What De Una Vez's Lyrics From Selena Gomez Really Mean

Selena Gomez is no stranger to overcoming adversity. From her childhood as the daughter of a single teen mom to her inpatient treatment for anxiety and her diagnosis with lupus that eventually required a kidney transplant, the singer/actress has weathered many storms and come out on top (per Vogue). Her most recent success: The drop of her newest single, "De Una Vez" ["Once and for All"], a song of empowerment after pain. Most significantly, it's written and sung entirely in Spanish, which is a first for her. 

Although she's sung in Spanish before, according to CheatSheet, the songs have either been bilingual Spanish/English (such as "Taki Taki") or else a Spanish version of a song previously released in English ("A Day Without Rain"). 

The official YouTube video, dropped early in the evening of January 14, opens with the purple crystalline interior of a large heart-shaped pin that accents Gomez's flowy floral dress. As the camera pulls away to reveal Gomez lying in bed, we see that the heart has a tear that is repairing itself. She rises to find that flowers are blooming in her bedroom. As she makes her way through the house, images of darkness, light, and reflection follow her, with her heart pin shining brightly throughout. The final scene shows Gomez singing in the den as the ceiling opens and the objects in the room fly up and away, leaving only her. The glowing heart is covered over with a coat of metal, showing its new invulnerability.

The lyrics, as translated by LyricsKPop, are a statement of triumph over a bad breakup. The introduction says simply: "It doesn't hurt like before ... the wound of your love has healed." She declares that, "When the last ocean dries up/That's when I'll think about coming back ... How good is the time that has passed/I am healed from you/I already told you/I no longer feel you ... you never knew how to value me." The chorus says, "Once and for all/I am stronger alone/And I don't regret the past/I know the time I spent by your side/Cut my wings/But now this heart is bulletproof." 

It's not hard to speculate that, like her earlier "Lose You to Love Me," Gomez's single is about her breakup from Justin Bieber, who went on to date and marry Hailey Baldwin just a few months after the 2018 split (per W). Since then, she's been keeping a low romantic profile, though rumor has it she's been seeing Miami Heat player Jimmy Butler since late 2020 (per Harper's Bazaar). But observant fans have also pointed out that the key piece of jewelry in the video seems to be a nod to her time on The Wizards of Waverly Place, in which her character Alex received a heart necklace that lights up when the wearer is in love with the giver (via Fandom).

Whether it's about a specific breakup or a shout-out to everyone who has ever survived one, "De Una Vez" is destined to join millions of playlists.