Selena Gomez Offers A Glimpse Into Her Bittersweet 2020
For singer and businesswoman Selena Gomez, 2020 proved to be one of her most successful years yet. Gomez started off the year strong with the release of her latest album Rare, which became her third No. 1 album on the Billboard chart (via Billboard). She went on to launch her Rare Beauty Line and make her HBO Max debut with a cooking show titled Selena + Chef.
Gomez, who has been open about her own mental health struggles, launched the Rare Impact Fund in July, with the goal to fundraise more than $100 million to help connect people who struggle with mental with the right resources. The star also got involved in politics for the first time and served as the co-chair of Michelle Obama's When We All Vote initiative (via Elle). But despite her business successes and philanthropic work, Gomez has described 2020 as "bittersweet" due to the current state of the world.
Selena Gomez is grateful for the opportunity to bring fans joy during a difficult time
Due to the coronavirus pandemic and the ensuing economic crisis, this year was a devastating one for the millions of Americans who lost loved ones to the virus and suffered financial losses. "There's this bittersweet feeling, of course," Gomez told Billboard when speaking about her album's success. "I would much rather the world be in a better place." However, she's grateful that she has the platform and opportunity to bring people some much-needed happiness. "[It] was so beautiful to see that my music could hopefully bring some people some sort of joy in the midst of it," Gomez told the outlet.
Despite her impressive resumé, it's hardly been smooth sailing for the 28-year-old. In 2015, Gomez shared that she'd been diagnosed with lupus, an autoimmune illness that required her to undergo chemotherapy and a kidney transplant. Three years after her lupus diagnosis, she was hospitalized for anxiety and depression (via Today).
It's safe to say Gomez knows that sometimes the seemingly little things in life — like a new album from a favorite artist — can make each day just a little better when you're going through a rough patch. We're glad to see that her career is thriving and that she's using her massive platform to help others coping with mental illness.