Earlier this month, Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco released a collaborative studio album titled I Said I Love You First together. The album of fourteen songs is Gomez’s fourth studio album and Blanco’s second. To spread the word about their album, Gomez went to Looney Tunes Record Store, located in West Babylon on Long Island.
In the five years since Gomez released her third album Rare, a lot has changed for her. Rare was an album dedicated to self-love and empowerment. Her new album celebrates healing and moving on, following a similar theme to her previous album. Gomez had taken a break from music following her struggle with lupus, but has made a return with this album, destroying any rumors that claimed that she was fully quitting music.
“I wasn’t expecting her to release more music. My younger sisters are fans of her old album, Revival, but I thought she was done, especially because she is so involved with Rare Beauty. I was surprised when she announced she was releasing a new album,” said sophomore Leah Gilliar-Smith.
Their album has received numerous positive reviews, and is different from Gomez’s previous releases. Her vocals are not well-suited to the belts that she previously attempted, as her voice is in the lower to mid-range. On this album, she opts for soft vocals that fully allows her voice to shine, even whisper-singing on “Sunset Blvd.” Blanco and Gomez also delve into retro-vibes, and created something completely new.
“I really like the new album. I’m not usually a fan of Selena Gomez, but I like how different it is from her old albums. My friend is a fan of Gracie Abrams, and since she sings on Call Me When You Break Up, she kept talking about it, so I decided to give it a shot,” said sophomore Celia Platt.
Looney Tunes Record Store, the shop where Gomez made an appearance, recently held a signing event in order to publicize the couple’s album. In order to do this, they reached out to her management team and asked if she wanted to come. Since the store was already on Gomez’s radar, she said yes and they held a secret pop up event. Gomez came into the record store and rang up fans at the register and answered the phone.
“Due to limited time for schedules, we made the event secret because we wanted to make it cool and extra special,” said co-owner of Looney Tunes Record Store, Karl Groeger Jr, in an interview with the Schreiber Times.
Famous artists, singers, and musicians have all come to Looney Tunes. Hundreds of stars have come to celebrate the release of new music in the store such as Ozzy Osborne, Hozier, and Sabrina Carpenter. There is a stage for artists’ appearances and concerts. Originally opening in 1971, the store has been a family ruined business for 54 years. Since opening, the store has changed and evolved to adapt with the times and follow the ever-changing music industry.
“I really love listening to music, and I have a lot of artists I’ve always wanted to meet. I think that this method of advertising music is really smart because it allows regular people to talk to an artist in a relaxed setting. It’s also so exciting to know that you can meet such famous people and have a conversation with them. I hope to go to one of these signings at the store and meet my favorite singers,” said sophomore Kynan John.
Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco’s new album together, after being publicized at Looney Tunes Record Store, marks a change in Gomez’s music and a new step forward for her. As someone with many different careers, as an actress, singer, businesswoman, and chef, I Said I Love You First highlights Gomez’ evolution, relationship with Blanco, and exciting return to the music industry.