Justin Bieber Split Helped Selena Gomez’s Career, In Her Own Words

Selena Gomez’s career has often played second base to her relationship with Justin Bieber, certainly in terms of how she was seen by others. But last year her profile and presence in worldwide charts quantumed, notably bumping Jay Z’s “Magna Carta… Holy Grail” off the No.1 spot on the Billboard 200 chart last July with her Stars Dance album (2013).

So what changed? According to Selena herself: Bieber. To be precise, splitting up from from her ex-boyfriend of three years.

While gracing the cover of the Seventeen magazine’s March 2014 issue, the Latina reveals her split with the Canadian star made her focus and take her own career to the next level.

Admitting she secretly felt like an “underdog” alongside contemporaries such as Miley Cyrus and Demi Lovato within the Disney stable, Gomez confides:

“I questioned the way I looked, acted, sang, and wrote.” She adds. “I started becoming very stale with my music and I realised that I was doing things for other people.”

In November 2012, the couple a certain part of the population and a media affectionately – and obsessively – dubbed “Jelena” went through the first of many break-ups.

From the outside it looked bad – a cryptic text message, cheating rumors leveled at Bieber, an awkward radio interview – and intense scrutiny – and has never really been explained.

Gomez doesn’t change that in the interview. But she does make it clear splitting with Justin inspired her “still-to-come-and-get-it” self to go and get it.

“Then I turned 20, went through a really bad breakup, and realised I needed to pick up everything,” she recalls.

The brunette beauty adds, “I needed to have ‘Come & Get It’ be amazing. I wanted it all to be me. I was tired of feeling defeated.”

Fans of Bieber and die-hard ‘Jelenators,’ will be pleased to hear Selena doesn’t blame the “Boyfriend” star for how she felt, but her own insecurities.

“All this time I was trying to figure out why I felt like such an underdog, and I finally realised I just wasn’t ready. I’m glad it’s taken me this long to get where I am because now I am ready for it,” Gomez says of her newfound confidence.

Citing friendships with Lovato and Taylor Swift, the actress-singer said: “I love my girl friends more than I’ve loved any of my boyfriends because they have supported me, loved me, and always stood by my side.”

She explained,”Some girls will drop you in five seconds for the right guy. That’s not how it’s supposed to be. That’s why I love Demi and Taylor – they support females and love to have that empowerment! I wish girls would stop hurting each other. it’s all competitive.”

Underlining that point, Gomez extended a magnanimous olive branch to Lorde, who publicly declared her biggest hit as anti-feminist.

“She doesn’t like me… but I’m going to support her whether she likes me or not because I think she’s doing great things.”

Sagely, Selena notes, “Some day I will see her and we’ll be cool.”

Given her ability to kiss and make-up as was recently seen in that snuggling Instagram with Bieber, two Segway outings, and an apparent end to their non-talking – we wouldn’t be at all surprised.