Selena Gomez still queen of social media, shares takeaway from career break
Being a superstar can be vexing for Selena Gomez, who had been busy with her "Revival World Tour," fashion shoots, music recording, and keeping "Selenators" updated on Instagram. These seem to have pushed the songstress to go on a three-month break, away from her mobile phone to take care of herself.
Selena said in a Thrive Global interview that she felt burned out three months ago she had to pause everything she was doing. The pop star even had to cancel her August tour after going through depression and anxiety attacks after her Lupus diagnosis.
“I want to be proactive and focus on maintaining my health and happiness and have decided that the best way forward is to take some time off. Thank you to all my fans for your support," she said. "You know how special you are to me, but I need to face this head on to ensure I am doing everything possible to be my best," she added.
During the 90-day hiatus, the singer-songwriter received professsional help so she could focus on her wellbeing and keep herself away from her mobile phone. Selena is known for being active on the photo-sharing site Instagram, where she has 103 million followers.
The "Hands to Myself" singer said that being away from her phone was a rejuvenating feeling. Now, she rarely picks up her phone and allows only a few relevant people have access to her. She is more focused on staying healthy and learning new things.
Selena Gomez returned to the spotlight last month when she was dubbed Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist at the American Music Awards (AMAs). The 24-year-old explained that her hiatus was a way of revealing too much about her life. She had to mend herself back because she felt broken despite having everything in life.
“If you are broken, you do not have to stay broken … whether you respect me or not, one thing you should know about is I care about people," Selena told fans at the AMAs.
Despite a three-month absence from social media, Gomez reigns as the most followed music celebrity on Instagram, reported Fortune. Selena has 103 million followers, 50 million of which are new fans. Forbes' highest paid celebrity, Taylor Swift, comes second with 93 million, and Ariana, third, with 89 million followers. Queen Bey is in fourth place with 88 million followers, followed by Nicki Minaj with 69 million.
The singer-songwriter is also the most featured on Instagram, especially by her dedicated fanbase, the "Selenators." Mere mention of Selena is enough for a post to go around fast. In fact, it was enough to collect 3.2 million likes for Taylor Swift’s birthday greeting to the singer, compared to the 1 million that Lady Gaga had during the AMAs.
