Okay, let's start with the facts. Today the internet discovered that Selena Gomez and Maluma are now following each other. I'm going to assume that you all are well aware of who Selena Gomez is — and about her dating history with a little-known star, Justin Bieber, and her recent hiatus from the world, social media, and her phone.
But if you aren't as familiar with Maluma, he's a 22-year-old singer from Colombia who is basically Latino music's hottest rising star right now. He's got nearly 20 million followers on Instagram, performs all around the world, and is featured on Shakira's chart-topping new single "Chantaje."
(Refinery29 does not objectify stars based on looks, but I'm going to interject by saying that — as evident by the weekly exchange of Maluma photos between me and my cousin — in my personal opinion, he is HOT.)
Now that I've gotten the facts out there, allow me to begin the speculation and fangirling portion of this story. First things first: Based on her selectiveness when it comes to whom she follows (only 254 people, total) Gomez following Maluma could definitely be the sign of a budding romance. And if that's true, I, along with many Latinos and fans of the singers, period, will absolutely freak out.
In the world of reggaeton and Latin pop, Maluma is as cool as it gets right now — and with Gomez on the precipice of a comeback, this would be a major couple.
But this mutual following could also potentially mean a music collaboration, which would be just one more sign that Gomez is venturing into Spanish-language music. The Mexican-American singer has previously dabbled in Latino music — with a Spanish version of "A Year Without Rain" and a few tributes to her namesake Selena Quintanilla — but she has yet to put out a bilingual album. And Mexican star Paulina Rubio announced last month that she's collaborating with Gomez on her upcoming record.
Could it be that SelGo is following in the pop star footsteps of Christina Aguilera, who released a Spanish album, Mi Reflejo, back in 2000? It would mean a lot to Gomez's Latino fans, and a collaboration with one of Spanish music's rising stars would be a great place to start. It would also be a good look for Maluma, who I have a feeling is going to bust onto the mainstream music scene any minute now. (How much do you want to bet there will be a Drake song featuring Maluma one day soon?)
So, musically, this crossover would be both beneficial and meaningful for both parties. Pero yes, I am also going to continue to 'ship these two and imagine that there could be a future in store for them of J.Lo and Marc Anthony proportions (minus the divorce, of course). #Saluma has a nice ring to it, no?
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