By Mia Shea
Correspondent
Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco share their own experiences with love through their new album “I Said I Love You First.” This 14-track record was released on March 21 and incorporates themes of heartbreak and true love. Gomez was the singer on the album with Blanco as the producer.
The singer-producer couple announced their engagement on Dec. 11, 2024 through an Instagram post. Their relationship is rumored to have started in the fall of 2023.
The two shared that the album title came from Gomez saying “I love you” first immediately after coming out of surgery under anesthesia. Blanco shared with Today that he had an elaborate way of wanting to say “I love you” to Gomez but he shared that “she steals my moment.”
The 34-minute record begins with the title track “I Said I Love You First,” which is a voice recording of Gomez in an interview talking about how grateful she is to have all of the support that she has to help her grow.
The next track is a slow and sad ballad. “Younger And Hotter Than Me” is one of the four singles featured on this project released before the album, along with “Scared Of Loving You,” “Call Me When You Break Up” featuring American singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams and “Sunset Blvd.”
On March 21, Gomez and Blanco released the music video for “Younger And Hotter Than Me.” The set design of the music video heavily resembles the set of Gomez’s Disney Channel TV show, “Wizards of Waverly Place,” where Gomez gained great popularity and fame as a teen.
“Call Me When You Break Up” featuring Gracie Abrams is the next track to follow, and its upbeat and catchy chorus certainly makes this song a fan favorite.
Track 4, “Ojos Tristes,” which translates to “Sad Eyes,” is almost entirely in Spanish, a great contrast from the rest of the album.
The single track titled “Sunset Blvd” is undeniably a love song with sexual innuendos that lighten the heaviness of the heartbroken mood thus far in the album. The main chorus sings, “I know you’re awfully shy, but I can’t wait to hold it, to hold that, your big big hard…heart!”
The following tracks, “Cowboy” and “Bluest Flame,” also consist of sexual innuendos centered around being in love.
The mood in this record as a whole provides a good balance of heartbreak and emotional turmoil with tracks such as “How Does It Feel To Be Forgotten” and “You Said You Were Sorry,” as well as lighthearted love with tracks like “Sunset Blvd” and “Bluest Flame.”
Track 12 is titled “I Can’t Get Enough” and features Colombian singer J Balvin and Puerto Rican record producer and songwriter Tainy. This song is partially in English with Gomez’s vocals, and the features in Spanish.
“Don’t Take It Personally” is about the complexities of a relationship and dealing with jealousy within a relationship. There is something so satisfying about the blend of the lyrics and melody in this song, making it beautiful.
The album’s closing track is “Scared Of Loving You.” This sweet and sentimental track exemplifies pure love. The chorus sings, “Cause I’m not scared of loving you, I’m just scared of losing you,” which is such a charming sentiment. It truly wraps up the album in its entirety and the theme that love is not always easy, but you work through it for someone that means a lot to you.
“I Said I Love You First” carries themes of love and vulnerability as well as heartbreak and hardship. This record is streaming everywhere and truly gives the listener a deeper look into Gomez and Blanco’s relationship.
