Selena Gomez's New Album: love, lust, and a bit of shade

Selena Gomez is in her engaged era, and she’s making sure everyone—especially a certain ex—knows it.

Her new album, I Said I Love You First, is a bold, sensual, and deeply personal soundtrack to her romance with fiancé Benny Blanco. It’s clear: Selena is in love, she’s showing up for it, and she’s leaving no room for the ghosts of relationships past.

I said I love you first

From the jump, she sets the tone with a spoken-word intro, a heartfelt thank-you to her support system—before swiftly diving into heartbreak with Young and Hotter Than Me, a Lana Del Rey-tinged ballad that seems to take aim at Justin Bieber. She doesn’t name names, but the lyrical venom is enough to make you wonder if Bieber and his wife, Hailey, are side-eyeing their Spotify notifications.

But unlike her past work, where pain lingered, this album moves fast—just like real life. Ojos Tristes finds Selena slipping back into old patterns with an ex (one last time, of course) before finally finding her way to Blanco. And when she does? The energy shifts entirely.

Enter: love, lust, and no shortage of double entendres.

On Don’t Wanna Cry, she gleefully announces she’s moved on, and by Sunset Blvd, things take a turn for the steamy. Gomez isn’t holding back, playfully teasing with suggestive pauses before landing on “Heart!”—a cheeky way of letting us know exactly where her mind is.

But the album’s real power comes from its confidence. Selena doesn’t just embrace her relationship with Blanco—she revels in it. Cowboy turns up the heat with breathy vocals and an unapologetic metaphor, while Bluest Flame and I Can’t Get Enough throw any remaining “good girl” expectations out the window.

And then, there’s the shade.

How Does It Feel to Be Forgotten is a masterclass in the art of the ex-dismissal. The message? She’s done looking back. Bieber’s name may never be spoken, but the implication is deafening. If Lose You to Love Me was about healing, this is about erasing.

By the time we reach Scared of Loving You, a raw, voicemail-style closer, Selena reminds us that love—real love—is still terrifying. But this time, she’s all in.

With I Said I Love You First, Selena Gomez isn’t just singing about love—she’s owning it. And if that happens to come with a side of ex-flavored smoke? Well, consider it a bonus.