Selena Gomez Borrows From Elements of Lit, Lana Del Rey and Beyoncé for “Sunset Blvd” Lyrics and Visuals

As Selena Gomez continues to roll out singles for her forthcoming “joint” album with Benny Blanco, I Said I Love You First, she’s clearly getting more “into it” with the “Sunset Blvd” video than she did for “Call Me When You Break Up.” While the latter had, let’s say, a more “analogue” (read: lazy) visual approach, “Sunset Blvd” at least bears something resembling a narrative. Or rather, a narrative delivered in the style of Lana Del Rey’s “vintage”-inspired, “found footage”-esque shtick that was most pronounced in the years from 2011 to 2015 (though it’s been known to crop up again when one least expects it, as was the case for “Venice Bitch,” released in 2018). 

With that in mind, “Sunset Blvd,” directed by Petra Collins, appears to open on 1986-era Hollywood, with a billboard for the Daryl Hannah-starring The Clan of Cave Bear featured amid the landscape. And yes, the “VHS aesthetic” that endures for the entirety of the video is in keeping with that era, continuing with Gomez dressed, hairstyled and makeup’d in the spirit of “Old Hollywood.” Sitting inside an apartment with the blinking glare of a neon sign that happens to be a woman’s leg doing a “high kick,” the Del Rey imprint also shines through from a lyrical standpoint (albeit if Del Rey was funneled through generative AI) in the opening verse, “You’re my cherry pie/I don’t care who knows it/Love me till I die/Bury me with roses.”

But, in the final line of that verse, Gomez veers toward noticeable Beyoncé territory when she “suggestively” (a.k.a. heavy-handedly) sings, “I know you’re awfully shy/But I can’t wait to hold it, to hold that/Big, big, hard heart!” Granted, Bey was much more over the top when she sang, “It’s too big (big)/It’s too wide (wide)/It’s too strong (strong)/It won’t fit (fit)/It’s too much (much)/It’s too tough (tough)/He talk like this ‘cause he can back it up/He got a big ego/Such a huge ego/I love his big ego” on 2009’s “Ego.”

As for Gomez’s innuendo about her own object of affection, one imagines Blanco must be packing pretty well down there to “finagle” a girl like Gomez. Even though it’s no secret that many people aren’t of the belief that she’s a great beauty either. In any case, none other than Blanco soon makes his way onto the scene as he appears in Gomez’s apartment like some sort of creature of the night. One that Gomez certainly isn’t afraid of. And why would she be when she’s the literal “maneater” in this scenario? Which is where the blatant nod to Lit’s “Miserable” video comes in. And while some might think that’s far too “esoteric” a reference, there’s no denying the similarities. Though, to be fair, the concept for “Miserable” was taken from Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, with Pamela Anderson famously in the “giantess” role in lieu of Allison Hayes. Besides, it’s no more “esoteric” a reference than also directly recreating a specific scene from Francis Ford Coppola’s One From the Heart.

And as the 80s-ified rhythm-meets-“Summertime Sadness” vibe continues, Gomez appears in her “large” form next to a mini Blanco, which isn’t a visual that needs to be emphasized considering she usually looks taller than him anyway on the red carpet. Nor does the idea that Gomez is helping to make Blanco famous (or at least more well-known than when he wasn’t mainly known for being the guy who filled her bathtub with queso—though that’s probably preferable to being known as Dr. Luke’s mentee). A notion that more than slightly flickers in when Gomez sings, “Holding you, naked/Middle of Sunset Boulevard/Making you famous, everyone’s watching.” And yes, everyone is watching this particular couple, which, like Bennifer before them, is putting themselves at further risk for “failure” (read: breaking up) by 1) working together and 2) working on a project that’s all about the majesty of their love. Such displays often resulting in the dreaded “egg on your face” phenomenon (an expression that still holds for celebrities, as they can afford the price of eggs). 

Something that Gomez appears to be conjuring big time when she says the kind of shit that even Beyoncé wouldn’t have dared to on “Ego.” For example, “But you fill up what’s broken/Woman of few words/But for you, I keep my mouth wide open” and “I just wanna touch it, touch it/Try your hardest not to bust it.” Of course, lest anyone forget, Gomez is referring to Blanco’s heart. Even if she seems, in this video, to be fine with eating him alive. Or “just eating him up” (as Claire Anne [Jane Summerhays], a minor character in one episode of Sex and the City, would say). Which is exactly what Gomez builds toward by the end, having already tired of giving him loving and longing looks and, at last, moving on to devouring him (and his big, big, hard heart). 

If Blanco was wiser, he might realize that the level of foreshadowing in this is too great to be ignored. Then again, maybe he’s just going by what Del Rey said in the song he co-produced for her in 2017, called, what else, “Love.” And that is: “It don’t matter because it’s enough/To be young and in love.” Though, somewhere down the line, that might not be enough for either of them. But even if that’s the case, they’ll always have “Sunset Blvd,” won’t they? Just like Joe Gillis and Norma Desmond.