"Who Says" | ||||||||||||||
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Single by Selena Gomez & the Scene | ||||||||||||||
from the album When the Sun Goes Down | ||||||||||||||
B-side | "Ghost of You" | |||||||||||||
Released | 14 March 2011 | |||||||||||||
Format | ||||||||||||||
Recorded | 2010 | |||||||||||||
Genre | Pop | |||||||||||||
Length | 3:15 | |||||||||||||
Label | Hollywood | |||||||||||||
Writer(s) | ||||||||||||||
Producer(s) | Emanuel Kiriakou | |||||||||||||
Selena Gomez & the Scene singles chronology | ||||||||||||||
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"Who Says" is a song performed by American band Selena Gomez & the Scene. Priscilla Renea wrote the song with Emanuel Kiriakou, who produced the track. The song was released in March 2011, as the lead single from the band's third album, When the Sun Goes Down (2011). According to Gomez, the song was intended to inspire people, and fire back at the "haters", particularly those involved in cyberbullying. "Who Says" marks a distinct departure in sound for the band, as it has an acoustic and organic feel, compared to their dance-pop and club-oriented previous singles.
"Who Says" received generally positive reviews from critics, who appreciated its message and the change of pace for the band. The song charted in the top thirty in the United States, Canada and New Zealand, and it became their highest charting single on these charts at the time. It also reached the lower regions of European charts. "Who Says" was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. It also became the act's third No. 1 Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs. The song's accompanying music video features Gomez frolicking around a city, removing makeup, and performing with the band on a beach. Gomez performed the song on a variety occasions including at the 2011 MuchMusic Video Awards, on Dancing with the Stars, and So Random!.
In 2009, the band released their debut album Kiss & Tell and quickly followed-up with 2010's A Year Without Rain. After the release of the latter, Gomez said that she was not in a rush to release another album, but after hearing "Who Says", she decided to begin another release, calling the song "amazing" and crediting it for inspiring her. Gomez would later call the song "fun and empowering", commenting, "Every time I sing this song, I'm like, 'I feel better already!'" When talking about the song's message, Gomez commented that she thought of it as "sweet", going on to say, "with bullying, with cyberbullying, with all the negativity that is in high school and dealing with things, you're already trying to figure out who you are; it doesn't help when people are constantly trying to tear you down." She then said that she was "dealing with it, of course" and was "going through it as well." After debuting the single on On Air with Ryan Seacrest, Gomez mentioned the criticism received on Twitter and Facebook due to being a celebrity.