Tuned In: Will Selena Gomez Dominate the Music World in 2012?
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Known for: Gomez got her start on the kiddie program Barney & Friends, but shot to stardom playing Alex Russo on the Disney Channel original series Wizards of Waverly Place. Though she's released a couple of semi-successful singles, these days she's more famous for being attached at the hip to Canada's cutest import, Justin Bieber.
Talent quotient: Selena's not exactly renowned for her live performances, but she seems aware of her limitations. She's said that she plans to eventually put her pop career on hold to focus on getting more grown-up roles. That said, her turn in the recent flop Monte Carlo didn't fare well with critics. The New York Times' Manohla Dargis noted, "[at] this point in her life playing an adult seems beyond her. Even high heels seem beyond her."
It movies don't work out, maybe she! can try her hand at hip-hop.
Scandal quotient: Selena's most scandalous moment came last December, when tabloids picked up on the fact that the young star was no longer wearing the promise ring she'd sported since she was 12. Oh no! Sex!
There have been other scandals, all of them silly and sex-related, because everyone's perverted. For example: She was hospitalized in late June, leading some fans to wonder if perhaps her ailment had something to do with a Baby Bieber (she said she was exhausted and malnourished).
Projects in 2012: After the last episode of Wizards of Waverly Place airs in January, Selena will start work on Harmony Korine's Spring Breakers, in which she'll play a coed who robs a restaurant with her friends in order to fund a spring break vacation. Yes. Selena Gomez is going to work with the director of Trash Humpers.
Our Call: Selena is poised to become an even bigger star in 2012, provided she chooses the right projects. It's clear that she's already strategizing for the long-term by aligning with the ever-experimental Korine. The question is whether she'll be able to convince the rest of the world she's right for her bad girl role without sacrificing the respect of her mostly tween fanbase. It's been a difficult move for many a lady.
Next up:
See our predictions for Justin Bieber in 2012.
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