Selena Gomez Isn't Quitting Music — She Just Needs A Break

Selena Gomez has had a multi-faceted career. In the late 2000s, she was everyone’s favorite Disney wizard (Alex Russo) who occasionally released music. Since then, she’s fully leaned into pop stardom with several albums. With such a loaded discography, Gomez surprised fans in January when she hinted she might retire after her next album. Now, nearly two months later, she’s changing her tune.

In a March 4 interview with Rolling Stone, Gomez clarified she doesn’t plan to put down her microphone for good, despite her recent comments. “I think it’s natural for people to take breaks, but I think for me, there is a whole other aspect to my life, pride and joy,” Gomez said. “I love film. I love TV. I just feel like I haven’t done a lot of the things that I want to do in that space.”

In recent years, Gomez’s primary focus has been on her starring role in Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building and her cooking series, Selena + Chef. Now, with her eagerness to lean more into acting, she’s opening her roster to more familiar and complex roles. Though she’s creating space for her acting career to thrive, she isn’t completely leaving her singing days behind.

“It’s not that it’s ‘no, never’ [to music], it’s more that I would like to explore that world a bit more and have the time to actually do that,” Gomez said, adding she hopes her upcoming album will release this year.

Her new comments sound hopeful, especially after she originally announced on the SmartLess podcast in January that she only has “one more album in her.” Specifically, she revealed that she wanted to focus on one career since she’s “tired,” and acting seemed like the suitable option.

This isn’t the first time Gomez has hinted at stepping away from music. In a March 2021 interview with Vogue, the “Calm Down” singer revealed she felt her creativity wasn’t being appreciated. “It’s hard to keep doing music when people don’t necessarily take you seriously,” she said at the time. “I’ve had moments where I’ve been like, ‘What’s the point? Why do I keep doing this?’ ‘Lose You to Love Me’ was the best song I’ve ever released, and for some people, it still wasn’t enough.”

Gomez then praised her fans that “enjoyed her music,” before admitting that she wants her next album to feel different than her previous ones. “I want to give it one last try before I maybe retire music,” she said.

As for her new untitled album, Gomez shared some details about its theme. In her latest Rolling Stone interview, she described the record’s sound as “confident” and joyous. Those emotions can be heard on “Single Soon” and “Love On,” where she wistfully sings about love on bouncy beats. If anything, it seems her new approach is inspired by her new romance with Benny Blanco.

If Gomez does take a break after this album’s release, it seems she’s always down for a comeback.