The album “I Said I Love You First” by Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco served as Gomez’s first album back into her musical career after a five-year hiatus. This album served as a love story between the engaged co-writers, recorded and written in their home. This album embodies the power couple deeply and articulately. In this album there are many stories to unfold, from past heartbreaks, mistakes and self doubts, every emotion can be felt in this 14-track masterpiece.
This album had several feature artists and collabs, including rising pop star Gracie Abrams and The Marias, and every song is very different from the last. Gomez took some artistic risks with this album. Several of the songs switched from singing in English to Spanish, and varied tempos and genres, such as house and EDM. A lot of the lyricism and flow were Lana-esque between the chord differentiation and gentle singing. This album felt complete and confident, which is the exact vibe Selena Gomez exudes in her adult life.
My personal favorites on the album are “Younger and Hotter Than Me” and “You Said You Were Sorry,” which have completely different themes. Still, both songs pull on the heartstrings, reminding me of a first love and the mistakes made trying to figure out first relationships. To me, this album represented growth. From appropriately dissing an ex to realizing the steps needed to get better after a breakup, the storytelling was precise throughout these two songs especially.
An idea Gomez honed in on during her time in the spotlight is being perfectly imperfect. Between her beauty brand, Rare Beauty, and her constant repetition toward younger audiences, Gomez preaches how the idea of “perfect” is unattainable through the song “Do You Want To Be Perfect.” The song serves as a voicemail to a past self, containing the message, “There’s literally no one like you” spoken throughout the short song, serving one purpose: to remind the audience of their natural inner beauty, encouraging them to continue to be themselves even as society crumbles.
This album had me feeling every emotion, from pride and heartbreak to empowerment all in a 49-minute time span. I really enjoyed this album and the storytelling that went along with it. I felt like I was riding side by side with Selena Gomez with the windows down, and a breakup in the rearview mirror. For a late-night drive or just to feel a little bit of everything, “I Said I Love You First” is just right for you.
