Selena Gomez, former Disney actress and current singer/songwriter, has announced that she will be releasing her first Spanish album, “Revelación,” on March 12. 

Gomez released the album’s first single, “De Una Vez” on Jan. 14, and it skyrocketed on charts around the world, including many Latin American countries. The song features elements of love and emotional growth, which is fitting considering this is her first single since “Lose You to Love Me”, which many considered a final goodbye to her past relationships and public scandals. Gomez’s vocals were peaceful and simple, but had no obvious faults. In her earlier career, she was often criticized for her voice being too breathy or untrained, but it’s clear she has grown a lot, especially in a language she has never sung in before. The rhythmic pop song is catchy enough to stay in your head without distracting you from its lyrics. This single was released along with a music video which featured Gomez in a flowing pink dress and glowing heart pendant that slowly lit up more, signifying her personal healing. 

The second pre-released single was a collaboration with Puerto Rican rapper Rauw Alejandro called “Bailo Conmigo.” This upbeat dance song was very different from the first single, yet felt cohesive in a way that none of Gomez’s albums have before. Also successful, the collaboration reached Top 10 on the Hot Latin Songs Chart in the United States, Mexico and Spain. 

Gomez has Mexican heritage from her dad’s side, and her breakout role on Disney was that of Alex Russo, a teenage girl in a half-Hispanic family, yet she never truly got an opportunity to professionally connect with that side of herself. She shared at the end of last year that she was very excited for her upcoming project, and then followed it with “This is the beginning of something I’ve wanted to explore for so long. I hope you love it as much as I do” to her large Instagram following. Interscope Records, producers of Gomez’s album, stated that she worked very hard to pronounce and time the songs correctly, as she had a whole new target audience to please and did not want to fail herself or her family. 

Ultimately, these two singles create high expectations for the rest of her album, and are very reminiscent of all the growth she has gone through in her decade-long career. Gomez has been an inspiration and role models for young girls in particular, with anything from being open about her autoimmune disease to always promoting kindness, and embracing a new side of her culture is a perfect next step.