Business of Fashion launched its special “Generation Next” issue this month with the most fitting cover girl: millennial megastar Selena Gomez.
In the 25-year-old’s feature, she opens up about being one of her generation’s most famous voices and the sacrifices that come with it, most notably when it affects her relationships.
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“You have to figure out the people that are in your circle,” Gomez notes when asked how she advises young people to manage their mental health.
“I feel like I know everybody but have no friends,” the “Fetish” singer continued. “[Laughs] I have like three good friends that I can tell everything to, but I know everyone. I go anywhere and I’m like, ‘Hey guys, how’s it going?’ And it feels great to be connected to people, but having boundaries is so important. You have to have those few people that respect you, want the best for you and you want the best for them. It sounds cheesy, but it’s hard.”
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Gomez also discusses the confusion that lent itself to her early days of fame, telling BoF, “I remember just feeling really violated when I was younger, even just being on the beach. I was maybe 15 or 16 and people were taking pictures—photographers. I didn’t like it or understand it, and that felt very weird, because I was a young girl and they were grown men.”
And, of course, Selena shed some light on her generation and how technology is forcing to kids grow up faster. “The biggest challenge is separating what you see on your phone from what is your life,” Gomez says. “There are 13-year-olds who look like they’re 25, and I was still wearing pigtails and running around like playing with dolls with my girlfriends and maybe listening to Jesse McCartney on a CD player [at that age]. That wasn’t a long time ago, which is why it scares me. I see a disconnect from real life connections to people, and that makes me a little worried. I do think social media is an amazing way to stay connected, to learn more things about what’s going outside your little bubble, but sometimes I think it’s too much information.”
Gomez couldn’t end her interview without giving a shout out to her chart-topping beau, The Weeknd, opening up about a very special gift he recently gave her.
“My boyfriend just got me a beautiful Chanel bag, and [I love it]. It wasn’t because it was a Chanel bag, it’s because of where it came from and what it meant. So I wear it so proudly, and I feel cute when I have it on. I feel like, ‘I love this!’ it makes me so happy. It literally just happened so all my friends are laughing because every time I have it on, I feel a certain way.”
That’s sound advice if we’ve ever heard it. Read Gomez’s full BoF interview here.