Selena Gomez has come into her own in more ways than one since making her major fashion magazine cover debut in ELLE in July of 2012. Now she’s back, on the cover of our October issue, and determined to tell her story, her way, with a gutsy new album, Revival, and the most powerful weapon of any social media-era star: authenticity.
And if you’ve seen Selena’s post on Instagram today you already know the interview is going to be good: “One of my absolute favorite interviews,” she wrote on Instagram after posting the first look at her cover. “Elle you always do me justice. Love you!”
We love you too, Selena. And we love the raw and honest interview you gave to ELLE’s Mickey Rapkin. This is a young woman who is taking control of her story, and her life.
The October issue doesn’t hit newsstands until September 22, but here’s what you Selinators can look forward to:
YES, SHE TALKS ABOUT BIEBER
Selena spoke openly about her relationship with Justin Bieber as it stands now, and how she thinks people “want it to be different.” She is dating again, but says, “finding somebody is not my main focus.” As for whether she’d ever get back together with Bieber? Her answer will surprise you. But you’ll have to pick up an issue to find out.
SHE’S CALLING THE SHOTS—EVEN IF IT MAKES HER “UNCOMFORTABLE”
Selena has made a series of calculated moves in the past year to peel off the Disney labels once and for all: As Rapkin writes, “She split from her longtime manager—who also happens to be her mom. Said good-bye to Dream Out Loud, the eco-friendly clothing line she designed for Kmart that reportedly netted her $1 million annually. Parted ways—after three gold albums and a greatest-hits collection that included her first smash hit, ‘Love You Like a Love Song,’ and the 2013 top 10 number ‘Come & Get It’—with her old record label and inked a new deal with Interscope.”
She says she wants to be “a little uncomfortable,” adding, “that’s why I made all of these decisions within a year. I wanted to be my own person. I wanted to test myself. I wanted to see if I could really do it.”
AND SHE’S GOT THE SUPPORT OF HER SQUAD
It’s a well-known fact that Taylor Swift and Selena are tight, but we wanted to know what they talk about behind closed doors and got a rare look into their friendship. In the article, Taylor reveals to ELLE what she thinks about Selena’s big year, what they “talk about all the time,” and what ultimately matters to both of them. Taylor, who famously cast her old friend against type as an ass-kicking villain (alongside the rest of Swift’s It Nation) in this year’s “Bad Blood” video also tells ELLE, “It isn’t easy for her to put herself out there, knowing that a lot of the media will try and twist her lyrics into a headline about her ex-boyfriend. She doesn’t care anymore. Now she knows that good music rises above and outlasts the weekly cycle of ridiculous headlines.”
ELLE’s October issue hits newsstands nationwide on September 22.
