Selena Gomez Covers ‘Billboard,’ Talks Justin Bieber, Ex-Acts & Woody Allen ~ New Best Music News

Selena Gomez vamps it up on the cover of Billboard’s Woman Of The Year issue, rocking slicked-back hair and dramatic, dark red lipstick. The rest of shoot is equally impactful and seemingly influenced by femme fatales of other eras. As gorgeous as the pics are, the real treat here is the (unusually) frank interview. For starters, the “Wolves” hitmaker speaks openly about her on-again/off-again relationship with Justin Bieber. “I’m 25. I’m not 18, or 19, or 20,” she says of their recent reunion.

“I cherish people who have really impacted my life. So maybe before, it could have been forcing something that wasn’t right,” she continues. “But that doesn’t mean caring for someone ever goes away. And [that goes for] people in general. I mean, I grew up with Demi [Lovato]. Nick and Joe [Jonas] and Miley [Cyrus] — we’ve gone through seasons in our lives. I don’t think it’s as serious as people make things out to be half the time. It’s just my life. I grew up with all of these people, and it’s so cool to see where everybody is.”

As well as talking about her love life, Selena finally addressed her controversial decision to make a movie with Woody Allen. “To be honest, I’m not sure how to answer,” she admits, “not because I’m trying to back away from it. [The Harvey Weinstein allegations] actually happened right after I had started [on the movie]. They popped up in the midst of it. And that’s something, yes, I had to face and discuss. I stepped back and thought, ‘Wow, the universe works in interesting ways.'” The pop star admits she was shaken by the wave of sexual assault allegations coming out of Hollywood.

“I’ve cried. But I definitely feel hopeful,” Selena reveals. “As people speak out, I hope that feels powerful to them, because they deserve to feel that. I’m fortunate enough not to have experienced some of the traumatic things that other women have had to go through. I’ve known people in my family who’ve gone through those things.” And as for new music? Don’t expect her to rush release an album any time soon.

“I mean this in a very loving way, [but] my label has been itching for all the music that I’ve been creating, and there is such power in saying no,” the cherub-faced diva says. “I like how we’ve presented the music this year, because it wasn’t in an aggressive way; it felt very genuine. I’ve canceled the past two tours I’ve done, so that’s something I’ve considered deeply too. How will I step on that stage and just completely own it and wear it proudly?” Read the full interview here.