A Review: Selena Gomez Returns to Music with “I Said I Love You First”
Before I dive into my thoughts on Selena’s new album, I want to say that I am not a music critic or reviewer. I am simply a fangirl who listens to way too much pop music. These are my thoughts and opinions. If you want to read critical reviews of the album, I suggest Rolling Stone, The Guardian, and Billboard for thoughtful, critical reviews. (I’ll link them down below.)
First things first, I can tell that Selena is having fun with this music — and that she’s in love. Finally! (Again, from what I can tell, because we as the general public can’t possibly know everything that happens behind the scenes.)
As someone who’s been a fan of Selena for years (even in The Scene days), her “return” to music — really, it’s only been five years since Rare came out — is something to be proud of. After focusing on other avenues like acting and Rare Beauty, her makeup brand, she found it within herself to return to music (with a couple of collaborations and an EP in the meantime). With the help of her fiancee, successful producer Benny Blanco, who has produced for Rihanna, Maroon 5, and Katy Perry. The average listener can tell that this is a labor of love that she worked on with her fiancee, and that she really loves him. Say what you want about him, or their relationship, but this album truly shows their love and how they came to be together.
I can’t find the quote (it’s behind a paywall in a Rolling Stone review of the album), but to paraphrase, Benny told the the magazine that Selena would wake up with a pencil in her hand and he’d be ready to write out what she’d be feeling, and then later that day, a song would come out of it. And to me, I love that. That’s the magic behind creating art — you just pick up your pencil and simply create.
This is an album that reflects her happiness, but on a deeper level, it also shows some insecurities as well, specifically in songs like Scared of Loving You and Younger and Hotter Than Me. This is Selena peeling back the curtain and revealing that she’s happy and content with her life, finally — but also hides some insecurities from her past, like from past relationships, as well. This is her having fun with music and feeling free to create and produce. (Which should be the ultimate goal with making art!) While I don’t think it’s her best work, I really like her vocals and raw emotions she pours into some of these songs — something I’ve always appreciated in some of her songs. She draws on past relationships and reflects on them, and we get to hear that.
The album is put together nicely. With some upbeat, pop songs that remind me of the Revival and Rare eras, but also emotional and sleepy ballads that portray her raw emotions, this is an album that I can play on repeat.
I Said I Love You First
This acts like a prelude to the entire album, and what surprised me the most was that it was from the wrap party to Wizards of Waverly Place. Selena has talked about how much that show meant to her — especially with the reboot releasing earlier this year on Disney+ — so it was a good homage to the show since it’s a part of her roots. I don’t typically like preludes on albums all that much, but this one was special as a Disney Channel girlie.
Younger and Hotter Than Me
Love the production of this song. Really loved the beginning of the song! Specifically, the soft piano sounds. The lyrics catch a raw and emotional vibe from Selena, something that I saw in her song, My Mind and Me (truly an underrated song). On the surface, this song shows envy and insecurities in a relationship, but on a deeper level, and this is my interpretation, this is a larger discussion on older actresses and female artists losing relevancy once you hit a certain age, especially as younger female artists rise. This shows Selena’s insecurity with fame in that regard, and I liked her take on it.
Call Me When You Break Up
This is the pop sound from Selena that we were all wanting. Or maybe just me. This is the single from the album, and so glad she chose this song as a single because it hyped up the album so well. Gracie Abrams’s voice was an amazing addition to this song. The transition to her verses was so seamless! It scratches an itch in my brain. A pop hit. Well done.
Ojos Tristes
This may not be everyone’s favorite, but it’s one of mine. I love the Latin sound on this song, something that Selena puts in most of her albums, showcasing her Mexican heritage. The song, translated to “Sad Eyes,” has a nice beat to keep me engaged. It’s about letting go of someone who you don’t want to say goodbye to. It’s a good sound. On my second and third listens, I’ve fallen more in love with this beat and lyrics — basically everything about this song. It’s going to be an unexpected favorite for sure.
Don’t Wanna Cry
Okay. So… I have a question. Does the beginning of the song supposed to mimic the sounds of your heart beating fast when you’re crying? Maybe that’s just me. Maybe I’m the only one that noticed that and it wasn’t supposed to be like that. But that’s what it reminded me of.
The beginning of the song started out slow, but towards the middle of the song, it turned into that upbeat song but with thoughtful lyrics.
Sunset Blvd
I’m sorry. But what is this song? What did I just listen to. (Period there for emphasis.) It’s a good beat — sometimes. The lyrics are a crazy declaration of love, or lust, if I’m being honest. It’s not a bad song. It’s a good song, really, but man, it’s STEAMY. And that’s coming from someone who reads steamy romance novels like it’s her job. This song probably shocks the normal, average listener, but after a couple of listens, I think I can get used to this song. The verses are good — I just think the chorus, with the build up (lol, literally pun intended), is the big shock of this song. I probably won’t listen to this song in public. It has a good beat. It’s definitely a steamy song which can shock some listeners but underneath all that, it’s a good, catchy song.
The transition from Sunset Blvd to Cowboy is INSANE. I didn’t even realize the song had changed.
Cowboy
Oh, this is going to be the song behind all the cowboy romance fan edits, isn’t it? Is this song going to make me finally watch Yellowstone?
I really liked the beginning of this song. I think this is what I wanted out of Sunset Blvd. While that song is more of an upbeat pop song, and more wild and crazy, I think Cowboy is a lot more subdued, but still steamy. Like Dress or Maroon by Taylor Swift. This is the sultry sound that I like from Selena. This is really good for her vocal range. The backing production sound is throwing me off a bit, but that’s just a personal preference, but it doesn’t really waver for my love for this song. I like the parallel of the keys and her vocals — with the keys/bass/whatever the sound is in the background dropping out so it can emphasize her vocals. I love when a song does that. (Like Dress!) The speaking part threw me for a bit, which is why it’s not my favorite song on the album, but it’s the end of the song so I could probably just skip to the next song at that part.
Bluest Flame
Not my favorite song, but not my least favorite. It’s a good song. The song starts out great. It’s a good beat with high energy — it’s meant to be a club song. It credits Charli XCX, who also collaborated on Selena’s Revival hit, Same Old Love. I can hear the Charli XCX and Brat influence on this song, but unfortunately, it’s not a favorite of mine. I’m not a Brat girl — however, if you love Brat, then I think this will probably be a favorite of yours.
How Does It Feel To Be Forgotten
How does it feel to forget this song? That’s what I feel like when I remember this song exists. It’s a good song, just not my favorite. I really like the chorus of this song, where she sings and expresses her emotions to her ex. It sings like a letter to an ex after both parties have moved on. This seems the follow-up to Lose You to Love Me, which is a fan favorite and a big hit for Selena.
Do You Wanna Be Perfect
Why did this interlude remind me of The Substance? It’s an empowerment song, that’s why, with Selena tearing down the unrealistic beauty standards: “It’s so boring, just be exactly who you are.” This body positive empowerment was expected from Selena. While I did not expect it to be on this love-filled, honeymoon-like album, she always loves to sneak in small themes of body positive empowerment in her music. And I love it. Even if it is just an interlude.
You Said You Were Sorry
Like How Does It Feel To Be Forgotten, this song feels like a letter to an ex, but in a dream. This feels like everything she would like to say to an ex, without actually seeing him in person. Many people would probably assume this to be about Bieber, but underneath examining who the song is about, it shows her ability to tell a story with lyrics. I like the lyrics in this one — they’re my favorite part of the song.
I Can’t Get Enough (benny blanco, Selena Gomez, J Balvin, Tainy)
The upbeat that I initially always loved from Selena. This reminds me of Taki Taki and Calm Down, but more of Selena’s sound. This initially came out in 2019, but I was pleasantly surprised to see this on this album. I’m not mad about it — in fact, it’s one of my favorite songs.
Don’t Take It Personally
I love the melodic vocals in this emotional tune. It’s slow and smooth and really scratches an itch in my brain. It puts me in a dreamlike stance like it could put me to sleep — in a good way, I promise. The lyrics paint the song in a way that it’s talking to your boyfriend’s ex or friend — which is an interesting concept that I need a few more listens to really understand the message behind this song. My favorite part of the song is the strings.
Scared of Loving You
This was at the top of this review, but I’m adding it again to emphasize my love for this song. This has Selena’s staccato vocals in the beginning — something I really love about her music! I can tell she’s relaxed when she’s singing this. Her emotions really come to shine in this song, like she’s really in love and happy with where she’s at in music and in her relationship. To me, this song is THE song on the album. It’s the crux. It’s the reason behind this album — and their relationship. I love the raw, emotional lyrics and the production behind it. The only thing that threw me off was the random triangle clink noise going on, which probably didn’t need to be added, but what do I know? Lol. Yeah, this song will be on repeat.
I want to emphasize that I am not a music reviewer or critic. I am simply a listener of music, someone who appreciates good music (good is subjective!), and who wants to talk about said good music.
Here are some early reviews of the album:
The Guardian: “It’s all pretty well done, but it means that a project that’s clearly very personal ultimately struggles to develop a clear identity of its own, an issue that has plagued Gomez as a pop star despite some great one-off hits…”
Billboard: “Although other producers help mold the album’s sound, I Said I Love You First is a creative collaboration between two halves of a shared heart, and Blanco’s sonic influence exists in direct conversation with Gomez’s lyrical delivery.”
Clash Music: “In its execution, however, ‘I Said I Love You First’ is a million miles away from those epithets – a trueful, sometimes moving, often joyous account of a relationship, the sheer honesty of the songwriting means that it engages at every turn.”
Overall, I really liked this album from Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco. I have always loved Selena’s music. I loved Rare when it first came out and I’m even revisiting some songs this year — People You Know on repeat! I’ll have a few songs from this album on repeat for the next couple of weeks, like Scared of Loving You, Cowboy, and I Can’t Get Enough.
What did you think of the album? Have you been a fan of Selena’s earlier music, mainly her Revival and Rare eras? Let me know, would love to discuss!