Selena Gomez Still Struggles to Perform Her ‘Rihanna Reject’ Hit: ‘It’s Not My Song’
Selena Gomez is a multitalented force of nature, known to her legions of fans as an actor, a social media influencer, and a producer. Still, she is undoubtedly best known for her musical career, which spans more than a decade and has earned her a host of awards and honors.
With multiple top-10 singles and six albums to her credit, it is clear that Gomez has a lot to celebrate. Still, one of her more well-known songs will never get particularly high marks from the star, with Gomez slamming the tune in a 2016 interview as “a Rihanna reject.”
Selena Gomez started her career as a child actor
Gomez got her first big break in 2002 when she was cast in the TV show Barney & Friends. Gomez, who was born in Texas in 1992, had developed a passion for acting at a very early age, and the children’s television series helped her get her foot in the door of the entertainment industry. Gomez acted on Barney & Friends for two years, before landing a recurring role on the cult-classic TV series Hannah Montana in 2007.
2007 was the same year that Gomez began starring in her own series, Wizards of Waverly Place, which ultimately ran until 2012. By that time, Gomez was an established teen star, with fans of all ages.
Her successful career as an actor set the stage for Gomez to transition to the next phase of her life — as a pop artist.
Selena Gomez’s song ‘Come & Get It’ was a hit for her
In 2009, all while she was working on her acting projects, Gomez released her first album with her former band, Selena Gomez & the Scene. The album, titled Kiss & Tell, was a success, and eventually, Gomez and her band released two more full-length albums.
Still, Gomez was aching to step out on her own, and in 2013, the young artist released her first solo studio album, Stars Dance.
The album spawned several hit singles, with the most successful being the tune “Come & Get It.” Gomez performed the song at several award shows and ceremonies that year — and for many of her critics, it was the perfect transition from Gomez’s career as a child performer to her new, bold direction as a mature pop artist.
The song, which was written by the Norwegian team Stargate, remains one of Gomez’s best-known works.
What did Selena Gomez say later about ‘Come & Get It’?
While “Come & Get It” was a hit song, Gomez has her own complicated feelings about it. Gomez opened up to Entertainment Weekly about the song, admitting, “I love Stargate more than anything, but it’s very difficult for me to perform live. It’s not my song. To me, it sounds like a Rihanna reject.”
Gomez went on to say: “I’m working with Stargate on the new album—they did ‘Same Old Love’ with me—and we’ve created such an awesome relationship. That was just in the beginning. I was so young. I was wanting a hit: ‘I don’t know if I need a hit, but maybe I do so people can respect me?’ I’m grateful what [‘Come & Get It’] did for me, so it’d be stupid not to acknowledge it.”
These days, the song is still a staple for Gomez’s fans and receives lots of radio airplay.
