Listen. I'm gonna be straight with you here. I wish I wasn't the kind of person who listened to Selena Gomez's new album Revival and found myself wondering, "Is the song 'Camouflage' about Justin Bieber?", but I am, and I did. And I'm sorry, OK? It's just the way I'm built! I wish I could be a normal adult who didn't still follow both Gomez and Bieber on Instagram for any sign of the other, but their relationship just is, and was, so confusing to me from the outside that I can't help myself. Because, at the end of the day, aside from getting a time machine and becoming a literal fly on the wall in their coupledom, there's no way for me to get information about it.
Aside from mining through the details of Gomez's songs for some insight on what she found attractive about Bieber, that is. And so here we find ourselves. So is'Camouflage' about Justin Bieber? Short answer: yes. At least, I think so anyway. Gomez hasn't confirmed it herself, but, for one thing, the album hasn't been out for that long, and, for another, she might think it's so obvious that she doesn't need to comment on it. Because there are a lot of little hints here that it's about Bieber.
Take a look at some of these lyrics.
"Dead-end streets and boulevards / You threw in the towel, I broke your heart / But there's a first time for everything"
Her relationship with Bieber was Gomez's longest public relationship, so they probably went through a lot of first times together. And, considering the on-off nature of the relationship, the phrase "dead-end streets and boulevards" is apt.
"Who would've thought you'd feel so cold / And all these memories seem so old / To think you were my everything"
It was someone who was really important to her, and the memories go back a ways. Makes it hard for it to be about anyone but Bieber, whom Gomez began dating publicly in 2011, with rumors of their relationship going back as far as 2010. With all their on-again-off-again stuff since, there just wouldn't have been time for Gomez to fit in another serious relationship during that period.
"Remember when we'd talk all night / But time ain't easy on us, how can love die?"
Whoever it is, they're certainly not together now, which fits with our Jelena theme.
"You were mine just yesterday / Now I have no idea who you are"
This line in particular really reminds me of the spoken portion before "The Heart Wants What It Wants", when Gomez is like "I know him, though, and I know his heart, and I know what he wouldn't do to hurt me." Maybe this song is her finally coming to terms with the fact that she really doesn't.
"But it's good to see you here again / I don't wanna say goodbye"
Like I said, these two are the epitome of on-again-off-again, so this fits.
"Riding alone on the 405 / And life's so fragile, it's like I could cry"
They both lived in California, which Interstate 405 runs through.
"But I'll never tell you just how I felt / You might just not care and it might just not help / What if the feelings just don't make no sense to you?"
Again, very reminiscent of "The Heart Wants What It Wants", which Gomez admitted is about Bieber, so it's not hard to make the connection that he's the inspiration behind "Camouflage" as well. Don't believe me? Take a listen for yourself.
Yeah, I think I'm ready to call it — "Camouflage" is about Justin Bieber. But it's also about Selena Gomez getting over Justin Bieber and finally starting to understand some of the unhealthy stuff that went on in their relationship. As far as I'm concerned, that can only be a good thing. Keep up the good work, lady, and write as many songs as you want about your ex-boyfriend, if that's what helps. It certainly satisfies my unhealthy curiosity.
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