Selena Gomez: “I refuse to buy into this idea that women are competitive”

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There are many facets than you know to internationally renowned triple-threat musician, actress, and businesswoman Selena Gomez. Hailing from Grand Prairie, Texas, the pop princess began her career at just seven years old and has since built an empire from scratch currently boasting a platform of over 195 million followers only on Instagram (and counting). The singer returned to the public eye last year after a battle with anxiety and depression coming back strong with the single “Lose You to Love Me,” the first single on her latest album Rare. Following the album, Gomez released her own Stigma-Free beauty line by the same name. While Gomez has spent most of her life as a fixation of the spotlight, she refuses the bounds of limiting herself to just one category of business with a little something always up her sleeve– a true showman if you ask us. In the midst of working on her many projects from her philanthropic work to new cooking show, Gomez caught up with CR to talk about the facade of social media, why girlfriends are so important, and becoming an entrepreneur on the first of three covers for the debut issue of CR Fashion Book China, our latest international addition to the worldwide CR network.

CR: How would you like other people to describe you now? A singer? Actress? Or a philanthropist?

SG: It’s always hard to answer that question. If you ask me which one I receive the purest form of joy from, that would be my philanthropic work and I feel so grateful to have a platform I can use to make a difference. I started out acting and am incredibly happy when I am on set. I find that to be a very safe place for me. Writing and recording music is an amazing feeling and also a very therapeutic experience as I am writing music that is very personal. I also find great reward in all of the tv and film projects I am producing. As you can see it’s not really an easy question for me to answer but I do feel very fortunate that I am able to do many incredible things in my life.

CR: Did you find any new hobbies during quarantine?

SG: When we first started staying at home I found myself cooking more than I ever had before which was actually the inspiration behind me producing my cooking show. I’ve never been great in the kitchen but I found it enjoyable. Doing the show I’ve learned a lot more and we just started the production for the second season which I am excited to film. I also was painting with watercolors which I find very relaxing. I started taking guitar lessons as well. It was important for me to try and keep myself busy while staying at home.

CR: You once said on social media that “I accepted my imperfections”. Can you tell us about the progress of this acceptance?

SG: Over the last several years I have worked very hard learning to be more comfortable in my own skin and accept the things I used to be hard on myself. The road to self-acceptance isn’t an easy one and trust me I still have my moments. My generation grew up just as social media was becoming a way for everyone to communicate with each other. At the beginning I saw it as just a fun way to post pictures and stay in touch with people, and then you realized it started to play with your mind and your self-worth. Once you can separate the two and know your worth isn’t connected to that world it’s a very freeing feeling.

CR: Do you think self-acceptance includes saying “no” to yourself and the outside?

SG: In general, I think “no” is a very powerful word. Many times people say yes even in their heart they really would like to say no. By saying no to negative thoughts in your own head or to anyone on the outside really helps you be in control.

CR: How do you view the normality of support, understanding and healthy competition among women?

SG: My girlfriends are everything to me and we’ve been there for each other through so many things together. I refuse to buy into this idea that women are competitive and can’t support each other. I think it comes from their fear of women sticking together because there’s nothing we can’t accomplish when we have each other’s backs. I have to say, in the entertainment business, I feel like we all are happy for each other’s successes and celebrate any and all victories other women accomplish because it’s a victory for all of us.

    CR: You released your third album Rare early this year. And it sounds like your personal diaries. How did this whole idea come out?

    SG: It’s interesting that you mentioned it felt like my personal diary because many of the song ideas or the general storytelling were directly from my diary entries. When it was time to sit down and begin the writing and recording process for Rare it was important to me that every word in each song mattered. Writing music with other people is a very intimate experience especially when it’s about personal things in your own life. I collaborated with co-writers I had worked with in the past which made it easier to be unapologetically open and raw with my feelings. Especially with Julia Michaels and Justin Tranter who are basically family at this point. I am very proud of this album that I put more of myself into than ever. To see the response was an incredible feeling.

      CR: Then you launched Rare Beauty, how do you define your beauty product line?

      SG: I love the art of makeup and experimenting with different looks and how they can totally change a character. Two years ago, I decided to create a beauty brand that changes the conversation around beauty. I felt that this was something needed in the industry and isn’t discussed enough. There’s so much pressure to look a certain way, and makeup is often used to hide or cover up perceived imperfections that I think should be celebrated. I feel like the word “rare” helps eliminate that pressure. We want to celebrate why you’re rare and what makes you unique. I want people to feel beautiful and comfortable being exactly who they are.

      CR: And how does it feel to be in the beauty business since you become an entrepreneur yourself?

      SG: It’s been a very welcoming community. Before we were launching I had said that I didn’t want to come into the cosmetics space as a competitor but wanted to just feel like a part of the community. Recently, Rare Beauty joined the pledge to be a Stigma-Free Company which reduces the stigma associated with mental health, chronic loneliness, and making sure everyone has access to resources needed to support their own wellness in the workplace. We invited other beauty companies to do the same and without any hesitation we had 12 brands say yes right off the bat. That made me feel like we were definitely being embraced by the community and together we can all make a difference.

      CR: You also hosted a cooking show with various acclaimed chefs remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Are there any difficulties in working remotely to produce this show?

      SG: I wouldn’t say it was difficult but it required added layers of necessary protocols which we happily did to ensure everyone’s safety. We had an incredible production team that took all of the necessary precautions. A group of people in hazmat suits came into my kitchen to set up all of the remote cameras. At the beginning of filming it was kind of weird having no one from production in the same room as me but then it became quite normal.

      CR: You are also going to be both actress and producer in the upcoming Hulu show Only Murders in the Building. How does it feel?

      SG: I am going to be working with two comedy legends! To say that I am excited is an understatement. I’ve had some Zoom calls with Steve Martin and Martin Short and they are beyond what I could have imagined. It will be great to be back on set and having that connection with another actor. I’ve missed that terribly. I was able to work with Bill Murray on a film and now the two of them. Definitely a bucket list moment.

      CR: Tell me about your collaboration with BLACKPINK on their single Ice Cream, how does it feel?

      SG: I just love them and their energy. We had a lot of fun together but sadly because of the virus we weren’t able to do anything in person. I had met Jisoo and Rosé at a fashion show a couple of years ago but I can’t wait to meet the other girls in person one day. Shooting the music video was a lot of fun. My videos tend to be a bit moody and they are known for their colorful and fun videos and it was exciting for me to step into their world.

      PHOTOGRAPHY ADRIENNE RAQUEL

      FASHION YASHUA SIMMONS

      HAIR MARISSA MARINO

      NAILS TOM NACHIK

      MAKEUP MELISSA MURDICK

      EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS NICOLE ZHAO, JEAN LI, JESSICA CHEN

      ART DIRECTOR ELLIOTT FOOTE

      VIDEO DIRECTOR ZEXI QI

      CASTING GREG KRELENSTEIN & KENNY CHEN


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      createdAt:Thu, 05 Nov 2020 17:52:55 +0000
      displayType:Long Form Article
      section:Celebrity