Last night the American Music Awards happened, and while One Direction wasn’t there (minus Niall, but honestly he is not One Direction he is a member of One Direction, so do not @ me), Selena Gomez showed up and brought down the house with a speech for the books.
Upon accepting her award for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist, Gomez delivered the following words:
“I think it’s safe to say that a lot of you know a lot of my life whether I liked it or not and I had to stop,” she said. “Because I had everything, and I was absolutely broken. And I kept it together and I swore I would never let you down, but I kept it too much together to where I let myself down.”
“I don’t want to see your bodies on Instagram, I want to see what’s in here [gestures to heart]. I’m not trying to get validation, nor do I need it anymore. All I can say is I’m so grateful that I have the opportunity to be able to share what I love every day with people that I love.”
“I have to say thank you so much to all my fans, because you guys are so damn loyal, and I don’t know what I did to deserve you,” she continued. “But if you are broken, you do not have to stay broken. That’s one thing you should know about me — I care about people. And this is for you.”
So first, applause all around. Second, goddamn.
Here’s the thing: it’s not new to hear somebody speak out about a difficult time long after they’ve gone through it (thank goodness), but Selena Gomez is still kind of currently in the midst of hers. It was just recently that she took time off, so the message she chose to deliver is front and centre in her own life — which is especially important when you think of the message she was sending to fans: you can get through it, and you can show up and you can talk about it, and you can still be currently battling it (whatever their “it” may be), and still be just as articulate and open and helpful. In short: you are not defined by your mental or physical health. Which explains why she wants to see less bod on Instagram, more heart. (Because I doubt Selena is about to hop on board the shame-wagon — I’d be actually shocked if she meant she wanted more girls to “cover up” and post more photos of baking muffins or something. Right?)
And keep in mind that Gomez works in an industry that may build their discographies on emotions and reflections, but few maintain that candidacy in live moments and on such massive platforms. Her speech took guts, it was inspired, and it also signals the type of grown-ass woman Selena is evolving into.
And of course, while I’m sure you already know this: you can do the same thing. You can also take breaks and tap out or re-evaluate and prioritize your health and happiness over the health and happiness of those in your circle. You owe yourself health. Which admittedly isn’t the lesson I thought we’d gleam from the AMAs, but here we are.
YGG, Selena Gomez.
