A girl from humble beginnings beats the odds and gets to live her dream: That’s the story of Cinderella.  But it’s also the story of Camila Cabello, the star of Amazon Prime Video’s new feminist take on Cinderella — except she didn’t have any magical help.

“I definitely do,” Camila tells ABC Audio when asked if she feels like a real-life Cinderella. “I feel like I related to her story from the beginning…I can definitely relate to somebody that starts off as a little bit of an underdog.”

“You know, when I was 15 auditioning for X Factor and I was just working really hard to have any entry into the music industry…I was just like, begging to have a chance,” she explains.

“I definitely relate to that feeling of wanting something so bad and having insecurity and doubt and all of that along the way,” she adds.  And even after Camila found fame with Fifth Harmony, she says the next step in her career was also Cinderella-like.

“When I did my solo career, it was…kind of leaving my comfort zone and doing something new,” she notes. “So I definitely relate to [Cinderella] getting out of her comfort zone and pushing through fears and doubts and noise to fight.”

But in this new version of the classic tale, what Cinderella is fighting for isn’t the love of a handsome prince, but the chance to have her own successful dress business — even though in the world of the movie, women aren’t allowed to do that. Of course, that just makes her want it even more.

The soundtrack, which is also out Friday, has a modern twist as well: In addition to some new, original songs, Camila sings Janet Jackson‘s “Rhythm Nation,” Ed Sheeran‘s “Perfect” and Jennifer Lopez‘s “Let’s Get Loud.”

 

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