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Every Song From Selena Gomez & Benny Blanco’s ‘I Said I Love You First,’ Ranked

Selena Gomez & Benny Blanco's 'I Said I Love You First' has arrived. See how we ranked every song in our preliminary review.

The album kicks off with a spoken-word shot of unadulterated emotion: in a speech to loved ones (which was apparently delivered at the Wizards of Waverly Place wrap party), Gomez thanks the unseen several around her for helping her grow up, and hopes that her future endeavors won’t let them down. While Gomez tries to gently let down a friend of her romantic partner’s who feels their relationship shifting (and might have secretly had an eye on him), Blanco co-produces a steadily growing amalgamation of sounds, built around an unfussy chord progression but expanding to include choral harmonies, quickening keyboards and string flourishes. The decision to follow “Sunset Blvd” with “Cowboy” on the track list was intentional: one song after dropping double entendres and tongue-in-cheek public nudity ideas, Gomez turns serious and sexually charged, commanding “Put your hands on me” with a lilting voice as the beat bubbles up beneath her.

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