On paper, this shoudn’t work. Pop is littered with saccharine love duets, the charts strewn with mawkish displays of sentimentality. So when news that Selena Gomez and benny blanco had combined to construct an album documenting their relationship, the cynics of the internet gathered in force. In its execution, however, ‘I Said I Love You First’ is a million miles away from those epithets – a trueful, sometimes moving, often joyous account of a relationship, the sheer honesty of the songwriting means that it engages at every turn.
Written and recorded mostly at benny blanco’s house, there is an unsurprising level of intimacy at play here. Opening with the title track, Selena’s voice is racked with emotion across a skeletal vignette, before the record segues into the beatific ballad ‘Younger And Hotter Than Me’. Balancing insecurities with tongue-in-cheek humour, it knows when to move beyond the wistful and into the moving.
Gracie Abrams pops by on ‘Call Me When You Break Up’, a surging piece of ultra-modern pop that feels right for arena use. ‘Ojos Tristes’ shows Selena at her most playful, while cinematic pairing ‘Don’t Wanna Cry’ and ‘Sunset Blvd’ overflow with benny blanco’s world-building capabilities.
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Indeed, it’s remarkable how fused together their two instinctual approaches feel. ‘Bluest Flame’ ebbs and flows, while the spartan setting for ‘How Does It Feel To Be Forgotten’ – only voice and acoustic guitar – displays a palpable sense of trust.
Kept to a trim 35 minutes, there’s actually surfeit of highlights on display – each track lands, while owning an incredible sense of breadth. ‘I Can’t Get Enough’ is major league pop, but the introspection of ‘Don’t Take It Personally’ is in another universe.
Closing with the bubbling assurance that permeates ‘Scared Of Loving You’, this album is a genuine thrill. The sound of two people frankly discussing their relationship – from cute-meet to current status, alongside the ups and downs – is extremely rare in pop, particularly when done this well. Avoiding the pitfalls through moving with assurance, ‘I Said I Love You First’ will have you in raptures.
8/10
Words: Robin Murray
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