Selena Gomez Releases ‘Bad Liar’ Single And Bondage Video, But She’s Not Singing About Justin Bieber

Selena Gomez’s “Bad Liar” single has dropped. Is the aching-for-love ode about former boyfriend Justin Bieber, or the starlet’s current beau, The Weeknd?

As announced, Selena officially released the lead single from her upcoming album on Thursday, May 18. It follows days of Gomez teasing lyric snippets and visuals on her Instagram and Twitter accounts.

The audio is now streaming on Vevo, iTunes, and Spotify. The latter exclusively premiered a video in which Gomez wears wrist and arm bandages, a medical wristband, and a bondage bow. Incidentally, it’s the first video to be streamed by Spotify.

It’s claimed Gomez went to the photo and video shoot straight after being discharged from rehab for her lupus-related stay last summer. Another music video is expected at some point.

So, what does “Bad liar” sound like, and who is it about?

For starters, the song is as catchy as the flu; very cool, and very good. It samples Talking Heads’ 1977 classic hit “Psycho Killer.” This is heard at the start of the track with the Tina Weymouth-sampled bass line loop.

Then the song gets going with a super-minimal beat supplemented by interesting instrumental accents and SelGo’s signature breathy, film noir vocals, as heard on Revival standout “Hands To Myself.”

At various points during “Bad Liar,” the 24-year-old songstress can be heard on stacked vocals, breaths, the odd spoken repeat of words, and a small laugh that wraps the song.

As for the song’s subject, the lyrics were sent by Gomez’s team to the Genius website on Wednesday. Shortly afterwards, Justin Tranter, one of the single’s co-writers, tweeted that some of the lyrics were incorrectly written on the site.

“You got some of the lyrics wrong,” Tranter tweeted tartly, “and it’s actually about trying to hide magic feelings for someone new, but not being able to. Xo.”

Tranter’s clarification was in response to a tweet posted by Genius which claimed “Bad Liar” was about someone trying to get over an ex.

You got some of the lyrics wrong, and it’s actually about trying to hide magic feelings for someone new, but not being able to. Xo https://t.co/nL8ooKgdXa

— Justin Tranter (@justtranter) May 18, 2017

Now, thanks to Tranter, there’s no need to guess who Gomez is singing about on her new song. Based on Selena’s autobiographical Revival album, and songwriter Ryan Tedder’s recent comments about co-writing sessions with the singer, she sings about her perspective on her experiences.

“I was walking down the street the other day/ Trying to distract myself/But then I see your face/ Oh wait that’s someone else,” Gomez sings as she kicks off her new song.

Bearing in mind that the track isn’t about ex-sweetheart Justin Bieber, and noting that the adult Selena sings about how she feels, “Bad Liar” seems to be her way of telling the world how she felt when she first began to notice The Weeknd (a.k.a. Abel Tesfaye).

Back in November, 2015, Gomez and The Weeknd reportedly met for the very first time at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show taping in New York City where both artists performed.

At the time, Abel was still dating his then girlfriend, supermodel Bella Hadid.

Returning to the lyrics of “Bad Liar,” the pre-hook and chorus finds Selena obsessing over the “taken” object of her desire. The full transcription of lyrics can be read here.

Selena Gomez’s ‘Bad Liar’ Nod to ‘Psycho Killer’ Explained: ‘We’re Obsessed with the Talking Heads,’ Says Justin… https://t.co/abcefjTA16

— Variety (@Variety) May 18, 2017

In the second verse, in particular, one sees the benefits for pop artists like Gomez in working with such experienced songwriters as Tranter, Julia Michaels (the duo wrote a lot of the key songs on Revival) and Ian Kirkpatrick.

The lyrics get even more artsy and zero in on the song’s inner tension, which has the effect of drawing listeners in closer.

It’s well-constructed, perfect songwriting. You can “hear” the writing, and the intent to be edgy. But for an artist like Gomez, who just needs to be shoe-horned into a hit and copy Michael’s demo vocals, the starlet has clearly found her dream team.

If there’s a niggle with the official rolling out of “Bad Liar,” it’s Gomez’s decision (and presumably with her team’s approval) not to remove her rehab bandaging and “Fall Risk” wristband to shoot the artwork and music video for her single, especially since that imagery is mixed with the bondage bow she also wears in the visuals.

Petra Collins, the photographer for Gomez’s post-rehab photo and video shoot, replied to an Instagram user’s query about the bandaging with the following explanation.

“Selena came straight from the hospital to this shoot—from being there for lupus,” Collins wrote.

Is that satisfactory? Quite apart from the fact that the shoot and music video clearly did not have to be filmed the same day that Selena left rehab, there is nothing in “Bad Liar’s” lyrics or theme that mentions or is enhanced by including the hospital items. That raises motive questions as to why Gomez kept them on. Is an autoimmune condition an aesthetic?

Share your thoughts on Selena Gomez’s “Bad Liar” single and video in the comments section below.

[Featured Image C. Flanigan/Getty Images]