demure that Madge offered in her famed clip and even replicated some of the choreography from the Mary Lambert-directed video. Still, this was a Camila performance, so she made sure to incorporate her own spin with an appearance from the track's guest collaborator Young Thug, a dance break on the catwalk and sexy ad-libs before it all wrapped up at the end of the video.
Prior to the number, Cabello spoke about the Frank Dukes-produced number and explained why the song is so important to her even if it is a bit of a juxtaposition to her personality. "'Havana's' basically a love letter to my culture. I'm Cuban-Mexican. It just takes me to this really sexy, sensual place and I'm so not like [gasps] if you just talk to me," she explained. "Every time that I've performed this song, I've done something different and tonight is going to be totally different, too, so I'm really, really excited."
Cabello previously paid tribute to Madonna when she appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, changing the lyrics to "Havana" to include Madge's name in a warm-up video, which she posted on Twitter. "Madonna, na na na—she's on the show tonight. Madonna, na na na—she is a living legend," she sang in the impromptu acoustic version.
If you liked what you saw of Cabello's performance, you'll be happy to know that the star is set to embark on her own for her first solo headlining trek, which is appropriately named after her new single, "Never Be The Same." For the 16-date tour, the former 5H bandmate will hit major cities including Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Denver, Boston, London, and Toronto. She'll continue on with dates in Amsterdam, Berlin, Barcelona, and Madrid. Now, it's not the only tour that she'll be part of. Taylor Swift recently announced that Cabello and Charli XCX will serve as opening acts for her "reputation Stadium Tour." Word of Cabello's booking isn't much of a surprise as fans noticed that her solo trek actually aligned perfectly with Swift's tour dates.
Whether you're looking for a full list of winners from the jam-packed affair or recaps of the show-stopping performances, we have you covered with all that there is from our 2018 iHeartRadio Music Awards. If you missed out on the action, click here for all the up-to-date highlights from the DJ Khaled and Hailey Baldwin-hosted ceremony.
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