Selena Gomez doesn’t want people to see her as 'just sad and hurt'

Selena Gomez recently gave a candid interview where she touched upon the labels she has been forced to carry over the course of her life. The singer says that she doesn't want people to see her as 'sad and hurt.'

During her interview with Rolling Stone, the Grammy award winning singer was quoted saying, "I wanted people to take away that this was a journey and that it was completely closed.

She also added, "I don’t want people to see me as just sad and hurt. I didn’t want that anymore. I wanted people to know that I experienced something real," she added, "and that part of me is over."

During the course of a five-year gap between Rare and Gomez’s past works, the singer had faced a number of health struggles, from lupus to anxiety, depression, panic disorder and even a kidney transplant.

Thus with the time gap in mind, Gomez chose to go the unconventional route when attempting to make music once more and simply "started to just play around."

"I didn’t say, 'I want to do an album' — it was more just me going in, experimenting and writing with the people I feel comfortable writing with. This was probably three years ago. I didn’t feel inspired by much, so I would just kind of drift in and out."

"I went away for a little bit,” Gomez admitted. “When I came back . . . I don’t know if something came over me. I heard a song called 'Rare,' and that was the moment I knew that my album was starting and that this was going to be the name of the album before I even recorded it."

The moment she got back into her groove, the inner songwriter within her found innate determination to create more music "lyrically about transformation and vulnerability and heartbreak."

"It felt like [the material] was really, really strong, and I was very happy about it. I think that becoming more involved than I ever have been [in the making of the album] helped me gain confidence and empowered me completely."

"[Being open] isn't an easy thing to ask of someone. I've had to go away a few times for stuff I didn't know [I was struggling with] and was confused by. And then this stigma came: What would people think? But when I thought about it, my first answer was, 'I don't care, this is my truth.' I'm not a stigma. I'm a person that walks their life."

Before concluding, Gomez added, "As far as my career, I'm professional and I work very hard. At the same time, I do deal with mental health [issues] and I wanted that to also be known. In the beginning, it seemed hopeless. Sometimes it was a challenge for me to even get out of bed. I was like, 'Why can't I be like you guys?' Over the years I've finally found my rhythm, but it took me time."