Cesare Bonazza/Getty ImagesWhen you're young, famous, and talented, you probably aren't thinking about leaving a legacy behind. We're pretty sure Selena Quintanilla didn't either. She had it all in 1995, a loving family, successful career, adoring fans, and a really bright future ahead of her. The Texas-born singer was able to crossover from the Spanish market and into the English market, seamlessly.
Unfortunately, the star was killed at the young age of 23. That means that some of her biggest and youngest millennial fans couldn't have been more than five years old when Selena won her first Grammy, and many hadn't even been born by the time Selena died.
Yet, her music and all that she left behind, continues to bring new and younger fans each year. A true testament of that is the late singer's two 2016 Latin Billboard nominations for "Top Latin Albums Female artist of the Year" and "Latin Pop Solo Album of the Year." Think about it…her music still resonates with fans, even 20 years later. She continues to hold her throne.
Just ask Selena Gomez, whose parents named her after Quintanilla in 1992.
Celebrities like Drake, Big Sean, Lady Gaga, and now Kylie Jenner have all paid tribute to the Grammy Award-winning artist by sporting tees with her name or face.
.@BigSean reveals his vintage T-shirt collection ? from Selena to the "Waiting to Exhale" cast http://t.co/Aemi5RQQ5x pic.twitter.com/MRZJDzsib9
? billboard (@billboard) July 23, 2015
Leaving for Korea in less than a week!!!! Wearing my favorite t shirt today. It might be the raddest ever. pic.twitter.com/qSLvnqoq
? Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) April 12, 2012
A few followers felt that Jenner wasn't "old enough to know about Selena," they clearly failed to realize that Selena's music isn't limited to the generation that was fortunate enough to experience it when she was alive.
The singer's brother rushed to Jenner's defense by saying, "I found a picture of Kylie Jenner wearing a Selena t-shirt. Drake's also worn a Selena t-shirt. Lady Gaga's also worn a Selena t-shirt. There have been tons of artists to wear Selena t-shirts," A.B. Quintanilla said during his Facebook live video. "I opened up my Facebook and every comment was negative…you guys aren't seeing the big picture, Kylie has done Selena a huge favor."
Kylie Jenner
Posted by A.B. Quintanilla on Wednesday, March 9, 2016
He went on to explain that real fans shouldn't be upset, and especially shouldn't leave negative comments about Jenner for paying tribute to his sister.
"That's 60 million people that saw the Selena t-shirt, a lot might not even know who Selena is and will go investigate. You know what I'm saying? So, it's a positive thing. It's not a negative thing," said A.B. Quintanilla.
Selena's older brother went on to praise Kylie for her achievements and being able to have such a large fan base at such a young age. He asked for everyone to please delete the negative comments about Jenner from his page, and to please go like his late sister's official Facebook page.
"Kylie doesn't need to wear a Selena t-shirt to get more famous, she's already one of the most famous girls in the world," Quintanilla said in a positive tone. "Kylie did us a favor, you should go thank her!"
We should remember that many have and continue to learn about the singer through the movie "Selena", which tells the story of her life played by Jennifer Lopez.
This year, we can also expect a Selena-inspired makeup line by MAC, set to debut in sometime after June.
"Selena's talent and beauty, inside and out, have left a colorful, meaningful impact in the world that has continued to grow over the last two decades," M.A.C creative director James Gager told People. "We have heard the passion and enthusiasm from her fans and wholeheartedly agree that her legacy embodies M.A.C's philosophy. We are so excited to announce a Selena-inspired M.A.C collection debuting in the latter part of 2016."
It's the year of Selena—and we love it—because we're all free to embrace it at any age.
"Anything for Selenas!"