Sound CheckExclusive interview: Selena Gomez talks about getting personal on her new album ‘Stars Dance’
Global superstar Selena Gomez will release her debut solo album “Stars Dance” on July 23. It's an album that might be a little more personal than the music she’s released in the past.
“My process for this record was I would call the writers myself and talk to them individually and explain to them about where I was in my life and what I wanted to perform and what I wanted to sing,” Gomez revealed to Yahoo! Canada Music. “I wrote all of the bonus tracks [that appear] on some of the records.”
Of course, there's always the difficulty of deciding how personal to get on the album, and choosing which parts of her life to keep private -- especially considering how much of the singer's life is played out in the press. But it sounds like Gomez is getting better at finding the line between the two.
“It’s hard, obviously, it’s tricky,” she said. “I love everything that I go through, even the bad. It’s experience [and] it makes me grow up. It makes me who I am. I try to [put] all of the attention on the good things, that’s just what I try to do best. Even with the ballad, it’s still beautiful, it’s still well said and it’s not really too much in detail. It’s just a nice way of being able to say, ‘This is where I am, let’s just have fun and enjoy it.’”
Before premiering the album, Gomez went to her famous musical friends Taylor Swift and Demi Lovato for their expert advice.
“I think I’ve played every single one of my records for Taylor,” she said. “She would pick out her favourite for sure and you could tell, she’d be like, ‘Oh that’s okay,’ or, ‘Oh my gosh, I love it!’ and she’d start dancing and freak out.”
Gomez went on: “Same with Demi. She’s been telling me all the time about all of the songs. She’ll text me and she’s been really supportive and very sweet. I love that; I think it’s great. We’re friends so obviously [they’re honest and] in a way they would say, ‘Well, the other one was better.’”
Even though these three female artists all have hot music careers at the moment, 21-year-old Gomez assures us that there is no rivalry between them, and it sounds like they all share the same supportive attitude towards one another.
“I think that’s why Demi, Taylor and myself are close,” the songstress explained. “That’s the unfortunate thing about music, is that it tends to be too competitive. I love everyone’s music. I love Katy Perry’s music, Rihanna’s music and Demi’s music. I feel like girls in general should just support each other. Girls should be girls and we all just want to be there for each other. That’s never ever been an issue for me, Taylor or Demi.”
When she’s not conquering the music world, Gomez can be seen on the big screen in past films like “Spring Breakers” and “Monte Carlo.” However, she says that she finds it “easier” to be herself in music as opposed to stepping into an acting role.
“Especially when I’m on my own tour, when I’m with my fans I feel like I can be myself,” she explained. “Acting, you have to go into somebody else’s life, step into somebody else’s shoes, take on their problems, take on their conflicts and that’s sometimes difficult to do and to capture and do it elegantly and make sure it’s good.”
The “Stars Dance Tour 2013” will begin in Canada at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver on August 14. Click here to find out when you can see Gomez on the road. "Stars Dance" goes on sale on July 23, and head here to purchase it on iTunes.
