Selena Gomez fans think her 'Lose You to Love Me' lyrics are about Justin Bieber

23 October 2019, 13:22

By Sam Prance

'Lose You to Love Me' is the first song from Selena Gomez's highly-anticipated new album.

Selena Gomez is back with her new single 'Lose You to Love Me' and fans are convinced the lyrics are about Justin Bieber.

It's been four years since Selena Gomez released her last studio album Revival. In that time, she's blessed fans with one-off singles, like 'Bad Liar' and 'Fetish' and all-star collaborations, like 'Taki Taki' and 'I Can't Get Enough'. The 27-year-old even executive produced 13 Reasons Why and Living Undocumented for Netflix.

READ MORE: Julia Michaels defends Selena Gomez after trolls accuse her of not writing her songs

Selena also stepped back from the limelight to take care of her mental health, had a life-saving kidney transplant and restarted her eight-year on-and-off-again relationship with Justin Bieber in 2017. Selena and Justin officially ended things in March 2018 though and Justin married Hailey Baldwin mere months later.

Now Selena is telling her story from the past few years in the heartbreakingly candid 'Lose You to Love Me'.

Are Selena Gomez's 'Lose You to Love Me' lyrics about Justin Bieber?

Selena Gomez fans think her 'Lose You to Love Me' lyrics are about Justin Bieber
Selena Gomez fans think her 'Lose You to Love Me' lyrics are about Justin Bieber. Picture: Interscope Records, Kevork Djansezian/AMA2011/Getty Images for AMA

'Lose You to Love Me' is a moving ballad about self-love and leaving toxic relationships. Backed by a piano and understated production, Selena pours out her heart. She sings: "You promised the world and I fell for it / I put you first and you adored it / Set fires to my forest / And you let it burn". Selena hasn't directly said who or what the song is about but the lyrics have led fans to believe that it's inspired by Justin and Selena shaking off her own personal demons.

Seemingly in reference to Justin moving on with Hailey so quickly, Selena continues: "In two months, you replaced us / Like it was easy / Made me think I deserved it / In the thick of healing". In the chorus, Selena adds: "I needed to lose you to love me". The song ends with Selena declaring: "And now the chapter is closed and done / And now it's goodbye, it's goodbye for us".

Selena Gomez - Lose You To Love Me

Describing the song in a comment underneath the black and white 'Lose You to Love Me' music video, Selena wrote: "This song was inspired by many things that have happened in my life since releasing my last album. I want people to feel hope and to know you will come out the other side stronger and a better version of yourself."

As soon as Selena released the song, fans began tweeting memes and reactions suggesting that it's about Justin. One fan even pointed out that Selena has released the song exactly two years after she "reunited with Justin in 2017".

'Lose You to Love Me' is a powerful example of someone taking control of their own narrative. Much like, Ariana Grande's 'thank u, next', Halsey's 'Without Me' and Miley Cyrus' 'Slide Away' before it, 'Lose You to Love Me' is an unflinchingly honest response to a break-up.

Selena wrote 'Lose You to Love Me' with popstar Julia Michaels, hit songwriter Justin Tranter and Billie Eilish's producer (and brother) Finneas. We can't wait to see what she does next and what else she has in store for us on SG2.

Selena Gomez - 'Lose You to Love Me' lyrics

VERSE 1
You promised the world and I fell for it
I put you first and you adored it
Set fires to my forest
And you let it burn
Sang off-key in my chorus
'Cause it wasn't yours
I saw the signs and I ignored it
Rose-colored glasses all distorted
Set fire to my purpose
And I let it burn
You got off on the hurtin'
When it wasn’t yours, yeah

PRE-CHORUS
We'd always go into it blindly
I needed to lose you to find me
This dancing was killing me softly
I needed to hate you to love me, yeah

CHORUS
To love love, yeah
To love love, yeah
To love, yeah
I needed to lose you to love me, yeah
To love love, yeah
To love love, yeah
To love, yeah
I needed to lose you to love me

VERSE 2
I gave my all and they all know it
You turned me down and now it's showing
In two months, you replaced us
Like it was easy
Made me think I deserved it
In the thick of healing, yeah

PRE-CHORUS
We'd always go into it blindly
I needed to lose you to find me
This dancing was killing me softly
I needed to hate you to love me, yeah

CHORUS
To love love, yeah
To love love, yeah
To love, yeah
I needed to lose you to love me, yeah
To love love, yeah
To love love, yeah
To love, yeah
I needed to lose you to love me

VERSE 1
You promised the world and I fell for it
I put you first and you adored it
Set fires to my forest
And you let it burn
Sang off-key in my chorus

CHORUS
To love love, yeah
To love love, yeah
To love, yeah
I needed to hate you to love me, yeah
To love love, yeah
To love love, yeah
To love, yeah
I needed to lose you to love me
To love love, yeah
To love love, yeah
To love, yeah

POST-CHORUS
And now the chapter is closed and done
To love love, yeah
To love love, yeah
To love, yeah
And now it's goodbye, it's goodbye for us