“Lose You to Love Me”
A breakup ballad for the ages, “Lose You to Love Me” is Selena Gomez‘s most critically acclaimed single and it was the singer’s first No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart in late 2019.
In her Apple TV+ documentary, Selena Gomez: My Mind and Me, the Only Murders in the Buildings star revealed it’s the fastest she’s ever written a song, explaining she was inspired to do so after sharing her bipolar diagnosis with the world during her speech while accepting the 2019 McLean Award for mental health.
“Being honest that night helped,” Selena said. “I texted Julia Michaels and Justin Tranter and said, ‘I think I’m ready to just say I’m sad.'”
While the track is about her past relationship with Justin Bieber, “It’s about more than just a lost love,” Selena explained. “It’s me learning to choose myself, to choose life, but also hoping that people can find grace and peace in that, too. The song is about knowing that you completely lost every part of who you are, just to rediscover yourself again.”
“Come and Get It”
The debut single off her first solo studio album, Stars Dance, proved Selena was more than capable of delivering a bop that would make the Disney Channel crowd blush. With its Bollywood-inspired themes and catchy chorus, it was her first song to break the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at number six. A decade later, this bop can definitely still get it.
“Who Says”
The lead single from the star’s third album with her band, Selena Gomez & the Scene, is a radio-friendly self-empowerment anthem that is impossible not to sing along to. We double-dog dare you to not belt the silly, sappy and, ultimately, stirring lyrics the next time you are driving in your car and not immediately feel your mood lift. “Every time I sing this song” Selena once admitted to MTV, “I’m like, ‘I feel better already!'”
At the time of its release, the Wizards of Waverly place star explained that the resonated with the song due to the cyber-bullying she had endured.
“Twitter and Facebook are really negative for me,” she told Ryan Seacrest in 2009. “Within that world is such easy access to people’s feelings. You can get a thousand wonderful comments but just one will throw you off and that’s how it is with me. Basically it’s to the haters—the people trying to bring you down.” Translation: Na na na na na na na na na na.
“Back to You”
This bonus track seriously slaps. As she croons in the song, “You’re stuck in my head and I can’t get you out of it!”
Added to the international versions of her third album, Selena co-wrote this Teen Choice Award-winning song for the second season of the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why, which she executive produced. We love a synergistic Selena.
“Love You Like a Love Song”
And we keep hitting repeat-peat-peat-peat-peat-peat on this 2011 gem from Selena Gomez & the Scene. And Selena knew she had an ear-worm on her hands, describing the song as “one of those tracks that’s addictive because it’s kind of repetitive in the best way,” in an interview with Billboard. “It’s one of those songs that you can’t get out of your head.”
Vulnerable
Why this standout from Rare was not released as a single we will never understand. But what is clear to us is that this is just a fantastic pop song that packs a surprising emotional punch.
Wolves and A Sweeter Place
Listen, we couldn’t choose between these two collaborations, so we included them both. Selena teamed up with music producer Marshmello for Wolves, which was released in 2017 and is “one of my favorite songs,” the singer told San Diego’s Energy 103.7 at the time. “It’s really cool. It’s kind of in his world and I’m stepping into it and bringing my style too.”
For A Sweeter Place, Selena recruited rapper Kid Cudi for the last track on Rare, which we think may be one of her most underrated songs? Oh, we went there and we bought that (sweeter) place.
