Star image development

Birth name: Selena Marie Gomez

Born: 22 July, 1992 – Texas.

Genre: Pop, dance, electro-pop, dub-step, pop-rock.

Occupations: actress, singer, fashion designer.

Years active: 2002- present

Labels: Hollywood

Born on July 22, 1992, in Grand Prairie, Texas, Selena Gomez got her start in show business with a two-year run on the kids' show Barney and Friends. After a few bit parts in movies, Gomez guest-starred on Disney Channel's The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and Hannah Montana. In 2007, she was cast in the lead on Wizards of Waverly Place and in 2009 released a music album

The early image created by Selena Gomez in one of her first singles ‘Tell me something I don’t know’ met the social values and representation of a women, as being a cleaner, looking after a house and also the stereotypical job of Latino females, as being refugees and having to work illegally doing low paid labour jobs. She is represented to be cute and innocent even through her clothing as she wears a maids outfit with trainers, making her look very cute. We can see that she is inferior as the woman in the video as she shouts at her, showing her vulnerability. However, in this video Selene does also meet the social identity of being a teenage rebel – this was done by not doing the work properly and messing around, singing and dancing whilst cleaning. She is shown in high key lighting, to show her joyous persona.

Moreover, the editing in this video is quite fast to show her young and fast pace lifestyle and her laying on the floor at the woman’s feet shows she’s lower status than her and that she hasn’t got much power, because she is not yet an adult, however a child that needs looking after.

We can see a development of this ‘innocent’ look in her next single ‘Round and round’. Here Selena is wearing high-heels, unlike the trainers, which shows that she’s growing up, she’s also wearing a dress, yet not too revealing to show transformation is not complete and she wears black tights, which also shows her body is not on full display yet. There are now more close ups, especially of her lips to shows her to be quite seductive. Unlike the many mid shots and long shots that we see in ‘tell me something I don’t know’.

Further transformation is shown by dark eye make-up and lip gloss, again not fully transformed but on her way. She is shown in tilt-ups which represent her up-growing and getting older as well as gaining power and status.

The full transformation of Selena is shown in her video to the song ‘Come and get it’ where she is more of a strong, independent individual, much more powerful and superior to others. This is shown through camera work as the camera lingers on her body for longer, for example: when she’s laying in the grass and the camera is at a high angle, making her vulnerable yet strong. The editing is much slower and slow motion is used – this allows to show her sexuality to be revealed and show off her ‘assets’ and body. The camera focuses of her body and certain body parts more than in ‘Tell me something I don’t know’, this can be seen when she’s dancing, showing off more body shows she’s grown up and that the transformation is complete.

Furthermore, there is a use of darker and heavier make up, showing the transition from the cute innocent girl to a grown female – she has dark eye make-up and strong red lips. She is wearing high heels and revealing clothing, showing she’s older and no longer a little girl, having to cover up.