Selena Gomez on Whether She’s Actually Retiring From Music After Her Next Album

Selena Gomez went viral in January when she said she might retire from music after releasing her next album. (It was also not the first time she floated the idea.) But now, in a new interview with Rolling Stone, Gomez has clarified she doesn’t actually plan to stop her music career entirely. She is just currently prioritizing acting.

“I think it’s natural for people to take breaks, but I think for me, there is a whole other aspect to my life, pride and joy,” Gomez said. “I love film. I love TV. I just feel like I haven’t done a lot of the things that I want to do in that space. It’s not that it’s ‘no, never’ [to music], it’s more that I would like to explore that world a bit more and have the time to actually do that.”

With acting specifically, “I love being able to take roles that I have to fight for, not the ones that are being handed to me. I’m going for the stuff that really, really inspires me.”

As for her next album, Gomez admitted she was unsure whether it would come out in 2024 or not but “hopes” it will. Her new music is coming “from a place of confidence” and reflects her “joy and curiosity.” She added: “Part of me feels like I’m finally at a good place with everything in my life.”

“Single Soon” and “Love On,” Gomez’s most recently singles, “might not be really reflective of the project that I’m working on,” she said. “They are in spirit, but I’m excited to explore more styles of music, and I think people will hopefully be surprised by the contrast. I like releasing songs that I love and I care about. I just released them into the world and later comes the full album.”