Selena Gomez opens up
Selena Gomez has opened up in her first big interview of the year with Coach's Dream It Real Podcast.
She talks about how Disney Channel taught her to be perfect, how her best friends saved her life and her brand new album.
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Disney Channel's influence on her life
Selena starred in Disney Channel's 2007 series Wizards Of Waverly Place.
Gomez was around 15-years-old when she starred on the show and she said Disney taught her to be perfect.
"It just taught me so much about being a role model, you know?"
"They were very apparent on being perfect, I guess, just making sure that you’re being a good influence on people."
"I’m grateful that I had that opportunity because I understand what a platform means."
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Selena's persona
The 26-year-old talks about how she created a separate persona to be this perfect person.
"When I was younger, I was exposed to all of this [fame]."
"It was just all these pictures and all the things and all I would do is look at the flaws."
"I think that you kind of create this other persona of yourself."
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Selena began to care less about what people thought and more about how she felt.
"There came a point in my life where I just started not to care..."
"It just allowed me to have worth, to know that I’m worthy and that I am who I am."
"And who is that? And do I like that person? I think that it’s important for me."
"I don’t want to be anything that’s a show or a persona, I just don’t."
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Selena says Instagram is unhealthy
"I noticed with me, I got kind of depressed looking at these people who look beautiful and amazing..."
"It would just get me down a lot so I just think taking breaks is really important. But just know that most of it isn’t real."
"I hate to say that, I don’t mean to be rude, but it’s very unrealistic in a lot of ways..."
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She says young people, "are exposed to so much information, and [she] feels like that causes a lot of anxiety at the youngest age."
"Like, I didn’t grow up with that. I had dial-up internet."
"You should really protect what you’re seeing and be mindful, be really mindful of how it makes you feel."
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Therapy
The singer took a year out of the limelight to focus on herself.
Gomez says she wishes as a young woman she would have, "done a lot of things and experienced things maybe a little differently"
"I go to therapy."
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Selena admits therapy is hard but she says it's also, "amazing."
She tells a story about how her friend told her that she wanted to start therapy.
The actress told her, "It’s good, just tell me how your first experience goes."
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Her friend however, came back and said she really didn't like it.
So Selena advised her to, "give it a month because you can’t go in and do that, and it’s hard for people to open up."
"I think that it’s just one of the most important things to get to know yourself."
"Not saying everyone in the world has to do it…"
"I do think that it’s helped me understand myself and my childhood a lot better."
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Selena's friends saved her life
"I have three amazing, amazing friends and they are supportive, they are encouraging and when one of us maybe slips and falls, we aren’t afraid to be honest with each other."
"I just find that when I’m around other people or when I bring my friends with me to some places, people talk about our friendship, and I want girls to have that because it’s just so competitive and it’s very catty."
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"I’ve seen a lot of cattiness, and I think it’s so important to have healthy friendships."
"I really do, I mean my friends, without a doubt, have saved my life in multiple situations."
"Because they’re honest, they’re loving, they unconditionally love, they never judge, and they give me sound advice."
"All my friends are different: one’s in real estate, one works in social media, one works in foundations."
"It’s just great. We’re all so different and we love each other."
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Album
The artist has said, "There will be no collaborations on," her upcoming album.
"Working on this new record, I just wanted it to be me, all me. Every song is a story I’ve experienced."
"To that point, I think there’s no one who’s going to tell my story better than myself."
"I just really wanted to kind of just live with my story a bit and create it into something that means a lot to me."
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We're not sure when her album is due out but we cannot wait to hear it.
You can listen to that full interview on Coach's Dream It Real Podcast on Spotify here.
