Selena Gomez is styled by George Cortina in images by Lachlan Bailey for WSJ Magazine’s Talents & Legends February 2020 issue, on newsstands Saturday, January 10th./ Hair by Recine; makeup by Kanako Takase

In advance of her highly anticipated album ‘Rare’ which drops Friday, Selena Gomez expresses a mature clarity about her mental health journey.

“I had low self-esteem, and that’s something I work on continuously. But I feel so empowered because I’ve gained so much knowledge about what was going on mentally,” says Gomez. “My highs were really high, and my lows would take me out for weeks at a time.”

Selena’s progress involved working with therapists for six years and seeking treatment at facilities. “I found out I do suffer from mental health issues. And, honestly, that was such a relief,” she says. “I realized that there was a way to get help and to find people that you trust. I got on the right medication, and my life has been completely changed.”

Gomez has very kind words for close friend Taylor Swift who was committed to her through some of her most challenging moments dealing with her mental health and lupus. Swift was also most supportive of the new album, saying that she’s meeting Selena all over again through the music.

Read the entire Derek Blasberg interview at WSJ. (Note paywall.)