I said ‘I don’t care’ first
Album Review: ‘I Said I Love You First’
Review: Selena Gomez’s fourth studio album and her first collaborative project with her fiancé, Benny Blanco, lacks emotion despite being created by a couple.
Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco’s I Said I Love You First is intended to be an album about love. Instead, it’s a scattered collection of diary entries without a clear focus. The production is erratic, the songwriting lacks depth, and when something appears promising, the album never fully commits to it.
The title track, “I Said I Love You First,” opens the album with a speech from the Wizards of Waverly Place days, hinting at nostalgia. However, that theme never fully develops beyond a few scattered references. “Younger and Hotter Than Me” is written alongside FINNEAS, the soulful piano ballad that details the challenges of fame. In the video, Gomez starts in an empty studio as she might relate to her Disney child stardom history, but the song holds fewer layers.
“Call Me When You Break Up,” featuring Gracie Abrams, is a pop girl anthem that will make your friend feel better after a heartbreak. The issue? Abrams outshines Gomez, making it feel less like a duet and more like Gomez is a guest on her song. A similar issue arises with “Bluest Flame,” co-written with Charli XCX. It has the potential to be a club hit but is weighed down by overproduced vocals.
The standout track is “Ojos Tristes,” featuring The Marías, a sample of Jeanette’s “El Muchacho de los Ojos Tristes.” The song delivers the moody, atmospheric production that the rest of the album desperately lacks. It’s one of the few songs that feels intentional rather than simply thrown together.
The remainder of the album suffers from either weak production or misplaced energy. “Don’t Wanna Cry” should deliver a gut punch of a ballad, but the heavy pop sound makes it feel more like a club hit than a breakup song. “Sunset Blvd” tries to depict her first date with Benny Blanco playfully, but falls flat and almost feels uncomfortable for the listeners. While “Cowboy” is aimed at channeling Gomez’s sensual side, it ends up feeling like a weaker version of “Good for You” with a terrible outro.
Then there’s “How Does It Feel to Be Forgotten,” which has already gone viral on TikTok because fans are dissecting its subject. But the song itself? It’s a pretty, if predictable, ballad. “Do You Wanna Be Perfect” is an interlude that feels like a scene taken out of The Substance but doesn’t add much. “You Said You Were Sorry” is at least personal, inspired by Gomez’s dream, yet it still feels like an intriguing idea that doesn’t fully land.
And then there’s “I Can’t Get Enough” featuring J Balvin. For those of you who remember, that song was released in 2019. What is it doing here? I have no clue. The real problem is that the production seems so outdated that it doesn’t even feel enjoyable to hear that track again.
The album’s one saving grace is “Don’t Take It Personally,” a well-written, self-destructive ballad that feels genuine. “Scared of Loving You,” the second FINNEAS collaboration, brings back emotions back to the album, but at that point it’s just too late.
Talking about time, the album has 14 songs and a runtime of 35 minutes, with each song averaging around 2 minutes in length. This lack of time makes the album forgettable; the songs flow one after the other without pausing to breathe and don’t allow them to stand alone.
Selena Gomez hasn’t made a great album since her Selena Gomez & The Scene days when she fully embraced catchy, dance-pop fun. Since then, her solo music has often felt like a half-hearted side project, never terrible, but also not great either. On the bright side, her acting career is skyrocketing with Only Murders in the Building. I wholeheartedly think that’s were her future lies, as I Said I Love You First proves that music isn’t her strongest lane anymore.