Album Review: Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco – I Loved You First

Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco have had a busy couple of months. Hot on the heels of Gomez’s Bafta Nominated performance in Emila Perez, they announced their engagement, followed closely by the release of their collaborative album, I Loved You First. Although the pair had worked together before on Gomez’s second album, Revival, this is their first project as a couple. They describe the album as a narrative of their “love story,” capturing their journey from the moment they met to their hopes for the future.

The album opens with a voice recording of a speech given by Gomez to the cast of “The Wizards of Waverly Place,” a Disney Channel show that she starred in as a teen. This intriguing opening highlights Gomez’s depth of feeling toward her co-stars and reflects on her experience of “growing up away from (her) family.” While it doesn’t necessarily fit neatly into the Gomez-Blanco love story, it sets the scene by showing where Gomez started. The introduction is followed by the melancholy track Younger and Hotter Than Me. This slow, piano-backed ballad chronicles Gomez’s anxiety about ageing. It’s a song dedicated to a past flame who has moved on, as she sings, “We aren’t getting any younger, but your girlfriend seems to.”

The slower opening is followed by an upbeat pop track titled Call Me When You Break Up (feat Gracie Abrams), which brings a sunny vibe with its fast-paced drumline and distinctly 2020s sound. The collaboration with Gen Z pop star Abrams is seamless, as their voices blend perfectly together. The song is playful and lighthearted, as they sing, “unless you’ve found the one you want to take the last name of, I want to be there when that happens.” Following this lively track is Ojos Tristes(feat the Marias), which samples Jennette’s classic 80s hit El Muchacho de los Ojos Tristes. In this song, Gomez sings in English while The Marias contribute the iconic chorus in Spanish. This collaboration creates a standout moment on the album, retaining the hypnotic 80s disco sound while making it feel fresh and modern. Another highlight is Bluest Flame, an infectiously catchy electropop track that features rapid-fire lyrics and electronic production. Its repetitive and vibrant lyrics perfectly capture the exhilarating experience of new love, making it a song that’s hard to forget.

The remainder of the album features tracks that are slightly less memorable, with songs like Don’t Want to Cry, How Does It Feel to Be Forgotten, and You Said You Were Sorry all sharing a similar downbeat melodic sound. However, there are still several interesting moments throughout. For instance, Do You Want to Be Perfect is a short spoken-word piece featuring an electronic voice offering to make you perfect, reminiscent of Captain Murphy’s Disciples. This segment is interrupted by Gomez’s voice telling you to “just be exactly who you are” an off puttingly empty platitude that offsets the amusing satire of the piece. The final song, Scared of Loving You, takes on a soft folk style, showcasing Gomez’s hesitant vocals as she expresses her fears of being vulnerable in a relationship. The poignant line, “I’m not scared to love you, I’m only scared of losing you,” demonstrating the emotional weight of the love story woven throughout the album. It serves as a touching conclusion, highlighting the complexity of love and the uncertainties that accompany it.

In all, I Loved You First is an intriguing and highly enjoyable album. It seamlessly transitions from conventional pop to Latin-inspired tracks, even incorporating spoken word, and it doesn’t shy away from experimentation, which truly pays off. While there are some moments that feel a bit disjointed and a few tracks tend to blend together, those that shine are exceptional. The album explores a wide range of emotions from joyous and playful to melancholic and vulnerable, effectively capturing the various stages of a relationship and creating some fantastic music along the way.

Eleanor Carr