Selena Gomez responds to fans comparing her appearance to her 2016 era, explaining why she embraces ageing and has no interest in recreating her younger self.
Selena Gomez has addressed the constant comparisons with her 2016 appearance, admitting some fans seem determined to freeze her in time.
Selena Gomez has spent much of her life growing up in front of the cameras, but there is one particular version of the star that some fans seem reluctant to leave in the past. The 34-year-old singer and actress has now addressed the continued fascination with how she looked in 2016, making it clear that she has no intention of trying to recreate herself at 24.
Speaking to People, the ‘Only Murders in the Building’ star and Rare Beauty founder admitted that she enjoys seeing nostalgic posts from that period, although she believes the conversation around her appearance can sometimes become too intense.
“I got to be honest, the 2016 throwbacks and all of it is so much fun, but people get really intense,” Gomez said.
The fascination has become so noticeable that she has developed her own theory about it. “I always make this joke where I think people want to freeze me in time to that period of my life,” she explained.
Her response to those expecting her to maintain the same appearance a decade later is simple: “I think people always want me to look the way I did, and that’s just not going to happen.”
Selena Gomez reflects on why fans remain obsessed with her 2016 era
For Gomez, part of the nostalgia may have less to do with her physical appearance and more to do with what was happening around her at the time.
“It was probably more interesting because I’m now chilling, which is great. But it was such a hectic period in my life… of course I had to rock a smoky eye. I was trying to be cool!” she joked.
Rather than attempting to resist the physical changes that naturally come with time, Gomez says her relationship with ageing is moving in the opposite direction.
“I love getting older,” she said.
Her approach to beauty has changed alongside it. After years of dramatic red-carpet looks and constant scrutiny surrounding her appearance, Gomez says she is increasingly interested in embracing something more natural.
“That’s kind of my whole identity now, is really connecting with just natural beauty,” she explained. “Things are going to change and things are going to sag, but you’re alive… I think age is just a number in many ways.”
The comments are particularly relevant for someone whose physical appearance has been analysed throughout much of her career. From her teenage years on Disney Channel to becoming an international pop star and later launching Rare Beauty, Gomez has experienced several different public eras while remaining under constant attention.
Her younger sister Gracie has taught her something about confidence
Gomez also spoke about her 13-year-old sister, Gracie Teefey, whose attitude towards beauty appears to have made an impression on her.
“She’s 13 and has more confidence than I do,” Gomez admitted. “She is actually so thrilled to try things, but she also knows she doesn’t need it.”
It is a confidence Gomez wishes she had possessed at the same age, particularly after spending so much of her adolescence and early adulthood in the public eye.
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