Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco dropped their first joint album, I Said I Love You First, months after their December engagement. Released on March 21, the album embraces an indie vibe with soft ballads and whisper pop. Despite the buzz surrounding its release, Gomez's comeback album saw underwhelming streaming numbers on debut day, with rumours swirling that some, if not all, of the tracks could be inspired by her ex, Justin Bieber.
Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco's joint album I Said I Love You First garnered 14.2 million streams on Spotify in its first full day of release. While this is a solid number for an indie artist, the figures fall short when compared to Selena's massive fanbase and the success of other major releases.
For context, BLACKPINK's Jennie debuted her solo album Ruby with over 29 million streams, while Taylor Swift¡¯s 11th studio album The Tortured Poets Department racked up a staggering 300 million streams on the platform.
Selena Gomez¡¯s new album has sparked a divided response from listeners, with opinions ranging from high praise to harsh criticism. While some fans have hailed it as her best album yet, others feel it falls short of expectations.
Reacting to the lukewarm response to the album, one user said, "She flopped so hard," while another commented it "tanked".
However, some users have pointed out that the album's streams were achieved organically, without the benefit of extensive promotion.
"The worst promo rollout, no Interscope promo as it's under an exclusive license for Selena Gomez (which means she¡¯s basically an independent artist right now), no playlisting, NO RADIO, no live performances, no huge Billboard promo from her label¡ just Selena, Benny & fan love," one X user wrote.
"No promo, no playlisting, no support from Interscope, a 6-year-old song, 2 interludes, and a 1-min outro¡ ORGANIC SMASH HIT", another user wrote.
Selena Gomez's song How Does It Feel To Be Forgotten from her joint album with Benny Blanco has sparked intense speculation. Fans believe the track is a thinly veiled reference to her past relationship with Justin Bieber. With its moody, sassy vibe and brutally honest lyrics, the song seems to take aim at an ex, leaving many wondering if it's a direct message to Bieber.
Despite fan speculation, Gomez recently confirmed that the album is not about Bieber. She revealed that the album is a reflection of her own evolution, new relationships, and life experiences.
¡°Anytime I release anything, the interpretation is going to be up to the audience. However, I would like to say that most of this album has nothing to do with what everyone may go to,¡± the singer-actress said during an interview for Spotify¡¯s Countdown To I Said I Love You First on March 19.
Taylor Swift recently returned to Instagram to use her platform to support her bestie, Selena Gomez. Swift's first post in 100 days congratulated Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco on their new album.
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