Selena Gomez Teases 'Empowering' New Music, Plus More Hitmakers Ceremony Takeaways

Variety's Hitmakers brunch

Dua Lipa, Selena Gomez, Jack Harlow, and other well-known figures in the music business celebrated the year's best songs as well as the top executives, musicians, and creatives in the industry at Variety's Hitmakers brunch, which was held at City Market Social House in Downtown Los Angeles.

Hitmakers Film Song of the Year award

Gomez accepted the Hitmakers Film Song of the Year award for "My Mind & Me" and thanked her stans for "letting me by myself" in the new Apple TV+ documentary of the same name.

Add Block

Strong, empowering

Gomez previewed new music in an interview with Variety's Marc Malkin on the red carpet, calling it "strong, empowering," and "very cheerful."

Gomez promised, "I'm really happy, and you're going to be so delighted when you hear the music." "When people hear the new record, I want everyone to feel good,"

Such a breath of new air

Gomez added that she would like to work with Lipa, another Hitmakers laureate. Gomez lauded Lipa, calling her "such a breath of new air," for her ability to revive dance music significantly.

Gomez remarked, "I believe she's powerful. "I believe she's lovely,"

Gomez received similar appreciation from Lipa, who said she would "definitely" love to work with her on a "Selipa" project.

The key finding from Variety's interviews with more than 150 Hitmakers and Hitbreakers, according to executive editor of music Shirley Halperin, who kicked off the event, was that the industry is "sleeping on" R&B.

Halperin addressed the group of top s in the industry, saying, "You claimed the most important issue confronting the music industry today is oversaturation and plethora of songs." The slow creation of new artists and stars, worries over streaming divides, and representational challenges came in a close second, third, and fourth place.

"Free Gunna, free Young Thug, free YSL, and defend Black art," Ebonie Ward, who represents Future, Flo Milli, and Gunna, concluded her remarks as she accepted the Manager of the Year Award.

Later in the ceremony, Rita Wilson got the crowd going by singing "Hip Hop Hooray" by Naughty by Nature as she handed Kara DioGuardi the A&R Award.