The Justin Bieber rumor buzz circulating through the crowd of 73,397 at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo did nothing to diminish the enthusiasm for pop princess Selena Gomez. The tutu-clad fans were there to see the Disney-sweetheart-turned-pop-dance-diva. (Gomez and Bieber were spotted in McAllen Friday night, where she was performing at the Hidalgo State Farm Arena on Saturday.)
Gomez’s appearance at the Houston rodeo marks her second performance since retreating to rehab for two weeks in January. She vaguely referenced the time away when introducing the song “Stars Dance.”
“This song was from my last tour that I didn’t get to complete,” Gomez said.
“This song was from my last tour that I didn’t get to complete,” Gomez said.
Dressed in a white crop top, mesh skirt and knee-high boots, Gomez kicked off the show with "Bang Bang Bang" accompanying her background dancers through choreographed songs "Round and Round," "Champion" and "B.E.A.T."
Gomez’s raspy voice gave way to an emotional cover of Priscilla Ahn’s "Dream," where she channeled a hint of a country and even played the harmonica.
As she did when she played Houston’s Toyota Center in November, Gomez connected to the crowd of young girls, tweens and teens before singing "Who Says," an anthem about self-acceptance and not conforming to society’s version of pretty and valuable.
“Thank you for allowing me to be myself with you all of the time,” Gomez said. “I recorded this song when I was 16 and it is for every single girl who was told you aren’t pretty enough or everything you read online or deal with at your school.”
The girl-heavy crowd was expectedly loud in between songs, but fairly sedate until the end of her abbreviated set. Her older songs like "Naturally" segued into newer radio hits "Come and Get It" and "Slow Down," bringing the dance party feel to the expansive Reliant Space.
At the end of her show, Gomez zipped along the rodeo floor in the back of a red Ford Mustang, waving and smiling to the crowd. The Texas native seemed genuinely happy, proving there’s truly no place like home.
Dressed in a white crop top, mesh skirt and knee-high boots, Gomez kicked off the show with "Bang Bang Bang."
