Selena Gomez & The Scene - Who Says

What this video is

Released March 14, 2011 as the lead single from Selena Gomez & The Scene's third album 'When the Sun Goes Down,' 'Who Says' arrived at the height of a cultural moment defined by pop self-empowerment anthems. The single was positioned explicitly as a response to online negativity and cyberbullying — a newly prominent social issue accelerated by the rise of Twitter and Facebook. The song represented a deliberate…

Why it matters

A pivotal sonic pivot for Selena Gomez & The Scene, 'Who Says' marked a shift from dance-pop and club-oriented production toward an acoustic, organic teen-pop sound. It joined a wave of self-empowerment pop singles in early 2011 — alongside Katy Perry's 'Firework,' Lady Gaga's 'Born This Way,' and…

The director

Chris Applebaum (born 1970, Los Angeles) is an American music video and commercial director who studied film at Hampshire College. He became the youngest director signed to Satellite Films (a Propaganda division), directing over 250 music videos. He has…