Why Fans Think Selena Gomez's New Song "De Una Vez" Is a Reference to Justin Bieber

On the heels of dropping her latest Spanish-language single, "De Una Vez," some of Selena Gomez's fans are thinking of her ex, Justin Bieber. Keep scrolling for a breakdown of fans' interpretations.

By Samantha Schnurr Jan 15, 2021 7:03 PMTags

Selena Gomez has released a brand new song—and fans see Justin Bieber all over it. 

On Thursday, Jan. 14, the singer dropped a Spanish-language single, "De Una Vez," mere hours after she teased the new music on social media. "This is the beginning of something I've wanted to explore for so long," she told fans on Instagram. "I hope you love it as much as I do."

Naturally, Selenators got to work decoding the lyrics, which for some meant tapping into their translation skills. Listeners have since deduced that the track, which roughly translates to "All at Once," tackles themes of overcoming heartbreak, survival, identity and independence, similar to those of her 2019 hit, "Lose You to Love Me."

"It doesn't hurt like before, no," the song, translated to English, begins. "The wound of your love healed."

"Once and for all, I'm stronger alone," Gomez continues. "I don't regret the past. I know the time by your side cut my wings, but now this chest is bulletproof." When it comes to the star's heartbreak, fans naturally can't help but think of Bieber, her longtime on-and-off love

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However, it's also seemingly divided fans with some who think it could be about another person and some who just want Gomez to move on from Bieber. As one fan complained in a tweet, "So you're telling me Selena Gomez new song is about Justin Bieber AGAIN ??"

While the jury is still out on who, if anyone specifically, inspired the track, some fans have also hypothesized that Gomez burning a polaroid in the music video for the single is not her bidding farewell to Bieber, but to her Rare era—which featured polaroid artwork—as a symbol of her indeed moving on. 

The star echoed this herself in a recent interview with Vogue. "[It's] such a beautiful song and I think it has a very powerful meaning behind it for anyone who has had their heart broken," she told the website. "We all have the pain and the scars from various experiences we go through in life, but it's really how we heal ourselves. Not only is it about leaving the past behind and forgiveness, but more importantly, it's also about strength, moving forward, and starting your next chapter."