Selena Gomez Never Planned On Being A Singer

In the world of showbiz, plans often change — just ask Selena Gomez, whose "hobby" turned her into an international idol. In a January 2024 podcast session on "SmartLess" with Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett, the actor and musician revealed she had no intention of being a full-time musician when she first started her career. "I wanted to be an actress, I never really intended on being a singer full-time, but apparently that hobby turned into something else," she admitted.

Gomez explained that her Disney contract for "The Wizards of the Waverly Place" mandated acting and singing the sitcom's theme song. This adds up, considering that her first acting job was in 2002 as Gianna on "Barney and Friends," while Selena Gomez's stunning transformation into a musician began in 2008 with her first song, "Cruella de Vil." Despite her preference for drama, Selena Gomez is quite accomplished in both sectors. She's received awards from ALMA, BET, MTV, People's Choice, Young Hollywood, iHeart Radio, Billboard Music, and tons more. She's also been nominated for the Grammy Awards twice. For a hobby, it's fair to say that Gomez is crushing it.

Selena Gomez's comments might have been surprising, but they're definitely not the first time she's expressed a preference for acting. In an April 2021 interview with Vogue, the singer revealed that her fans, the Selenators, were the only reason she continued to release music. She also shared her internal debate about quitting music, stating she would give it one final go before retiring.

As expected, the internet freaked out at Gomez's statements. Many Selenators took to X (formerly Twitter) to persuade her to reconsider. One fan, @selenarmytors, expressed how much her music meant to them: "As someone who has gone through trauma... I would always listen to Selena to make me feel better. Her inspiring words and music are the reason why I am who I am today. When she's gone, I don't know what I'm going to do. All I can say is that we love you Selena, please don't go 💔"

Cardi B also lent her voice to the cause via X, encouraging Gomez to give fans "one more era." Thankfully, Selena Gomez listened to her fans and has been releasing some of her best music yet. In 2021, she earned a Grammy nomination for her album "Revelación."

In an interview with USA Today, Selena Gomez responded to rumors about quitting the music industry. "The idea of retirement for me isn't that I would leave forever, it's that I do see myself taking a significant break from music." Selenators worldwide are holding on to these comments, considering her 2024 statements on "Smartless." "I would like to find something to just settle on. I do feel like I have one more album in me, but I would probably choose acting," she said. 

If Gomez decides to focus solely on acting, it would be a natural transition, considering her acting resume features a decent list of appearances. These include "Another Cinderella Story" in 2008, "Monte Carlo" in 2011, "Spring Breakers" in 2012, and "A Rainy Day in New York" in 2019. She also voice-acted in "Hotel Transylvania" and has produced a few documentaries.

When the "Smartless" hosts pointed out that she could have the best of both worlds, she had a clear response: "You're right, but I am going to want to chill because I'm tired." If Selena's words are anything to go by, we can expect the icon to enjoy a well-deserved break but ultimately return to the recording studio. And as Selenators would agree, Selena Gomez's music is definitely worth the wait.