# Selena Gomez won't be frozen in 2016

> The singer says fans obsess over her old looks instead of accepting how she's evolved.
- Title: Selena Gomez won't be frozen in 2016 · Billboard | Shortify
- Summary: The singer says fans obsess over her old looks instead of accepting how she's evolved. Public figures face pressure to remain static while they naturally…
- Keywords: selena gomez, beauty standards, aging in public, fan culture, nostalgia, personal evolution, instagram, rare beauty, benny blanco, 2016 era, Selena, Gomez
- Source: Billboard — https://billboard.com/music/music-news/selena-gomez-thinks-fans-want-her-to-look-like-she-did-2016-1236341511
- Author: Hannah Dailey
- Published: 2026-09-16T16:29:10+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: selena gomez, beauty standards, aging in public, fan culture, nostalgia, personal evolution, instagram, rare beauty, benny blanco, 2016 era
## Fans want to freeze her in time
Selena Gomez says people get intense about 2016 throwbacks and want her to look exactly like she did a decade ago. She's not going back.

> People want to freeze me in time to that period of my life.
## The iconic smoky eye era
In 2016, Gomez frequently wore a smoky eye look that fans still circulate online. She now calls that period hectic and says she was just trying to be cool.

> I was trying to be cool!
## 2016 was her peak year
Her album Revival topped the Billboard 200 with hits like Hands to Myself and Same Old Love. At 23, she was Instagram's most followed person.
## Life looks different now
Gomez runs Rare Beauty, a thriving cosmetics business, and is married to producer Benny Blanco. They're approaching their one-year wedding anniversary.
## She's found her partner
Gomez says Benny Blanco genuinely listens and meets her where she is. She describes him as joyful, fun, and spontaneous.

> I need him, and I love him. He is a very joyful human.
## Key takeaway

Public figures face pressure to remain static while they naturally change and grow.