Shameless: Camila's coming out
Shameless is about Camila’s coming out, simple as that. But it’s just not that. Camila’s not only singing about hersef - she’s singing about her partner (Lauren).
Don’t speak, no, don’t try
It’s been a secret for the longest time
Don’t run, no, don’t hide
Been running from it for the longest time
Camila is talking about a secret relationship where the parties may be running from their feelings. Sounds a lot like Camren around 2013 and 2014, huh? The secrecy is also a theme on Love Incredible and BT. If I might say, Lauren is the one running away from commitment, as described on Señorita:
You say we’re just friends, but friends don’t know the way you taste.
So many mornings I woke up confused
In my dreams, I do anything I want to you
My emotions are naked, they’re taking me out of my mind
Right now, I’m shameless
Screamin’ my lungs out for ya
Not afraid to face it
I need you more than I want to
This situation and maybe Camila’s sexuality used to make her confused. In her dreams she does anything she wants to Lauren. That’s a powerful metaphor because she couldn’t in real life. So, Camila’s way of dealing with this situation was to come out.
By coming out, Camila takes control of her life and of her situation with Lauren.
Why? If we go down the memory lane, we have Lauren not commiting to Camila and refusing to accept her sexuality while Camila pines and deals with rejection. This is mentioned in Who Are You and OTTM (when Lauren even moved on to someone new, maybe Luis). Lauren’s reasons for not commiting to Camila might include: fear of rejection (family, friends, label), believing falling in love with a woman is wrong (as implied in Burning), and other insecurities. However, she couldn’t let Camila go completely and Camila was holding a burden that wasn’t hers. By coming out, Camila was no longer affected by Lauren’s insecurities. If Lauren rejected her, she could go on and find someone else to spend time with. She didn’t have to hide from her friends and family. She could go around as she liked (as long as she kept it on the down low). And this meant Lauren had to up her game or she’d risk losing Camila for good, as mentioned in No Way.
Show me you’re shameless
Write it on my neck, why don’t ya?
And I won’t erase it
Camila wants Lauren to come out as well and claim her as her girlfriend. Write it on my neck is a beautiful way of describing a hickey, that can be seen as a possessive gesture.
So we’re there, now it’s real
Now that you have me, do you want me still?
My kisses are history, they go back a long time, uh
And I’m tired of loving somebody that’s not mine, no
There’s just inches in between us
I want you to give in, I want you to give in
There is tension in between us
I just wanna give in
“Kisses are history” are a way of showing that Camren were doing this for the longest time. But Camila is no longer satisfied with someone who won’t stay with her for real. She’s done loving somebody that ain’t hers. As mentioned before, Camila knows that Lauren feels something for her. She wants Lauren to give in to her feelings.
And I don’t care if I’m forgiven
Strong line here. Remember how Lauren said she’d take all of Camila’s shame and burn at the stake? Yeah, well, Camila doesn’t care about being forgiven.