Camila Cabello performed “June Gloom” from her new LP C, kisses and hugs at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards, broadcast live from UBS Arena on Long Island.
The pop star's performance began with a video clip showing her blonde look from this album cycle, played from a laptop. The camera then pulled back to show a brunette Cabello singing from a glass box, performing directly into a camera surrounded by dancers in balaclavas and flashing lights. In a shocking move, Cabello smashed the laptop and stepped out of the case. Her dancers unmasked before crowding around her, concluding the performance with a pose.
Fans speculated that “June Gloom,” which Cabello teased on social media shortly after her 2023 Coachella reunion with ex-boyfriend Shawn Mendes, was written about their breakup. “How come you’re so much better? Is it ever over?/I guess I’ll think about it and find out (I guess I’ll think about it)/I know I act like it’s anything, it just makes me feel better/Truth is, baby, you’re all I think about,” she sings on the track.
Mendes, who also performed at this year's VMAs, debuted “Nobody Knows,” a song that hinted at the end of his on-and-off romance with Cabello. Similar to “June Gloom,” Mendes addressed his disappointment in the new single after pursuing a romance he knows isn't good for him. He sings, “When you're so in love/And your souls are touching/But it's still not enough/Where does it go?/Nobody knows.”
This is Cabello's third time performing at the VMAs. She made her debut at the 2019 show, sharing the stage with Mendes for their hit “Señorita.” She also performed at the 2021 VMAs. Cabello was nominated for two VMAs this year, but went home empty-handed.