This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s spring editorial intern Eli Casas. Find them on Instagram at @elicasasnow. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
On Friday, Alex Russo, I mean Selena Gomez, released her new album “I Said I Love You First,” which she produced with Benny Blanco, her soon to be husband. It’s no surprise that Gomez has over 48.8 million listeners on Spotify. Gomez has several hit albums, including “Rare” and “Revival.” Blanco has produced and written hundreds of songs for various artists. How iconic for the newly engaged couple to create a passion project together. Gomez and Blanco have worked on projects together in the past. In fact, you might remember them collaborating for the hit song, “I Can’t Get Enough,” featuring J Balvin and Tainy. That was back in 2019, over five years ago. What can you expect from this new album? You can expect the unexpected! Let’s dive in!
14 Reasons Why You Should Listen To The Album
The 14-track album “I Said I Love You First” has impressive transitions, music samples, and featured producers. It just dropped and already has thousands of streams on Spotify. This collaborative album allows Gomez and Blanco’s skills to shine through in every track.
The first two tracks, “I Said I Love You First” and “Younger And Hotter Than Me,” seamlessly transition and the melodies come pouring in, evoking emotions from the start. I mean, are we surprised? Both songs feature FINNEAS as a writer and producer. Just beautiful. The song implies a strong sense of reflection, remembering the past, including the youth that felt present during a different chapter of her life. In the music video, we see Gomez take a wand out from some cabinets, which could possibly be referencing the timeline of her career where she played the character Alex Russo in the show “Wizards of Waverly Place” or it could just be a fun easter egg.
You wouldn’t expect the next song, “Call Me When You Break Up,” featuring Gracie Abrams, to be so upbeat. Dare I say, the change of melody is perfect. It’s like going from sad girl hour to switching over to a catchy dance-worthy jam. You may recognize Abrams from her hit songs “That’s So True” or “I Love You, I’m Sorry.” The chorus is still stuck in my head. I’ll make it worth it, I’ll make it worth it, I’ll make it worth it, call me when you break up!
Like every album, sometimes some songs resonate more than others. In this case, track four, “Ojos Tristes,” is a bop. That I will keep on replay for weeks to come. Let me explain why it’s been soaring high since its release. First, Maria Zardoya from The Marias is featured as a producer and vocalist on this track. You might recognize her from other collaborations with artists like Bad Bunny, Tainy, and Young Miko. Zardoya is the lead vocalist for the pop band The Marias and has hits like “No One Noticed,” which was released last year. If that isn’t exciting enough, the sample used in this song comes from the iconic song “Muchacho de los ojos tristes” by Jeanette, which was released in 1981. Let me put it this way, every Latinx household probably played this song every Sunday while cleaning, if you know you know.
The next song, “Don’t Wanna Cry,” is catchy, but it’s after the two-minute mark, to be exact, 2:48, when the song turns super groovy, giving disco vibes. Additionally, the way the song fades out is perfect to cue the next song, “Sunset Blvd,” and let’s just say Blanco and Chrome Sparks brought their big hearts when they produced this track.
Think of the song “Cowboy” as the buildup for the song “Bluest Flame.” Although both tracks feature Cashmere Cat as a producer, you can really feel it by the time “Bluest Flame” progresses.
Boy! Okay, so we’re more than halfway through the album. I have to say, after listening to back-to-back upbeat songs, I personally enjoyed the way both “How Does It Feel To Be Forgotten” and “Do You Wanna Be Perfect” slowed down the vibe, almost like sitting down after dancing relentlessly and just wanting to catch your breath. The song “How Does It Feel To Be Forgotten” seems to be written from the perspective of someone who is enduring the consequences of a relationship ending, left forgotten, but, at the end of the song, it implies that everything already happened, so it’s essentially left in the past and forgotten.
So, imagine transitioning from a song like that to something more light-hearted and fun where Gomez and Blanco basically talk about how being perfect isn’t necessary, having a voice memo vibe with a dash of funky elevator music in the background, retro melodies, if you will.
The last four tracks go as follows. “You Said You Were Sorry” is another song in which Cashmere Cat was featured as a producer. Then, Surprise! Gomez and Blanco put “I Can’t Get Enough” on this album. The second to last track, “Don’t Take It Personally,” is full of emotion. It’s just one of those songs you must listen to in order to understand. Ending on a strong note, “Scared Of Loving You” is the last track on the album and, ironically, the first song they released as a single of this album. Very cute song, in the most romantical way.
Parallel Between Albums?
After listening to the entire album, I’ve gathered that this new collaboration with Blanco differs from her other hit albums. At least, it differs in the sound and perspective. Still, Gomez manages to radiate her unique sound in a familiar manner, which, to any avid Selena Gomez fan, is instantaneously recognizable after a few notes. Some of her previous songs that evoke a similar feel include hits “Look At Her Now” or “A Sweeter Place,” and that’s just to name a couple from the album “Rare.” However, looking back to her 2015 album “Revival,” more songs have a parallel-like feel. Songs such as “Hands To Myself,” “Same Old Love,” and “Good For You” all have contrast similarities to her newly released album due to her unique musical sound prominently shining through.
What did you think of this “I Said I Love Your First” album review? Let us know in the comments below!
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