In case you missed it, last week Selena Gomez released her first album in almost five years, Rare. It's about getting over a toxic relationship and learning to love yourself.
It's safe to say the release of the album's lead single — Selena's first-ever Billboard No. 1, "Lose You to Love Me" — caused a stir among fans, who speculated that it was about the breakup of her relationship with Justin Bieber.
Interscope
The song contains some pretty specific lyrics that fans thought could be linked back to Selena's on-again, off-again relationship with Justin and their eventual split in 2018.
Genius / genius.com
And she all but confirmed the song was about Justin in an interview with Ryan Seacrest, explaining that the song had been written around the time she and Justin split, but that she hadn't been emotionally ready to release it at the time.
On Air With Ryan Seacrest / youtube.com
Well, during an appearance on the Tonight Show on Monday, Selena explained why it was important to her to release the song even though it's been a while since the events that inspired it.
NBC / youtube.com
"I think there came a point in my life when there were so many things being said on my behalf," Selena explained. "I found myself protecting people who didn't really protect me because I didn't want to start anything."
NBC / youtube.com
But she continued to say that she realised she had a right to tell her side of the story, calling it "liberating".
NBC / youtube.com
"It almost felt like I had let it go, personally, once it was out," Selena went on, "and that's the greatest gift."
Watch Selena's Tonight Show interview in full here:
