Selena Gomez is seriously growing up.
This past year has been a real time of maturity and personal growth for the young former Disney star.
In her new interview with Elle magazine, the 23-year-old opens up about her career and love life — and Justin Bieber, of course!
She also looks absolutely stunning in a striped bodysuit on one of two covers!
Related: Does Demi Think Selena & Nick Jonas Should Get Back Together?!
The biggest change for Selenita has been breaking away on her own and taking the reins in business. She recently parted ways with her manager, who was also her mom, and left her old label to sign with Interscope:
“[It was] a little uncomfortable. That’s why I made all of these decisions within a year. I wanted to be my own person. I wanted to test myself. I wanted to see if I could really do it.”
Even bestie Taylor Swift weighed in on Selena’s evolution:
“[Selena] tak[ing] ownership of her life and her creative decisions in a new way has been a really beautiful thing to watch. It isn’t easy for her to put herself out there, knowing that a lot of the media will try and twist her lyrics into a headline about her ex-boyfriend. She doesn’t care anymore. Now she knows that good music rises above and outlasts the weekly cycle of ridiculous headlines. We talk about this all the time. What ultimately matters is helping someone you’ve never met go through a hard time because you articulated how they feel in your music.”
In the interview, the singer also spoke of her emotional performance of The Heart Wants What It Wants at the AMAs in 2014:
“Everybody was talking about the same thing: my relationship. I was so exhausted. I said, I want this [performance] to be the last time I have to talk about this. And acknowledge this feeling. I was kind of devastated. I was like, This is all I have right now. This is gonna be it. And all I want is to move on. It was a huge weight lifted off me. That’s why, from this point on, I know I can prove myself, you know. I haven’t scratched the surface yet.”
But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t still care about the Baby singer:
“I’ll forever support him and love him in a way that…. We grew up together. I think people want it to be different.
We’re too young for [more drama]. Nobody was married. There was no…. I respect him. And I think he respects me, in a healthy manner.”
She also acknowledges getting back into dating:
“Finding somebody is not my main focus. I’ve dated people. I’ve been on a few dates, which is really exciting. But I’ve never wanted to get into anything serious, because I kind of did that. I have my guard up. I like to meet people in organic settings. Hanging out with a group of people and meeting through mutual people.”
But she doesn’t completely discount another try with Justin. When asked if they would ever get back together, Selena said:
“I don’t know!”
Inneresting. Very inneresting!
We wish you the best, girl!
[Image via Elle Magazine.]