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There’s a nostalgia to Jeanette’s ’80s hit song “El Muchacho de los Ojos Tristes” that has transcended generations. Most recently, Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco tapped The Marías for a reimagination of the ballad, titled “Ojos Tristes,” that is part of the couple’s collaborative album, I Said I Love You First. “I am very proud […]

Selena Gomez sings and dances to the beat of her own drum in the award-winning musical thriller Emilia Pérez, starring as Jessi Del Monte, a rebellious woman on a journey of radical transformation. Her compelling performance, both raw and refreshing, unlocked a new side of the 32-year-old star on the big screen. And that’s just one of her latest career milestones. In an industry that often aims to box you into categories, Gomez is a shapeshifter, constantly redefining what it means to be a global powerhouse today. In the last 12 months, Gomez, who has meticulously crafted a blueprint for her multi-hyphenate standing, garnered a Golden Globe best supporting actress nomination for Emilia Pérez; won a Screen Actors Guild Award for her role in Only Murders in the Building; the LP I Said I Love You First, which she released in March with fiancé Benny Blanco, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart, becoming Gomez’s fourth leader on the chart; and through her Rare Impact Fund, Gomez continues to work to increase access to mental health for young people.  

Now, on April 24, she will be honored at Billboard and Telemundo’s annual Latin Women in Music gala with the Woman of the Year award. 

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“I think anytime as women we show up and support each other, it truly is so beautiful and important,” Gomez tells Billboard. “I will say being honored at Latin Women in Music is incredibly special to me though. My Mexican heritage is something that has influenced me my entire life and it’s not lost on me how representation matters. Throughout the years I’ve been doing this, some of the most supportive women in the entertainment business I have met have been other Latin women. I love the bond we all have.”  

Named after fellow Texan, the legendary Selena Quintanilla, Gomez — whose paternal grandparents are Mexican — catapulted to fame as a child actor in Barney & Friends at 10 years old and subsequently starred on the Disney Channel show Wizards of Waverly Place as the ultra-cool and spunky teenage wizard Alex Russo. But it’s perhaps her career as a recording artist that solidified her pop icon status boasting of 42 entries on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, and seven top 10 LPs on the Billboard 200, including three leaders on that tally. While she has mainly recorded in English, Gomez has always stayed close to her roots, and recording in Spanish felt almost inevitable.  

Her first big splash in Latin music came in 2019, thanks to a feature on DJ Snake’s “Taki Taki,” alongside hitmakers Ozuna and Cardi B. The track debuted at No. 1 on the Hot Latin Songs chart in 2018, ruling for 13 weeks. Since then, Gomez has achieved three additional top 10 hits on the ranking, among them “Baila Conmigo,” her collaboration with Rauw Alejandro, which peaked at No. 4 on Hot Latin Songs in 2021 and topped the Latin Airplay chart for a week. That collab is part of her first-ever Spanish-language project: Revelación. It debuted at No. 1 on the Top Latin Albums chart, making history as the first album by a female artist to achieve the feat since Shakira’s El Dorado. 

“I never really focus on stats and charts, but when I hear something like that, all I can feel is pride. Shakira is an icon and someone I’ve always looked up to and I love her so much,” says Gomez. “Making a Spanish album was something I had wanted to do for a long time. Over the years, I’d release a Spanish version of one of the songs off an album but having an all-Spanish project was something that meant a lot to me. I worked hard on making sure I paid homage to my Latin roots, through the music as well as the aesthetics of all the visuals.”   

Navigating a bicultural identity, especially one that has a double standard (you should assimilate and learn English but also be fluent in Spanish), is one that even Selena Quintanilla faced in her early days. Then, Quintanilla had to learn to speak and sing in Spanish to be accepted in Mexico.  

Gomez recently faced similar scrutiny when critics questioned her Spanish-speaking skills on Emilia Pérez, even though she plays the role of an American who lives in Mexico and who is not meant to be fluent in the role. Gomez — who alongside her co-stars Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón and Adriana Paz won best actress award for the ensemble cast at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival — says Emilia Pérez is a film she’ll “hold dear forever.” 

“I pushed myself into uncomfortable spaces which as an actress are the most rewarding. It was a magical time and working with [director] Jacques [Audiard] was one of my best experiences,” she says. “I am taking my time to find the right role and director to work with next because I want it to be a challenge and unexpected.”

Gomez’s Latin heritage is constantly present in her work. She plays Mabel Mora in Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building. And in I Said I Love You First, she includes “Ojos Tristes” with The Marías, a reimagination of Jeanette’s 1981 classic ballad “El Muchacho De Los Ojos Tristes.” The track entered the top five of the Hot Latin Songs chart (dated April 5).  

“Benny and I went and saw The Marías in concert last summer. I was mesmerized by them and knew I wanted to have them on our album,” Gomez shares. “ ’El Muchacho De Los Ojos Tristes’ to me is one of those cross generational songs that brings people together no matter how old you are. You either knew as an adult or something your mother or abuela listened to so it conjures up nostalgic memories. I loved seeing all the posts about the song and the feeling it reminds people of. I might have teared up a few times. I am very proud of this song.”  

Gomez is equally proud of her work in activism as a leading voice in advocating for mental health and social justice for underrepresented communities. In 2019, she executive produced Living Undocumented, a Netflix docuseries that poignantly tackled the immigration crisis in the U.S. She has also transformed the youth mental health landscape by mobilizing over $20 million in funds with philanthropic partners across five continents.    

“At the end of the day I believe it matters to be vocal about issues that matter to you, whether you are famous or not. It’s not for the faint of heart, because you are putting yourself out there and trust me there will be a lot of opinions that come at you for even having the nerve to say anything at all,” Gomez says. “I remember when I decided to be open about my own personal mental health, it was scary to be that vulnerable and I didn’t ever want anyone to think I am a victim. I thought [that] by sharing my own story I could help others, and I will take any negative opinions that come with that because I see the bigger picture of how the conversations have changed around mental health.” 

Eight years after being named Billboard’s Woman of the Year, Gomez’s influence in music and beyond is even more tangible today, a testament to her impact and legacy. Her advice for the new generation of artists?  

“Blocking out the noise and being true to yourself,” she says. “The noise can be overwhelming, and I am not saying it’s easy but by doing that and not compromising who you are, it goes a long way.”  

The third annual Billboard Latin Women in Music special will air live at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT on Thursday, April 24 exclusively on Telemundo, Universo, Peacock and the Telemundo app and throughout Latin America and the Caribbean on Telemundo Internacional.

Read Billboard’s Latin Women In Music 2025 executive list here.