Entertainment

Selena Gomez’s ‘Good For You’ Snatches iTunes No. 1, New Album Owes More Than ‘Hints’ To Justin Bieber

Published on: June 23, 2015 at 2:32 PM
By Page Mackinley

Selena Gomez’s new single “Good for You” (Feat. A$AP Rocky) stormed to No. 1 on U.S. iTunes and multiple countries , dethroning BFF Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood,” when it dropped on Monday.

“Good For You” is the first single from Selena’s forthcoming album on Interscope Records, which she calls a “rebirth” that hints at her on-off romance with ex-boyfriend Justin Bieber and also her life experiences.

The single sees the 22-year-old move on assuredly from her formulaic Disney starlet days on Hollywood Records to deliver an R&B-drenched, sultry slow jam. Sensuous lyrics riff on a conceit of the songstress as jewels.

“I’m on my marquise diamonds / I’m a marquise diamond / Could even make that Tiffany jealous…” Gomez sings into a bridge then the chorus.

“I just wanna look good for you, good for you / I just wanna look good for you, good for you / Let me show you how proud I am to be yours / Leave this dress a mess on the floor / And still look good for you, good for you.”

Despite A$AP’s weak contribution, Selena completely nails the song’s promised seduction narrative with a breathy but gorgeously enunciated vocal that tastefully evokes the sexual.

Sonically, it’s crisp yet balmy, with evocative and tight production from Hit-Boy and Rock Mafia. More importantly, the song leaves listeners wanting more, as it only cycles on one chorus after A$AP’s rap. And it’s that quality that will drive repeat plays. [Click the link for Idolator’s superb review.]

Following days of Instagram teases of the single’s cover art and outtake video stills, SelGo jetted to New York City to promo “Good For You” in Monday interviews with Elvis Duran on Z100’s Morning Show, JoJo Wright filling in for On Air With Ryan Seacrest , Sirius XM Hits 1’s The Morning Mash Up , and 97.1 Amp Radio.

Gomez also went to Times Square to see an advert for her single on a giant billboard.

If you haven’t heard the pop princess’s new joint, treat your ears and get a load of it below, then read on for the dish on Selena’s new “rebirth” album, her reveal that she is “guarded” after media criticism of her relationship with Justin Bieber , her views on fabricated tabloid rumors, and more.

Speaking to On Air With Ryan Seacrest , the Disney alum revealed her upcoming album “hints” at her saga-like relationship with Justin, but is more about her story.

“I think there’s hints of it [Bieber], but I think what I was really excited about was the title of the album [and] the rebirth of Selena,” she told Wright. “It’s just beautiful. It’s my chance to just feel like an independent artist and I worked really hard on it. So I guess that’s just the vision. It’s all about my journey. It’s not about anything specific.”

Later, at Sirius XFM’s Hits 1 , Gomez said she and her team picked “Good For You” as the lead single “because we knew that it would set the tone for the album.”

Back to On Air With Ryan Seacrest . Selena reveals she is now “finding my strengths now as an artist.” She went on to admit, “I’m not the best singer in the world, but I know how to translate emotion.”

She explained, “I’m becoming a young woman, and I’m comfortable with my sensuality,” before noting that her new single is “just kind of not try-hard. It’s just perfect. I think to me that was exactly what I wanted people to see for the next chapter for me.”

Gomez says she is confident on her new record and knows what she wants to hear, and attributes this to a supportive team which includes “Good For You” writers, Julia Michaels and Justin Tranter. Rocky wrote his rap.

She continues, “I’ve really taken my time with this record. I have people behind me that support my vision completely, and now I’m kind of on my own in a way and this is the first time that I’ve ever grabbed a hold of something,” also sharing that her upcoming album is “more than 50 percent done.”

Selena recently told MTV News that she recorded “Good For You” in 45 minutes and has been “creatively involved” in the “writing process,” and “every single thing I’m… remotely singing about is something I’ve related to and something I’m hitting the nail on.”

The star insists, “I’m not going to let anybody else try to alter my vision or tell me I need to do something. I’m very confident in this record and you can hear it. But I’m vulnerable, I’m real, and I think it just shows a different side of me, and I’m really excited, and I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders.”

Although Selena says Justin is only hinted at on her record, she did concede that Bieber is part of the reason why she now has something deeper to offer artistically. After she agreed with Wright that real life experiences informs an artist’s work, Selena affirmed that she has “been through some real stuff and now I can finally have my own voice.”

During yesterday’s press rounds, Selena replied to a tweet from iHeartRadio asking for her take on her album, writing , “Thank you. This next record will be my perspective on the past two years. From kindness to pain. This is me.”

With Duran, their conversation touched on Selena’s frustrations with some of the media’s reporting on her personal life, which she previously addressed on Instagram .

“If I was truly everything that people say I am, you would see it,” she told her host. “It’s not like I can hide anything anymore! My life is so public that I do take that into consideration.”

Selena went on to say she is “a normal person, I’m a human being and I’m feeling things. I get sad, I get anxious, I get emotional, I get happy!.. I feel like I’m figuring out who I am [&] I’m constantly being… well not constantly, but I’ve been criticized for trying to live my life.”

Elaborating, she added, “You can’t talk about anything that you want to share with people because it’s going to be ripped apart, and that’s what makes me really sad… I have a right to say what I’m going to say. If you’re going to sit here and talk about my life, I have a right to say what I want and obviously I’m going to do it the way I wish to.”

“You have to be guarded … I don’t trust anyone… It’s something that I have to live with and I have to find the balance of who I want in my life and who isn’t good for me,” Selena said.

Towards the end of the sit-down, the triple threat reflected on ageing when she was asked whether her twenties were her “best days.” After shouting out her thirties, Gomez offered the following. “The older you get, the more wisdom you gain, the more life experience you gain and that’s what I want.”

Add your thoughts on “Good For You” and Selena Gomez’s upcoming album in comments below. The highly-anticipated music video premieres on Friday, June 26.

[Images via Interscope Records/Courtesy Photo]

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