One of Selena Gomez’s most iconic and beloved songs, “Who Says,” almost went to someone else, the singer revealed. Gomez spoke at Twilio’s SIGNAL conference yesterday about how she pushed for Disney to let her sing the song.
“It’s actually a funny story: I was working with Disney at the time, and they were actually giving the song to another artist,” Gomez recalled. “And I cried—I remember, I was with my mom—because I loved the song so much. I basically said to my label, ‘I feel like my fans are young and they need it.’ That’s all I kept saying because I was 16 at the time. I was like, ‘I think my fans really need it; tell [them] my fans really need the song.’ And so maybe it just didn’t work out with the other artist, but that [getting “Who Say”] was a gift to me that I did not know I needed.
“And I love, love that song, and it has carried with me through my whole career, and I fought for it. So to be honest, I, to this day, need to hear it. Not by me. Like I don’t want to hear myself sing it. I’m just saying the message it will last and last because it’s the truth. It’s such a special song.”
“Who Says,” released in 2011 and performed by Gomez and her then-band The Scene, has gotten over 379 million views on YouTube. Gomez told Billboard in 2011 that the song meant a lot to her. “It’s probably my favorite I’ve ever recorded,” she said. “I think it’s really meaningful and it’s kind of a big anthem. It went platinum so it’s my second song ever that’s platinum. I was really excited, I was in the car when I found out promoting the third album. It gave me a big boost.”
You can find the lyrics, written by Emanuel Kiriakou and Priscilla Renea, below via Genius.
Intro
I wouldn’t wanna be anybody else
HeyVerse 1
You made me insecure
Told me I wasn’t good enough
But who are you to judge
When you’re a diamond in the rough?
I’m sure you got some things
You’d like to change about yourself
But when it comes to me
I wouldn’t wanna be anybody elsePre-Chorus
Na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na-na
Na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na-na
I’m no beauty queen, I’m just beautiful me
Na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na-na
Na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na-na
You’ve got every right to a beautiful life
Come onChorus
Who says?
Who says you’re not perfect?
Who says you’re not worth it?
Who says you’re the only one that’s hurtin’?
Trust me, that’s the price of beauty
Who says you’re not pretty?
Who says you’re not beautiful?
Who says?
Verse 2
It’s such a funny thing
How nothing’s funny when it’s you
You tell ’em what you mean
But they keep whitin’ out the truth
It’s like the work of art
That never gets to see the light
Keep you beneath the stars
Won’t let you touch the skyPre-Chorus
Na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na-na
Na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na-na
I’m no beauty queen, I’m just beautiful me
Na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na-na
Na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na-na
You’ve got every right to a beautiful life
Come on
Chorus
Who says?
Who says you’re not perfect?
Who says you’re not worth it?
Who says you’re the only one that’s hurtin’?
Trust me, that’s the price of beauty
Who says you’re not pretty?
Who says you’re not beautiful?
Who says?
Bridge
Who says you’re not star potential?
Who says you’re not presidential?
Who says you can’t be in movies?
Listen to me, listen to me
Who says you don’t pass the test?
Who says you can’t be the best?
Who said, who said?
Would you tell me who said that?
Yeah, who said?Chorus
Who says?
Who says you’re not perfect? (Yeah)
Who says you’re not worth it? (Yeah, yeah)
Who says you’re the only one that’s hurtin’? (Beautiful)
Trust me, that’s the price of beauty (Hey, yeah, beauty)
Who says you’re not pretty? (Who said?)
Who says you’re not beautiful? (I’m just beautiful me)
Who says?
Outro
Who says you’re not perfect?
Who says you’re not worth it?
Who says you’re the only one that’s hurtin’?
Trust me, that’s the price of beauty (Yeah)
Who says you’re not pretty? (Who says you’re not beautiful?)
Who says you’re not beautiful?
Who says?
Senior News and Strategy Editor
Alyssa Bailey is the senior news and strategy editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage of celebrities and royals (particularly Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton). She previously held positions at InStyle and Cosmopolitan. When she’s not working, she loves running around Central Park, making people take #ootd pics of her, and exploring New York City.