"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!.
Background and inspiration
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.
The single follows in succession of other self-empowerment singles such as "We R Who We R" by Kesha, "Firework" by Katy Perry, "Fuckin' Perfect" by Pink, and "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga. Gomez herself stated "I am so happy [about recent empowerment songs], 'cause music is a universal language, and it's a quick way to get to everybody. The fact that all these artists are doing that, it's really good. I'm really happy." The song was released on iTunes in the United States and Canada on March 14, 2011. It was released as a CD single in Germany on March 15, 2011, with the B-side of "Ghost of You" from A Year Without Rain.
Composition
The song is a departure in her previous singles such as "Round & Round" and "Naturally", whereas the previous were dance-pop and club-oriented, "Who Says" has an "organic" and "acoustic" feel. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Alfred Publishing, "Who Says" is set in common time in a moderate tempo of 101 beats per minute. It is composed in the key of E major as Gomez's vocal range spans from the low-note of G#3 to the high-note of E5. The song contains string accents described as "sympathetic, but not overpowering". Described as a "jangly pop tune", having an "overarching feel-good vibe", lyrically, the song speaks of "embracing who you are and not letting your critics get you down". Gomez sings of insecurities, and people telling her she is not good enough, before asserting "I'm sure you got some things/ You'd like to change about yourself/ But when it comes to me/ I wouldn't want to be anybody else."
According to Brian Voerding of AOL Radio Blog, "Gomez sings about staying true to herself, particularly in the face of doubt that comes from others telling her she can't live up to her dreams". In the song she refers to her criticisms as "the price of beauty". Bill Lamb of About.com said the song's positive message is "all about recognizing yourself as a beautiful person despite what others might say or think".