The time has come for us all to sit down and talk about Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello's 2019 VMA body language. If you were watching the MTV Video Music Awards on Aug. 26, chances are you might have felt the room you were watching in get about 20,000 degrees hotter as soon as Cabello and Mendes took the stage. Even if you were watching in a legit freezer, it wouldn't be long until it turned into a hot tub. You get the picture. It was steamy.
And it's not just adoring fans who thought their chemistry was red hot. Traci Brown, body language expert and author of Persuasion Point, did a close analysis of all of the pictures and videos of Cabello and Mendes feeling each other both on and off the stage at the 2019 VMAs and she agrees, you guys: Their connection is undeniable.
If you had no idea Cabello and Mendes were even an item, don't be too hard yourself. Their romance is fairly new. Cabello just broke up with her ex Matthew Hussey back in June. Shortly after her split from Hussey, rumors started swirling around saying that Cabello and Mendes were more than just coworkers singing a song together. Even after they were reportedly spotted packing on the PDA all over the country, some fans remained skeptical that their relationship was even real. (Elite Daily previously reached out to reps for Cabello and Mendes for comment on their rumored relationship and did not hear back.)
But Brown is here to put any doubt to rest. "They're not faking it," she says. "They seem like the real deal." Below, Brown breaks down why.
It doesn't take a body language expert to notice that this picture is pretty much as intimate as it gets. I mean, look at how close their bodies are. Look at how close their faces are. It's super sexy.
Brown agrees. "Can they get any closer and still sing?" Brown asks. "I don't think so! Their eyes are both closed and they're fully experiencing the moment."
The two are lost in a moment together. They're the only people on Earth and the rest of the crowd is just watching them get lost in each other's eyes.
I, personally, don't think I've ever wanted two people to kiss on television more than I did at this very moment.
But, of course, there was part of me that wondered if that was purposeful. Did they purposely coordinate it? Was that all choreographed?
Well, maybe. "They're close here which is normal for this kind of act," admits Brown. "But see how she rubs his nose there at the end? That's a sign of intimacy."
So, yes. That was a standard sexy act. But they're still intimate outside of their performance.
Every relationship has its own unique dynamic and in theirs in this particular instance, Mendes is in control.
"This pic is super interesting because he's behind her starting to reach around," says Brown. "That puts him in the control position."
That being said, Cabello is taking control in her own right. "She's reaching back pulling him in," says Brown. "So that means she's into it... and it makes this pic super hot."
It's easy to say that the on-stage chemistry we saw was made for TV, but what about the way they acted when the spotlight wasn't on them?
"They're off-stage snuggling up in the stands," says Brown of this video. "The spotlight isn't on them at all and they're glued together and then he kisses her."
What's cute about this moment is that they appear to choose to be affectionate with each other even when they probably don't realize the cameras are on them. "The time for acting and performance is over and they're still going," she says. "They would have shut it off if they didn't have a super close, genuine connection."
This is adorable because they just won this award together. It's a win for both of them and they're both overjoyed.
"This is a really fun moment between them," says Brown. "He's looking her in the eye and she's in shock over their award."
Once again, they're all about living in the moment together. "They have shoulders and feet pointed towards each other totally engaged in the moment," she says.
I'm sorry, but that is just not how you hug a casual platonic coworker.
"See how tightly they're holding each other?" asks Brown "They wouldn't if they were in a fake relationship."
Agreed.
At the end of the day, these two have undeniable chemistry.
Like, seriously. Just look at them smiling ear to ear in this picture like two giddy third graders.
"This is a moment of pure joy celebrated together," says Brown. "He's laughing and grabbing her hand tightly. She's fully focused on him, taking it all in."
"They're clearly connected and feeling similar emotions at the same time," Brown concludes. "That's what great couples do!"
Yep, so not only are they a couple, but they're a good couple at that.
