Does Selena Gomez speak Spanish? Singer has spoken about separating her cultural identity from her career

From transitioning her career from Disney to Hollywood and diversifying her skills, Selena Gomez has been successful in the entertainment industry. The singer was born in Grand Prairie, Texas, and is a third-generation Mexican-American. While the singer, actress, and producer can be primarily seen speaking English, she can also speak and sing in Spanish.

While Gomez's mother, Mandy Teefey, is of Italian descent, she retained her connection with her Mexican heritage by visiting her father, Ricardo Joel Gomez. Selena Gomez's parents separated when she was five years old, but she has continued to stay close to her roots and is a proud Latina. Over the years, Gomez has released advertisements, songs, and even movies in Spanish.

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"I try to separate my career from my culture" - Selena Gomez talks about the influence of her heritage on her career

Despite picking up Spanish from the Mexican side of her family, Selena Gomez did not record songs in the language. She also expressed hesitation while speaking or acting in Spanish. She told Harper's Bazaar in 2018,

"I look at myself in the mirror every day and think, 'Man, I wish I knew more Spanish.'"

Gomez has previously spoken about her relationship with her cultural heritage. (Image via Getty/Vittorio Zunino Celotto)

According to the LA Times, the singer revealed that she was fluent in Spanish till the age of 7.

"I was fluent in Spanish until I started working at 7. Then my job just kinda took over my life."

The singer has since then worked on her language and became more confident in using it. While thinking about her identity and connection with her heritage, Gomez reported,

"I try to separate my career from my culture."

The Only Murders In The Building actress explained that she doesn't want people to judge her based on her looks without knowing who she is.

Selena Gomez has been proud of her heritage and, since a young age, honed her Spanish skills. She leaned on to her Latin roots with songs like Taki Taki and I Can't Get Enough. Between years of touring and acting, Gomez had to pause her Spanish-language releases, but she continued to tease Selenators (her fans) with collaborations.

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Selena Gomez's work in Spanish language

Selena Gomez has embraced being a Latina, and while it took place over time, she had many things in store for her fans. Selena's first song, Un Año Sin Lluvia (meaning A Year Without Rain in English), came out in 2010. The singer was speaking Spanish in a Pantene commercial in 2018.

Almost 10 years after her first Spanish single, Selena Gomez released Revelación, the singer's first Spanish-language EP. The album went on to bag a Grammy nomination, and Gomez expressed her joy in releasing it. She told the National News,

"This new music is a labor of love for all of my Latin fans."

She added,

"Whether you speak Spanish or not, I hope you can feel the emotion and passion. For me, that is the beauty of Latin music."

More recently, the 31-year-old received a nine-minute standing ovation on May 18, 2024, during the screening of Emilia Perez. The actress revealed on the Smartless podcast that working on the Spanish-language musical is "one of the most challenging things" she has done.

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From singing her first single to playing a protagonist in the musical, Selena Gomez has paid homage to her Mexican heritage. The Wizards Of Waverly Place alum has come a long way from Disney and has taken up roles that take her out of her comfort zone.