Selena Gomez figured it out five years ago. With Rare, her third solo studio album, the former Disney Channel breakthrough-turned multi hyphenate superstar distilled her skills as a recording artist into a slinky, sumptuous dance-pop record, full of self-empowering lyrics and midtempo earworms that understood precisely how to utilize her singular tone. Gomez earned the best reviews of her career; she also scored the first Hot 100 chart-topper, with the still-stunning self-acceptance ballad “Lose You to Love Me.” And she seemingly unlocked exactly the type of pop star she wanted to be.
Following Rare, Gomez moved on to other successful creative endeavors — the smash-hit TV show Only Murders in the Building, the cooking show Selena + Chef, collaborations like Blackpink’s “Ice Cream” and a remix of Rema’s “Calm Down,” a supporting role in the Oscar-winning Emilia Pérez — in addition to her gigantic business and brand deals. These projects have understandably kept Gomez busy, and although some solo music was unveiled, the next proper album never materialized.
I Said I Love You First is that long-awaited follow-up, and also, it’s not. The new album is credited to Gomez and Benny Blanco, her longtime romantic partner and new fiancé who happens to be one of the most prominent pop producers of the past 15 years. 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. There’s a reason why the album artwork is a glimpse of Gomez and Blanco through a keyhole — I Said I Love You First is presented as an intimate glimpse, not big-budget spectacle.
And yet, the Rare diehards are going to find a lot to embrace here. Gomez is a pop veteran who understands the contours of her voice, and how to imbue a line with emotional wallop. Whether she’s reflecting on failed romances of the past or toasting to the life she and Blanco have built together, she remains a nuanced performer who rises to meet the moment in front of her. Whether she’s sashaying through a danceable beat or whispering over acoustic haze, Gomez makes the love story that Blanco helped construct on I Said I Love You First accessible to the world, and at long last adds a compelling new entry to her catalog.
Which songs on Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco’s collaborative album stand out upon the first few listens? Check out our preliminary ranking of every song on I Said I Love You First.
This quick interlude cuts to the core of Gomez’s longstanding message: after Blanco reads a faux infomercial that offers a panacea for all that ails you, Gomez cuts him off and proclaims, “Actually, just be exactly who you are.”
The album kicks off with a spoken-word shot of unadulterated emotion: in a speech to loved ones (which was apparently delivered at the Wizards of Waverly Place wrap party), Gomez thanks the unseen several around her for helping her grow up, and hopes that her future endeavors won’t let them down.
While Gomez tries to gently let down a friend of her romantic partner’s who feels their relationship shifting (and might have secretly had an eye on him), Blanco co-produces a steadily growing amalgamation of sounds, built around an unfussy chord progression but expanding to include choral harmonies, quickening keyboards and string flourishes. “Don’t Take It Personally” is not the flashiest song, but may be the track that demonstrates why Blanco has become a master in his craft.
Yes, that’s the same “I Can’t Get Enough” that became a hit for Blanco and Gomez in 2019, back when they were just professional pals. Including the pre-pandemic team-up with J Balvin and Tainy on I Said I Love You First may be a bit jarring for longtime fans, but the electro-reggaeton jam is part of their love story — plus, the song still hits pretty hard, with Gomez’s tone sounding fresh above the deep bass and vocal hooks.
“Sunset Blvd” may be a romantic declaration masquerading as a series of sexual innuendos — “That big! BIG! HARD! HEART!” goes the pre-chorus — but its appeal lies in the simplicity of the Bianco-led production, which uses dreamy synths and a straightforward beat to support Gomez’s public display of affection.
What would it mean if an ex finally apologized, after both parties of a misbegotten relationship had long since moved on? That’s what Gomez ponders on “You Said You Were Sorry,” which includes some of the most evocative songwriting on the album: while her new beau “could melt a damn diamond,” her mind goes back to her past in a dream, in which she and her former partner’s “eyes were balling rain.”
On a song that could have sounded scornful — Gomez tosses barbs at a long-ago flame like “You’re so embarrassing / Go cry when no one’s watching” — “How Does It Feel to Be Forgotten” sounds enlightened, with the singer diving in to Lana Del Rey’s sonic territory as the cymbals shimmer and the sparse verses slide into booming, full-throated choruses.
In an alternate universe, “Don’t Wanna Cry” would serve as the lead single of a Gomez album about being fed up with feeling hurt and ready to upend the person who’s caused her resignation; as it stands, the track’s thematic focus isn’t representative of I Said I Love You First, but the sweeping production, clenched-fist hook and subtle groove of the bass make the song an immediately engrossing moment on the track list, as well as a potential hit.
The first promotional single from I Said I Love You First arrived ahead of Valentine’s Day weekend — fitting timing for a gentle strum-along about sharing your most vulnerable thoughts with the person you trust the most. Upon its release, “Scared of Loving You” quietly reminded the world that Gomez is an expert at conversational pop, as she sings with fragile grace, “When I was young, I would love too fast / Hope I don’t repeat my past.”
Although Gomez hasn’t released a full-length since 2020’s Rare, she did check in in 2021 with Revelación, an accomplished Spanish-language EP that earned her a Grammy nomination; “Ojos Tristes,” which features vocals from the Marías leader María Zardoya, gives Gomez another opportunity for multilingual storytelling, on a song that embraces the summer-bummer breathiness of the Marías’ breakout hit “No One Noticed.”
As successful as Gomez has been professionally over more than half of her lifetime, she also understands that the entertainment industry relies on heralding the cool new star — so while the haunting “Younger and Hotter Than Me” is ostensibly about an ex who moved on, lines like “All of the girls at this party are younger and hotter than me / And I hate what I wore, but I hate myself more” also center her general fears of a world that moves on without her, as the mournful piano line captures her insecurities.
The decision to follow “Sunset Blvd” with “Cowboy” on the track list was intentional: one song after dropping double entendres and tongue-in-cheek public nudity ideas, Gomez turns serious and sexually charged, commanding “Put your hands on me” with a lilting voice as the beat bubbles up beneath her. “Cowboy” sways with desire, and features one of Gomez’s best vocal takes on the album — as well as an X-rated outro delivered by GloRilla, who crashes in with an unannounced cameo that will cause a few double takes.
This two-hander between Gomez and guest star Gracie Abrams plays out with such fizzy joy that its two-minute run time flies by: acting as two sides of a friendship after one of their love stories ends abruptly, the two pop stars blurt out words of despair and support while the dance tempo and ah-ah-ah’s help “Call Me When You Break Up” gain steam. Gomez may already be releasing a collaborative album, but she and Abrams need to keep recording together and letting their personalities ricochet off each other.
Ten years ago, Blanco co-produced “Same Old Love,” a hit for his friend Gomez that featured a writing credit from Charli XCX, at that point the top 40 voice behind “Boom Clap.” Fast-forward a decade: Blanco and Gomez are engaged, Charli XCX has re-energized her career with Brat, and the three have teamed up on “Bluest Flame,” the most dynamic song on I Said I Love You First. Charli’s influence here is apparent, even without scanning the liner notes for her co-writing credit: the song’s propulsive thump, use of repetition and lyrical focus on hedonistic delights all recall the highs of Brat summer, but Gomez makes the moment her own, injecting a romantic swoon into the contorted vocals of the song’s lone verse. Amidst the more dramatic moments on the album, “Bluest Flame” is a celebration, and a triumphant one at that.