Did Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco drop the most adorable album of 2025?
We think so! When the couple was falling deeply in love last year, they started making a collaborative project together in the comfort of their own home. And when it arrived on March 21, I Said I Love You First was full of affectionate, vulnerable songs that lovingly encapsulated their relationship together.
The 16-song album—which was pressed on limited edition blue clearwater vinyl that you can only get on Complex Shop—brought together A-list contributors, personal songwriting, and some of the year’s most unexpected collaborations.
From GloRilla’s surprising appearance on “Cowboy” to intimate tracks about love and fear, we’re diving deep into the collaborators, the personal stories behind the songs, exclusive vinyl, and all the details that make this album a unique snapshot of love in the spotlight. Flip through our digital version of liner notes below, and if you want to hold this thing in your hand, get the real deal on vinyl here.
Jay-Z and Beyoncé helped inspire Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco to make a whole album together. According to an interview with Spotify, Benny was listening to “03 Bonnie & Clyde” by Jay and Beyoncé when he got the idea to make a project with his girlfriend Selena. So he picked up the phone and nervously asked her, “Why don’t we just do something together?”
Selena loved the idea, and they started recording songs together in Benny’s house, while falling deeper in love. By the end of 2024, they were engaged, and they announced the album just two months later.
Benny and Selena are friends with the best songwriters and producers in the world… and they all ended up on this album. There’s Finneas, Cashmere Cat, Dylan Brady, and Chrome Sparks, to name just a few.
The vocalists are just as impressive. Charli XCX has background vocals on “Bluest Flame,” and this thing features everyone from Gracie Abrams to J Balvin to Tainy to The Marías… to… GloRilla.
Let’s be honest. No one saw that last one coming—not even Glo herself. “I like how it shocks people,” she told People. “I’m always in for a good surprise.” Glo contributed hidden vocals at the end of “Cowboy.” Then she rapped a whole extra verse on the remix, which landed on the deluxe. “I was so geeked out,” Selena told iHeartRadio about hearing GloRilla’s vocals on the song for the first time. “It was an honor.”
Speaking of famous friends, Taylor Swift isn’t on the album, but Selena did play it for her before it dropped, because she always appreciates Taylor’s honest feedback. This time, Taylor had an emotional response to one song in particular. “When I played her ‘Lose You to Love Me’ before it came out, she and her amazing mom started crying, and then I started crying,” Selena told iHeart. “It’s very sweet.”
There’s no other way to put it… Selena and Benny are in love. This album was recorded in the safety of their own home, and they both refer to songwriting as a form of “therapy.” So they get deep.
On “Sunset Boulevard,” named after the street where they had their very first date together, Selena sings:
“With open arms
Holdin’ you naked, middle of Sunset Boulevard
Makin’ you famous, everyone’s watchin’
Bare skin, concrete
They’re callin’ the police
Open arms
Holdin’ you naked, middle of Sunset”
Lines like “everyone’s watchin’” hit harder when you remember how public their relationship is. Selena has over 400 million followers on Instagram alone, and many of these fans are very invested in their relationship, which is something they’ve had to navigate together.
But there’s also some fantasy here. It’s a safe bet to assume Benny and Selena have never actually held each other naked in the middle of one of the busiest streets in Los Angeles. And if they did, we would have heard about it. But there’s poetry in the visual.
Throughout the rest of the album, Selena gets personal, singing about falling deeply in love with her fiancée—to the point that she’s scared of watching it fall apart someday.
On “Scared of Loving You,” she sings:
“When I was young, I would love too fast
Hope I don’t repeat my past
‘Cause I’m not scared of lovin’ you
I’m just scared of losin’ you
I’m not scared of anyone or dying young
Or if you’re gonna find somebody new”
This is a very relatable feeling. But if the adorable press run these two just did is anything to go on, we have a feeling they’ll be alright.
When Selena was asked about making the album, she told iHeart that she’s most excited “to show this piece of work to our kids one day.” In the same interview, she added, “What I’ve gained the most is peace. I feel so good about who I am, where I am, and who I’m with. I feel like a grown-up.” Complex got a chance to talk to Benny about the album this spring, and he described it as a cathartic experience: “We didn’t even know if anyone was going to hear this album. We just made it for each other and then realized it was good as we were going. It was such a cathartic and therapeutic experience to make this.”
If you love this album as much as we do, you’ll want it on vinyl. And there’s actually a rare, limited edition blue clearwater vinyl that you can only get on Complex Shop. Quantities are limited, and the unique coloring captures the album’s ethereal qualities, making it a must-have for collectors. Order yours before they’re gone right here.
