Selena Gomez
The singer/songwriter born Selena Marie Quintanilla was born on July 22nd, 1992 in Grand Prairie, Texas. She began her career as a child actress starring in Nickelodeon sitcom Wizards of Waverly Place. In 2007, she signed with Hollywood Records where she released three studio albums including Stars Dance, Kiss & Tell and Revival. Her debut single “Come & Get It” peaked at number one on Billboard Hot 100 chart. She later became known for her collaborations with Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Nick Jonas, Shawn Mendes, Charlie Puth, Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran.
Early life
Selena Gomez was born on July 21, 1992, in Grand Paree, Texas, to Ricardo Gomez. She was born when her mother, Mandy Joanna Rodriguez, was 16 years old. Gomez was raised in the suburbs of Dallas, Texas.
The family struggled financially during Gomez’s early childhood. In fact, she remembers having to pay for gas just to fill up the tank of their car; they couldn’t afford it otherwise.
Her mother later recalled that the couple would often go shopping at the Dollar Store to buy spaghetti for dinner.
Gomez attended high school at Westlake High School in Plano, Texas. During her freshman year, she began dating fellow student Justin Bieber, whom she met while attending the same church youth group. They dated for several months before breaking off their relationship.
After graduating from high school, Gomez enrolled at Baylor University, where she studied marketing and Spanish. While there, she worked as a hostess at a restaurant owned by her friend’s parents.
In 2007, Gomez graduated from college, and moved to Los Angeles, California, to pursue a career in showbiz. She auditioned for roles in small films and TV movies, but failed to land any parts.
She briefly returned to Texas to attend a wedding with some friends, and met another young man named Chris DeStefano, whom she eventually married. Gomez became pregnant shortly thereafter, and gave birth to daughter, Aliana Grace, in 2008.
Career
Gomez grew up in Sun Valley, California and attended high school there. While she was attending high school, she became interested in acting and began taking classes. Her first major role came in the 2000 film The Parent Trap II.
She later moved to Los Angeles, where she continued to pursue her dream of becoming an actress. In 2001, she landed her first recurring role in the Fox TV show Party of Five.
In 2003, she landed the lead role in the Nickelodeon sitcom Zoey 101. After the show ended in 2006, she starred in the short-lived CBS comedy pilot My Boys.
2007–2012: Breakthrough with Disney and Selena Gomez & the Scene
Gomez began her career as a child actress, starring in Disney Channel original movies such as, and. She starred in several episodes of Disney Channel sitcoms including, and, as well as guest appearances on Nickelodeon shows like. In 2007, Gomez was cast as Miley Stewart, the lead character on Disney Channel show, where she played a young girl trying to break into music. Her performance earned Gomez praise from critics, and the show received positive reviews from audiences. Gomez later reprised her role in the spinoff film, and the sequel. Gomez won the Young Artist Award for Best Leading Actress – TV Series for playing Miley Stewart.
In 2009, Gomez was cast in another Disney Channel movie,, about a group of friends who travel around the world competing in extreme sports competitions. The movie was produced by Gomez’s production company, July Moon Productions. Also in 2009, Gomez joined the cast of ABC Family musical drama series, as a regular cast member. The following year, Gomez co-starred with Lovato in the Disney Channel Original Movie,. The movie premiered during the 2010 Kids’ Choice Awards on May 31, 2010. In 2011, Gomez starred in the comedy film,, opposite Adam Sandler
2012–2014: Stars Dance and films
Gomez confirmed in January 2012, via Twitter, that she had taken a break from music, stating “I’m taking some time off… I’ll still be around though!” In April, Gomez revealed that she was planning to release a full length album, saying “I’ve been writing songs for my next record.” On July 19, 2012, it was reported that Gomez was in talks with Hollywood Records about signing a deal to make a pop/rock album. Her label, Hollywood Records, was reportedly interested in having her collaborate with producers such as Max Martin, Dr. Luke, Ryan Tedder, Shellback, Greg Kurstin, John Mayer, Justin Tranter, and RedOne. Gomez stated that she wanted to work with songwriters like herself, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Pink, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé Knowles, Adele, Kelly Clarkson, Sam Smith, and others. A month later, Gomez posted a picture of a handwritten letter addressed to her fans on Instagram, revealing that she would be taking time off from recording and performing. She wrote that she felt overwhelmed by the success of her first single, “Come & Get It”, and that she needed to take a break from touring to focus on her personal life.
2015–2016: Revival
Gomez’s debut studio album,, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart dated November 30, 2015. It sold over 170,000 copies in its opening week, becoming Gomez’s highest selling album up to that date. In 2016, she performed at the Super Bowl 50 halftime show alongside Coldplay and Bruno Mars. She also headlined several tours throughout the year including the Revival Tour. In April 2017, Gomez released the song “Good For You” featuring rapper Lil Yachty, and later announced her third studio album would be titled. The album was released on May 25, 2018.
2017–2019: Standalone releases and 13 Reasons Why
In early 2017, Gomez began posting snippets of songs on social media, including a snippet of a song called “Back To You”, which was eventually revealed to be part of the soundtrack for the second season of 13 Reasons Why. This led fans to speculate that Gomez was working on a new album, which turned out to be true; she released another track from the album, “Back To You,” on May 10, 2018. In addition to releasing music, Gomez continued to voice Mavis in several episodes of 13 Reasons Why: Beyond the Notes, including the episode “The After Show”.