Selena Gomez’s new album, I Said I Love You First, is making waves — and fans are fairly certain it contains some thinly veiled diss tracks directed at her ex-boyfriend Justin Bieber.
On the emotional ballad “How Does It Feel To Be Forgotten,” Gomez sings:
“You’re so embarrassing / Go cry when no one’s watchin’ / I can’t imagine it / How does it feel to be forgotten (Ah), forgotten? (Ah-ah).”.
While the lyrics are subjective, fans believe they’re directed at Bieber, who previously made headlines for writing emotional social media posts.
The track continues with more cutting lines:
“‘Cause you walked in, big-ass grin / Talkin’ like we’re friends, honey, what were you thinkin’? / He loves me, I love him / Look at you, just look at you now.”
Per Genius.com, this lyric references Gomez’s 2020 song “Look at Her Now,” a song heavily rumored to be about her split with Bieber.
The on-again, off-again relationship of the former couple dates back to 2010, when they began a whirlwind romance that had several breakups and makeups over the years. Their most recent breakup was in early 2018, due to ongoing trust issues — around the time Bieber went on to marry Hailey Bieber later that year.
They have also mentioned other tracks on the album that may indicate she has past with the pop star. On “Don’t Wanna Cry,” Gomez belts out:
“Left the door wide open for the whole wide world to see you / Then you kiss her right in front of me like I’m not even here / I should cause a scene for s–t you’ve done to me / The saddest part is we both know that I would never go.”
Another standout cut, “Younger and Hotter Than Me,” seemingly addresses the pain of being caught in a love triangle:
“Begging for more / X on my hand drawn in Sharpie / Now I use my own ID.”
The X marked on the hand, often worn like a stamp by underage party people, could then be taken to represent the early days of her relationship with Bieber. Gomez was 18 while the couple first began going out when Bieber was 16.
Even though the artist didn’t directly confirm that these are songs about her high-profile ex, she did address the inspiration behind the album recently in an interview with her fiancé and producer Benny Blanco.
“It’s about your experiences. Our experiences together,” she said to him.
Some of the songs were rooted in friendships and other relationships Gomez had, not necessarily romance, she continued.
“It was open to what people want to do, but to me it was about our histories and pasts together,” she said. “There were some songs written about people that I’m actually friends with, and I feel like that’s what the record was about.”
So, are the lyrics a secret message to her former flame — or merely an expression of emotional development and closure? Either way, I Said I Love You First is on its way to becoming one of Gomez’s most intimate and telling records yet.
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