We all know it to be true that Selena Gomez absolutely killed it in 2015, largely thanks to the release of her hit album Revival. Her two first singles off the album, "Good For You" and "Same Old Love," dominated the music charts, and, be honest, you still haven't gotten them out of your head. In fact, you're humming "Same Old Love" to yourself right now. But, no matter how many times you've listened to the instant Gomez classic, I bet there's something you've never noticed before: "Same Old Love" is totally a sequel to "Love You Like A Love Song." Yeah, I'll let that sink in for a second.
Fans of Gomez will remember "Love You Like A Love Song" as a single she released in 2011 off her album When the Sun Goes Down — way back when she was still releasing music with a band as Selena Gomez & the Scene. Now, if you're thinking that Gomez has never been known to write her own songs and probably did not write either "Same Old Love" or "Love You Like A Love Song," you're correct. "Same Old Love" was written by Charli XCX, Stargate, Benny Blanco & Ross Golan, while "Love You Like A Love Song" was written by Rock Mafia's Antonina Armato and Tim James. Putting aside the reality that "Same Old Love" is not really intended to be a sequel to "Love You Like A Love Song," let's look at the evidence that it actually totally is.
"It's been said and done / Every beautiful thought's been already sung." These opening lyrics to "Love You Like A Love Song" connote repetition — Gomez's declaration of love via song is just adding to the extensive catalog of love songs already out in the world, but she doesn't care. In fact, as stated in the chorus she won't stop "hitting re-peat-peat-peat-peat-peat-peat." Gomez is clearly obsessed with this love, listening to it over and over again.
Now, consider the lyrics to "Same Old Love," where Gomez sings, "Take away your things and go / You can't take back what you said, I know / I've heard it all before at least a million times / I'm not one to forget, you know." She's "heard it all before"...as if she's been hearing it on "re-peat-peat-peat-peat-peat-peat." But, wait, there's more!
"Constantly, boy you played through my mind like a symphony," Gomez croons in "Love You Like A Love Song." Cut to four years later, the pop star is singing a very different tune in "Same Old Love": "I'm so sick of that same old love / The kind that breaks your heart / Ooooh / That same old love / Ooooh / That same old love." The Selena Gomez of 2015 has no patience for the "same old love" song she played on "re-peat-peat-peat-peat-peat-peat" in 2011. MIND. BLOWN.
If "Same Old Love" really is a sequel to "Love You Like A Love Song" then the songs could be related to Gomez's long relationship with fellow pop star Justin Bieber. Gomez and Bieber, or 'Jelena' as they're sometimes called, were first spotted out and about in 2010 and made their public debut as a coupe in February of 2011 — months before the release of "Love You Like A Love Song," which hit the airwaves back when Jelena seemed completely in love. By the time "Same Old Love" was released, Jelena was over, and many reports suggested it was Bieber's bad behavior that was to blame for the split. Maybe Gomez really did get sick of that same old love.
To be clear, while rumors persist that "Same Old Love" is about Bieber, Gomez has never confirmed any such inspiration. Instead, the singer has spoken about "Same Old Love" as being about many different types of love, telling Radio Disney, "I think 'Same Old Love' represents a different kind of identity with love."
Regardless of whether or not "Same Old Love" is about Bieber, I still maintain that the evidence shows that the song is a sequel to "Love You Like A Love Song." It just feels right.
Images: Giphy
