Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco, “I Said I Love You First.”

Some newly engaged couples spend their days meticulously planning their wedding or dreaming up ideas for a honeymoon. For singer-actress Selena Gomez and musician-producer Benny Blanco, it was all about making new music.

I Said I Love You First brings the lovebirds together, with help from friends like Gracie Abrams, Finneas, Julia Michaels and Justin Tranter.

Following a fly-on-the-wall candid speech by Gomez, presumably to her beau (Benjamin Levin), the album opens with biting acoustic track “Younger and Hotter Than Me.” It’s a fitting start to the lyrical journey, with sharp lyrics pointed at an ex-lover.

“For thinking you were different/ Wish I never loved you/ We’re not getting any younger/ But your girlfriends seem to,” Gomez sings.

The bouncy “Call Me When You Break Up” is fun, energetic and instantly infectious. There’s an earnest honesty that harkens back to Taylor Swift’s Red-era, combining relatability and strong pop hooks. Gracie Abrams‘ voice meshes well with Gomez’s, and the pair elevate an already strong track to make it even better. The song seemingly represents the transition from lost love to found love with that of her fiancé.

Retro ballad “Ojos Tristes” sounds like it could have been pulled from the ’50s, but with poppy production. It includes lyrics sung both in Spanish and English, while Benny Blanco turns down the tempo and adds a hazy feel.

“Sunset Blvd” is a bit more confounding, with its atmospheric synth-pop sound. Gomez’s vocals are pushed deeper in the mix and steeped in a cavernous reverb. The song takes a lyrically risqué tone, with Gomez desiring her lover’s “big, big hard… heart” during a campy, slightly awkward pre-chorus. It’s catchy, but the unorthodox production doesn’t allow it to reach its full potential.

The album is at its best in both its quietest and loudest moments. “Don’t Wanna Cry” is a slick mid-tempo groove with an accented ‘80s bass line. The rhythmic “I Can’t Get Enough” also qualifies as a certified banger. The choppy, Reggaeton-influenced tune adds producer Tainy and rapper J Balvin (both Puerto Ricans) into the mix. A relatively straightforward pop track, the song doesn’t try to do too much but wins listeners over nonetheless. The layered vocal interlude of “Cowboy” segues into “Bluest Flame,” which is a clubby track with a ton of potential, verging into Charli-XCX-like hyperpop territory (and Auto-Tuned vocals). It doesn’t fit sonically with the rest of the record, but it’s solid.

The rolling acoustic sway of “How Does It Feel to Be Forgotten” refocuses the messages with anthemic and raw singing and a return to the ’50s heartbreak balladry. Gomez takes aim at social media on interlude “Do You Wanna Be Perfect,” which is far too short. “You Said You Were Sorry” has a low-fi flare-heavy and atmospheric percussion.

The album concludes in quiet intimacy with “Don’t Take it Personally” and “Scared of Loving You,” the latter a love letter of sorts from Selena Gomez to Benny Blanco. She expresses her inhibitions in finding lasting love. It’s a sweet and somber closer with a well-delivered vocal: “If I lose my shit/ Promise not to laugh/ If I throw a fit and get photographed/ Would you take my side?” she asks.

I Said I Love You First sees two musicians find their musical and personal chemistry. The lyrics are real and hit the mark, while the emotions feel authentic; maybe sometimes too personal. Still, the  journey was worth taking.

Follow writer Mike DeWald at mikedewald.bsky.social.