Since its release on Jan. 10, Selena Gomez's third studio album Rare [1] has been a unique look into the singer's personal life and relationships. The title track "Rare" [2] — which many speculate to be about her past relationship with Justin Bieber [3] — is a song about finding self-love and independence, and Selena further opened up about the album in a recent interview with radio DJ Zane Lowe.
"People will ultimately know, yes, where the inspiration came from, but then it kind of ends there."
Without officially confirming who inspired the album, Selena candidly discussed the specific time period that moved her to write the vulnerable project and her struggles to speak up for herself [4]. "[The inspiration] didn't even need to be said," Selena told Zane. "[The album wasn't written] in a vindictive way. It was simply like, 'Okay, I actually have my part to say,' and I waited. I wasn't just irrationally doing something to just be like coming from a place of like, 'Ugh, I'm over it.' That's not where I was. When it all came together, it just felt right, and I was okay with that . . . People will ultimately know, yes, where the inspiration came from, but then it kind of ends there."
As freeing as it's been to share her side of the story, Selena admitted that it was difficult to open up at first. "I used to feel so weak when I was open with people until I realised it's one of my greatest qualities," Selena said in a tweet [5]. "I knew I wasn't the only one that felt the way that I did," she added [6]. "Having had these experiences in my own life, I'm so glad I got to put them into music for people."
I knew I wasn't the only one that felt the way that I did. Having had these experiences in my own life, I'm so glad I got to put them into music for people. 💜 https://t.co/mWN0oYHYof [7]
— Selena Gomez (@selenagomez) January 10, 2020 [8]
Selena's personal relationships played a key role in the development of the album, but the "Lose You to Love Me" [9] singer pointed out that there's a "problem" with dating in the celebrity world. "If I can be honest, it is so cliché. It's just, everyone dates everyone," Selena told Lowe. "It always seems to be within a little bubble, and it's because it's safe, right? You're wanting someone to understand what you're going through. You're almost wanting a counterpart of creativity, as well, and it's interesting and fun. But the problem with that is, whether you admit it or not, you end up having a relationship for people and not even for yourself. There's almost this point where it's like, 'Oh, we're making it known that we're together.' You just need to decide, within our world, if it's for you, or is it for show?"
Now, Selena hopes Rare will serve as inspiration for anyone who's ever been in her situation or can relate to the deep emotions present in the album. "[Rare] is actually a word that sums up what the purpose of my position is, which is letting people know that they are completely unique within who they are," Selena said. "I think it's a perfect description of how women are meant to feel. It's even acknowledging that I don't have it all, but I do know that I'm worth something. I'm not gonna settle and I'm gonna wait, because there is something out there that is going to give me that feeling that I deserve and that I want."
All in all, it seems like Selena is in a much sweeter place personally than she was before. "I would like to say that this is a fresh start," Selena said about the release of the album. "I started with this album, but I'm gonna continue to just do better and do everything I can to make it great." Watch her full interview above.