“I love doing shoots overseas. Actually being there and feeling the
voice showing no signs of left-behind introversion. Selena’s mother Mandy,
environment adds a realness to the shoot,” she says, her accent bearing more
who recently gave birth to her second child, was just sixteen when Gomez
likeness to the dozy, drawn-out vowels of California than her Texan roots.
was born in Grand Prairie, Texas in 1992. The family’s financial situation wasn’t
“It’s so easy to wear incredible, beautiful dresses and look super glamorous,
exactly cushy and Gomez’s childhood was a stark contrast to glitzy Hollywood.
because you have the power of Photoshop, but a shoot that’s really stripped-
In 2002, Gomez landed her first part on the kids’ show Barney & Friends and
down and raw is really fun to do. I was being rained on, it was freezing, I was
was soon snapped up by the Disney machine, which eventually secured her the
covered in a giant sweater and my hair was all over the place. I got to just be
starring role on Wizards. She even got a Disney boyfriend, Nick, the youngest
in that moment and feel like I was there.” When you’re 21 and you’re about
of the Jonas Brothers, but it was a different scale of celebrity romance that
to go on tour, those moments don’t necessarily come by the dozen. “It’s been
would make Gomez part of the most famous teenage relationship in the
crazy,” Selena admits. “I wanted it to be bigger and better than the last tour,
world. “She don’t like the lights,” Justin Bieber wrote on his last album about
so the stage and the presentation are gonna be really fun.”
Gomez and her desire to keep their fling under wraps, or so rumour has it.
When she materialised on the Billboard Music Awards stage last May in
After the couple went public in 2011 - to the heartbreak of hordes of squealing
golden armour like a bionic Helen of Troy, her performance signified the
tween girls and Beliebers, who labelled the relationship a PR stunt - it’s been
re-introduction of Selena Gomez. “I’m a Dolce & Gabbana girl, for sure.
a strenuous ride for the young performers, and while Bieber would Instagram
I’m an Italian designer girl. I love Versace,” she says. Donatella sent Gomez
an ‘it’s back on’-style picture of the two just days after Gomez spoke to i-D, her
a note after she wore a Versace dress to the awards. Basia Richard is the
team made it clear that all things Biebs were off limits.
stylist who took Gomez’s look to bold new heights for her reinvention, just
It hasn’t, however, prevented fans from fantasising about the ‘Jelena’
as they’ve collaborated on every look throughout her career. “I have a whole
constellation, word on the street being that Gomez wrote one of the more
folder on my computer. I think I have more pictures of random people from
heartfelt songs on the new album about Bieber. “Some of my favourite lyrics
photo shoots than I do of me and my friends… that’s probably not a good
on the entire record are on a track called Love Will Remember,” Selena says,
thing!” Selena laughs. “I get inspired by different pieces I see in magazines
referring to the love song in question. “I think it’s really beautiful and people
or videos, and so does Basia. She sends me references all the time.” In the
can relate to, you know, having someone pass or losing someone that you love,
creation of Gomez’s new look, Richard was one of the few people to listen to
from friends to relationships. ‘Somewhere forever we’ll dance again because
the new album in its entirety before it was released.
love will remember,’ and that’s the most important part, because they won’t
“I knew it was time for me to have my own individual stamp. I spent the most
ever forget - and you won’t ever forget - the love that was there.” For Gomez,
time I’ve spent on any record with this album,” Selena says, noting how she
who already lived under a magnifying glass pre-Bieber, the ensuing fame circus
took out six months in the studio. The result is an eclectic mix of musical
and media attention has intensified dramatically these past few years.
cultures, which sees Gomez paying visits to corners of the world far beyond
When you’re a young artist whose work depends on you keeping up with
the Bollywood beat of Come & Get It. “I bounce all over the place!” she
the creative vibes that run through street culture, it can’t be easy being the
laughs. Selena lists Rock Mafia and The Cataracs as her favourite producers
most famous 21-year-old in the world. “I think sometimes my life can be a
on an album which breaks with the common preconception that the type of
little abnormal,” Selena says. “But, at the end of the day, I’m still the girl from
pop star Gomez represents spends little time on the creation of their songs.
Texas. I work really hard and I’ve got great people around me that inspire
“I have never written as much as I did for this album, which was great because
me and make me better every day.” It’s words like these that have come to
I never had the opportunity to do that. It was fun for me to be in control but
illustrate her level-headedness, which no one expects from someone who
also learn from some of the greatest.” If being in control came naturally to
grew up in Hollywood. When you’re constantly being watched and don’t
Gomez, there’s no doubt that a certain highly publicised, controversial acting
have access to the youth culture from which your work evolves, there must be
move instilled a different kind of drive in the performer.
moments of despair? “It’s something I try not to acknowledge. I don’t know
“The reason why I wanted to be part of Spring Breakers was that artistically -
if it’s thinking highly of myself or just not being aware, but I don’t ever wanna
my mom and I talked about it - it would be a good opportunity for me as an
focus like that. I don’t ever think, ‘Oh no, people are watching.’ I have my
artist to step into a whole new light and work with some of the best,” Selena
moments. I’m not perfect. I just enjoy.”
says of the Harmony Korine film in which she plays the religious teenager
She may be the poster girl for a new generation of sane Disney child stars,
Faith, one of a group of bored girls whose decision to rob a diner and head
who’ve slipped into adulthood with little trouble, but the poise of Selena
on a debauched spring break gets them involved with a sinister gangster
Gomez can seem too good to be true. While she doesn’t give it away
and all the weapons and sex that come with it. Part social realism and part
easily, even this balanced example of young Hollywood stability must have
bubblegum violence, it’s a far cry from Gomez’s teen TV years on the Disney
witnessed her share of the difficulties that come with growing up in the
Channel’s Wizards of Waverly Place. “I was very nervous,” she admits. “I was
spotlight. On her latest album, Demi Lovato - a part of Gomez’s group of
very comfortable being on my TV show and I was very comfortable doing
friends, which also includes Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus - has been frank
the parts in movies that I already played. So for me to take it to a whole new
about the drug habit which landed Demi in rehab as a teenager. “I’m very
place was scary, but it was what I needed.”
proud of Demi and her being able to accept the challenges she went through,
This was a sizeable comfort zone to step out of, especially for someone
but also for staying a good role model to people who do struggle with the
who spent her adolescence as America’s most beloved sweetheart, with
things that she’s gone through,” Selena says. “I’ve always been taught that
all the clichéd but very real child star frustrations it entails. For Gomez,
you are who you surround yourself with. So if you surround yourself with good
life in the spotlight wasn’t as effortless as she made it seem. “I wasn’t very
positive people you can only do good things for them and they can only do
comfortable,” she says. “That’s what was interesting. I was actually very
good things for you. It is frustrating at times when certain things are being
shy. My first audition did not go well. I was very awkward. I was in front of a
said, but other than that I’m just a normal girl living a normal life.”
bunch of suits who were the top of Disney and I definitely felt like I blew the
selenagomez.com
audition. It took me a long time to let that go,” she says, her 21-year-old
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122 i-D THE STREET ISSUE
Selena wears jumper Richard Nicoll. Jeans G-Star.
“I’ve always been taught that you are who you surround yourself with. So if you surround yourself with good positive people you can only do good things for them.” SELENA GOMEZ, 21
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