Selena Gomez x selenator
Follow Selena Gomez: Twitter | Instagram
Follow selenator: Instagram | Twitter
/ PRE-ORDER ‘RARE’ / OUT JAN. 10 /
‘Fan Account of the Month’ (#FAOTM) is a fan-appreciation series on UMUSIC!
At UMUSIC, we acknowledge and value the efforts of fans from around the world. The passion, dedication, and love fans have for their favourite artists is something the team at UMUSIC has admired for a long while. For this reason, UMUSIC has decided to feature a fan account every month. This will give our UMUSIC community the opportunity to learn about different fandoms, their hardworking members, and more about the artists!
Fan account: A social media account created by a fan dedicated to a particular piece of pop culture. This series will focus on fan accounts dedicated to artists.
Update account: A fan-run social media source for fan accounts. An update account serves as the main source of updates on a specific artist. An update account will gather all media, promotional items, and information on an artist and share the information with other fans. Think of update accounts as a constantly updated Wikipedia for fans. This series will also focus on update accounts, which are simply larger fan accounts.
Read our May Fan Account of the Month here!
Read our June Fan Account of the Month here!
Read our July Fan Account of the Month here!
Read our September Fan Account of the Month here!
Read our October Fan Account of the Month here!
Read our November Fan Account of the Month here!
Read our December Fan Account of the Month here!
January’s fan account of the month features a Selena Gomez fan account: selenator! The account is run by Lexus, a fan who prides herself on being born and raised in the same state as Selena: Texas. Lexus has been a fan of Selena since her days on Wizards of Waverly Place and has remained loyal ever since. Running selenator (Lexus’ main account) and co-owning sexlikeselena (a group-run account) is how Lexus is able to show her love, appreciation, and admiration for the ‘Lose You To Love Me‘ artist.
The team at UMUSIC asked Lexus questions pertaining to Selena, her comeback album: Rare, and fan culture. Below are a collection of her answers:
Why are you a fan of Selena?
I could literally ramble on about why I adore Selena for hours on end. Let me just start off by saying how genuine and kind-hearted she is. She has such a pure soul. She is always putting others ahead of herself. No matter what it is, she is always looking out for & taking care of the people around her. She participates in a ton of charity work, ranging from her work with ‘A21’, a non-profit organization that helps fight, prevent & educate individuals on human trafficking, to ‘Alliance for Children’s Rights’, another non-profit organization that works to protect the rights of youth that have been in poverty and/or abused to ensure they have safe, stable homes, healthcare and education.
Her most recent project was her trip to Kenya for WeMovement, an organization that she has supported proudly for several years now- As an ambassador for the mega brand, Puma, Selena & the brand are kickstarting an amazing cause for funding the building of several schools Kenya, Africa, for young girls to attend & receive an education.
Aside from all of the many charities Miss Gomez has supported, she does SO MUCH for her fans. She always makes time to stop, meet fans & take photos with them. During the Stars Dance Tour and Revival Tour, Selena would go outside after each show and take a few hours just to talk to fans, all for FREE.
Even some fans that attended Revival Tour who only had nosebleed seats were chosen by people from Selena’s team to meet her backstage after the show for FREE as well! She’s also been a huge advocate for women’s rights, speaking up against gun violence, & shining a light on America’s immigration crisis by helping produce ‘Living Undocumented‘, a Netflix series which follows the lives of a handful of immigrant families who have been greatly impacted by ICE & hold constant fear of deportation & separation from their loved ones. These are such important topics that need to be discussed in this day and age.
I am glad that she is constantly using her platform for positivity & good. I just have so much love for her because after all she’s been through, especially all of the constant scrutiny under the public eye, she’s remained completely and authentically herself. 100%. She’s so grounded, & she’s one of the most humble celebrities in the industry. Selena is constantly striving everyday to make the world a better place, one step at a time. She’s setting such a great example for young women and men to look up to- And for that, I am truly grateful. (I could go on and on, but that would take hours to put all my love and thoughts into words.)
Can you describe your journey supporting Selena from her Disney days and into her artist days?
I became a fan of Selena’s in 2008. I have loved her since ‘Wizards of Waverly Place‘, and to this day, I remember seeing the music video for ‘Naturally‘ being played on Disney Channel, and I instantly fell in love with her. I can recall being in Walmart, seeing the deluxe version of Selena’s album ‘A Year Without Rain’ sitting on a shelf near the register, and me just begging my mom to buy it for me. She instantly became someone I admired from the get go.
I remember I made my very first Selena Instagram fan account back in 2012, when there were around maybe 10 fan accounts at the most, and at the time, Selena did not have an account anymore, as her account was hacked and she decided not to immediately make another one. I remember the day she came back, though, and it was everything. The way we were able to truly connect with her & her share more of her life and thoughts with us was so meaningful to us as fans. I’ve been by her side for over 11 years now.
In 2016, I was blessed enough to be able to finally see the woman that has helped me through my darkest of times, the woman I had poured my heart and soul into supporting, IN CONCERT- FRONT ROW! It was the absolute best day of my life -I was bawling the entire time. I am hoping that if Selena decides to tour again, I’ll be able to finally meet her.
How would you describe Selena stans and the wonderful community you’ve all built?
I would say we are extremely passionate about Selena, and very protective of her. We are so dedicated to her and really do want the best for her at all times. We smile when she smiles, we hurt when she hurts. We stand with her through the good times and the bad. We’re always working together to make sure Selena knows how much we love her. It’s just an unbreakable bond we have with her. It’s unlike anything else.
Has Selena ever interacted with your account?
I’ve actually had a few encounters with Selena on Instagram and I am beyond grateful. It never feels real to me, honestly. Back in December 2013, Selena was taking a flight home & decided to go on a “fan-noticing spree” & just started liking fans’ photos and commenting to them. I remember trying to get her attention all day and having no luck. I was so discouraged, but I did not want to give up – I’m glad I didn’t, because eventually, she commented on one of my photos saying ‘Love you baby’.
I also have the amazing privilege of co-owning an account with my best friends where Selena actually follows us! (@sexlikeselena) Selena only follows 6 fan accounts now, & words cannot describe how grateful I am to be apart of the account and have that connection with her & so many other Selenators. She has commented on our posts, liked our posts, reposted us on her story before, viewed our stories, & even replied to our dm before. Blessed is an understatement.
Has your account participated in or started any fan projects?
Yes! For Revival Tour, me and a small group of people started this project to hold up signs as Selena sang ‘Who Says‘. I printed around 500 copies of a sign that said ‘You Saved Me’ & even hand-wrote about another 200 signs with the same message on them. As I waited outside the arena for several hours, we handed out the signs to other fans & some people even offered to take a handful so they could help spread the word and pass them out as well.
I was so happy to see that when Selena sang ‘Who Says’, the arena was full of people holding up our signs, and she had the biggest smile on her face. She deserves nothing but happiness and love, so I was so thrilled to be able to unite with so many other amazing people to make the dream a reality.
Are there any fan theories / hopes / expectations for ‘Rare’? Is there a song you’re really looking forward to hearing?
The album is to be centered around self love and personal growth. I would say that I am beyond proud of how far she’s come as an artist and as a human being. Selena has stated that her upcoming album, ‘Rare‘ will be “a million times better than Revival“, her previous album, which currently has over 2.1 BILLION streams on Spotify.
PRE-ORDER ‘RARE’ HERE.
‘Revival‘ is a masterpiece, and we as fans are so curious to see how different ‘Rare‘ will be. I am personally excited to hear the song ‘Kinda Crazy‘, because back in 2016, when Instagram first launched the 60 second video feature, Selena decided to post a snippet of herself in the studio jamming to a song that sounded absolutely heavenly – and it is rumored to be the song ‘Kinda Crazy’. So I would definitely say that one for sure, since I’ve wanted it for so long now.
Do you have a favourite Selena moment?
During the Stars Dance Tour, she jumped over a fence in heels and a dress just to meet her fans. She also held the Revival Event back in 2015 before her album release where she invited a group of fans to come and meet her for free, be in her music video for ‘Same Old Love’ and give fans that attended a sneak peak at some of the songs on the album.
She actually just held secret sessions in London, UK, & invited a handful of fans to hang out with her, take photos, talk and listen to her new music. Selena just always makes sure her fans are her priority at all times.
Just recently, on the same day Selena announced her album release date, she put up exclusive merchandise on her website, including albums that would be hand signed by Selena herself, and instead of posting about it, her team sent out emails to everyone on her mailing list to try to ensure that the merch went to fans FIRST instead of people only looking to resell her items for a higher profit. She really does so much for us.
Do you have a favourite Selena friendship?
I personally love her friendship with Taylor Swift, because they have been by each others’ side for over 13 years now. They always have each others’ back, and you can definitely always feel the amount of love they have for each other. Every time Selena or Taylor talk about one another, it’s always so passionate, encouraging and up lifting. You can see their entire face light up as soon as you mention the other. The sisterhood these two have built is unbreakable.
What makes Selena different from other artists in the world right now?
She is constantly searching for new ways to better the world and make a change. She always uses her platform for good. She truly loves what she does, and it’s not about the fame, the money, the charts, the awards, or anything else of that nature in her eyes. She does it because it’s her passion & she always gives everything she does her ALL. We see how hard she works, how hard she loves others, & how she is constantly inspiring people like myself to be better versions of us each day- Spreading kindness and encouragement, being vulnerable (because as Selena once said, ‘Being vulnerable is a strength, not a weakness’), and being an example to those around us. She is such a blessing.
If you could say one thing to Selena, what would you say?
I would say that I love her more than she will ever know. I’d tell her how special she is. That I hope she’s truly happy, because she deserves it more than anything. I would thank her for everything she’s done for me- I truly believe through all the dark times I’ve faced in my life, she has kept me happy and grounded, and I probably wouldn’t even be here today if it weren’t for her. And I would tell her that I just want a hug, more than anything, from her.
Are there any other Selena accounts you recommend?
I have so many! I’ve met such a wonderful community of Selenators on Instagram. These are some of my best friends, who also happen to be my favorites:
selesbian / selenadarling / selenander / gomezsavior / onlyforgomez / selfetishs / selvivor / s.elenuh / soaringomez / itrueselenator / selenaoutsold
I have so many more and I am so thankful to know so many beautiful, dedicated people to support Selena alongside!
The UMUSIC team would like to thank Lexus and all of the Selena Gomez fans for the hard work they put into their accounts. Your dedication, aesthetically pleasing posts, and community do not go unnoticed.
Keep checking our social media for the fan account of February!
If you know of a fan account that deserves to be nominated for this series, don’t hesitate to tweet us: @umusic #FAOTM