After a 100-day Instagram hiatus, Taylor Swift returned to the platform with a bang. The singer showered praise on her bestie Selena Gomez’s new album I Said I Love You First.
A TAYLOR SWIFT ENDORSEMENT
The pop icon’s endorsement sent fans into a frenzy. It also highlighted a lingering question: why did it take so long for other celebrities to rally behind Gomez’s comeback?
Taylor Swift’s Instagram Stories lit up on 22 March with a glowing review of Gomez’s collaborative album with fiancé Benny Blanco, according to Deadline.
“@selenagomez & @itsbennyblanco I LOVE THIS ALBUM SO MUCH OH MY GODDDDDDDDDDDD,” she wrote, linking to the project.
TAYLOR SWIFT ON INSTAGRAM
The post marked her first since December 2024, when she celebrated wrapping her record-breaking Eras Tour.
Fans erupted in joy, calling it “true bestie energy” and “queen supporting queen”. But before Taylor Swift’s post, frustration simmered.
ALBUM PROMOTIONS
A fan account on X (formerly Twitter) blasted: “No celebrity supporting Selena Gomez’s new album except Becky G. Not Even Taylor Swift” – a post later deleted.
I Said I Love You First is Gomez’s first major release since 2020’ Rare, according to People.
The 14-track album chronicles her romance with Blanco. The album is blending candid lyrics with collaborations from GloRilla, J Balvin, and Gracie Abrams (who opened for Swift on tour).
SELENA GOMEZ AND SONGWRITING
In a Spotify interview, Gomez revealed their songwriting process was organic: “We’d get up in the morning and have a conversation.
Our conversation was never led by ‘What are we going to write for the album?’.
Blanco chimed in: “Sometimes you’d say something really important, and I’d open my phone and be like, ‘That’s such a good line for a song’”.
CRITICISM FOR INTERSCOPE RECORDS
While Swift’s endorsement thrilled fans, many slammed Gomez’s label, Interscope Records, for lacklustre promotion, according to Variety.
“Interscope must love losing by not promoting one of their biggest artists,” a fan fumed on X.
The album dropped on 21 March, but its rollout drew comparisons to Gomez’s past support for others – a double standard that didn’t sit well.
I SAID I LOVE YOU FIRST
Taylor Swift’s post reignited buzz around I Said I Love You First, but the real story is Gomez’s resilience.
As Benny Blanco noted: “This album emerged naturally – it’s our truth”.
With Swift’s seal of approval, the project’s streaming numbers are likely to surge. For Gomez, it’s a reminder that sometimes, the loudest cheerleaders matter most.
SHOULD CELEBRITIES BE EXPECTED TO PUBLICLY SUPPORT EACH OTHER’S WORK?
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1.
Subscribe to The South African website’s newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
