Does Anybody Take Selena's Music Career Seriously?

Does Selena Gomez have something she wants to get off her chest? It certainly seems like it. Earlier today, Gomez posted an excerpt from a review of Mary J. Blige's 2007 album Growing Pains to her Instagram (along with a couple dramatic new selfies). The review mentions the "unhappiness," "insecurity," and "angst" that run through Blige's critically acclaimed album, and then goes on to cite some particularly moving lyrics from the song "Work in Progress": "I got every material thing I could ever need/ I got the love from my fans who adore me/ And I'm grateful/ But my love for myself is lacking a little bit/ I have to admit that I'm working on me."

Okay, I have a lot of questions.

Could there be cause for concern here given that Gomez just finished a stay in rehab? Is Gomez reaching out for help, or is she just sharing some lyrics that she happens to relate to right now? Maybe she just really likes the song "Work in Progress." Who knows!

Of course, my mind instantly went to Gomez's new Justin Bieber-related music video that is reportedly being released soon. Is she trying to tell us that her next album will actually contain a few personal lyrics and some...genuine emotion? That would be a welcome change from the fun, but empty pop music we've heard from Gomez in the past. Which brings me to my next question: does anybody really take Gomez's music career seriously? I don't. Yeah, I bought her last album, Stars Dance, but it's really only good for running on the treadmill. It has no substance — there's nothing truly unique, interesting, or engaging to keep you coming back for more.

Of course, it doesn't help that Gomez isn't very involved with her music. There are 15 songs on Stars Dance and she only had a hand in writing two of them. Really, pretty much anyone could be singing her songs and the effect would be relatively the same. What exactly is Gomez bringing to the table? I'm not sure — maybe she's looking to change that.

Maybe Gomez's recent Instagram posts are her way of saying, "Hey, everyone! I'm ready to be taken seriously now!" If that's the case, good for her! It's the only way she's going to be able to grow and advance her career — manufactured dance-pop (and terrible action movies) can only take a person so far. It's already been reported that Gomez is looking for a new record label — perhaps she's looking for a fresh start, as well.

Which brings me to my next and final question: is the world even ready for serious musician Selena Gomez?? Brace yourselves: a musical revolution may be on the horizon.

Images: selenagomez/Instagram