“You’ll just have to taste me when he’s kissin’ you,” sings Sabrina Carpenter in one of the hits of her latest album, Short n’ Sweet, sparking a whirlwind of speculation among fans who believe it hints at a secret love triangle involving Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello.
“If you like her so much, what are you trying to find out? If she’s so amazing, why are you on this side of town?” asked Camila in her song June Gloom, seemingly addressing the triangle and helping fans connect the dots.
In early 2023, Sabrina Carpenter and Shawn Mendes were spotted together by paparazzi on several occasions, fueling rumors that the two pop stars were dating.
The pair were first seen in February, strolling together in Los Angeles and fueling speculation that a romance was brewing.
Adding fuel to the fire, they were later seen leaving Miley Cyrus’ Endless Summer Vacation album listening party at the same time in March, all but confirming the rumors.
Singer Sabrina Carpenter addresses a possible love triangle with Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello in the lyrics of her latest album, Short n’ Sweet
Image credits: sabrinacarpenter
Around the same time, sources close to the stars hinted that there was indeed something going on between them. “They’ve been seeing each other,” an anonymous source told Entertainment Tonight, adding that they were also deliberately trying to keep things subtle.
“They were at a birthday party together a couple weeks ago and were cute together. Shawn is happy.”
Image credits: sabrinacarpenter
Image credits: mike_capalungan
Shawn would later deny these rumors in an interview with Dutch television, stating that he was not dating Sabrina. His words carried weight, as the pair were never seen together again in public afterward.
Despite his denial, fans continued to connect the dots, especially after Shawn was seen reconnecting with his ex-girlfriend, Camila Cabello, at Coachella in April 2023.
Image credits: shawnmendes
The two briefly rekindled their romance before parting ways again just six weeks later, leaving their followers confused and trying to get to the bottom of what was actually going on.
The answer they were looking for seemed to be found in the lyrics of songs by both Carpenter and Cabello.
Fans believe the songs clearly tell the story of Carpenter and Mendes’ short romance, as their relationship dealt with the looming presence of an ex who kept tempting the man
Image credits: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
Sabrina’s Short n’ Sweet album, released on August 23, 2024, is laden with lyrics that appear to allude to her brief romance with the Canadian singer.
In tracks like Taste, Sharpest Tool, and Coincidence, Carpenter tells the story of a man returning to his ex, leaving listeners to wonder if she’s referring to Shawn.
Sabrina and Shawn start dating around February 2023 and were spotted together on a walk in LA pic.twitter.com/BGKjQziIiT
— alex (@dontblamealex) August 22, 2024
The first of the aforementioned songs has a line that reads, “I heard you’re back together, and if that’s true, you’ll just have to taste me when he’s kissing you,” a line that fans believe is directed at Camila.
The hit’s music video, starring actress Jenna Ortega in what fans believe to be the role of Camila Cabello, dramatizes the surrounding events with scenes of the two girls fighting with guns and knives over the love of a man.
The rest of the album provides extra clues as to what might’ve happened between the couple, providing extra story details
Sabrina and Shawn leave an album listening party, he purposely enters the car after her as they keep things on the low pic.twitter.com/rs498Lwkoe
— alex (@dontblamealex) August 22, 2024
Coincidence hints at the romance with the lyrics, “Your car drove itself from LA to her thighs. Palm Springs looks nice, but who’s by your side? Damn, it looks like the girl you outgrew. Least that is what you said.”
Sharpest Tool, specifically mentions an ex and how the man fans believe to be Mendes is at her house while texting a third party. “We never talk about how you found God at your ex’s house, always made sure that the phone was facedown,” she sang.
But then, a week later, in the same March, Shawn goes on a podcast and denies the rumours with Sabrina, and refuses to claim her. Sabrina apparently didn’t think this was a fling as she later writes about Shawn leading her on in multiple songs after this pic.twitter.com/b5NDpyxcnH pic.twitter.com/rYWdo75SIM
— 🐝 (@shamelessdawn) August 23, 2024
Listeners believe the proverbial nail in the coffin comes in the lyrics of Dumb and Poetic, a song that calls out a man Carpenter used to date for experimenting with mushrooms, something that Mendes admitted to during a concert in 2024.
“The mushrooms aren’t changing your life,” she wrote.
Cabello, on the other hand, seemed to address the love triangle in her song June Gloom from her album C.XOXO. In the track, she sings, “If she’s so amazing, why are you on this side of town?” a line that appears to recall the couple’s reunion in April 2023.
Despite the songs adding coal to the fire of the couple’s previous relationship, Carpenter appears to have moved on and is currently dating actor Barry Keoghan
Image credits: Gotham/GC Images
Sabrina Carpenter’s stardom continues to rise, especially after opening for Taylor Swift and becoming one of the biggest pop acts of her generation.
Her increasing popularity brings greater scrutiny to her personal affairs, with paparazzi and media outlets eager to know more about her intimate escapades.
Image credits: shawnmendes
While she has moved on, reportedly dating actor Barry Keoghan, the buzz surrounding her connection with Mendes remains.
Keoghan accompanied the singer to the Met Gala in May 2024, and he even played her love interest in the video for her hit single Please Please Please.
“It’s not what I signed up for, but I can’t really help when I was born. I want to be honest, I just want to write about what’s happening in my life as a 25-year-old girl,” she said in an interview with The Guardian about her privacy being permanently on display and speculated on in the age of social media.
As speculation continues to spread, fans of each singer were eager to take a side in the supposed love triangle
“Sorry, but Sabrina Carpenter all the way,” writes one fan of the singer.
“He has gone back to his ex Camila Cabello,” says another.
“Camilla dated him first!” argues one reader.
Image credits: sabrinacarpenter
Others shared their own theories on the meaning of the lyrics and the associated music video.
“Jenna represents Camila and the guy who’s the problem is Shawn, In the end the girls became besties which might imply that Camila and Sabrina are cool.”
“The song Taste is about a girl who takes back her ex after he was with someone else.
Which is exactly like that situation.”
At the end of the day, the truth behind this rumored love triangle may never be fully known, as none of the parties involved have confirmed it. However, the hints left behind in their music have fueled fans’ imagination, who are eager to hear more of the story in upcoming songs.
“Now we need a collab,” writes one fan calling for the speculated rivals to put aside their differences and make music together
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