Since being signed to a joint-deal with Kemosabe and RCA Records in late 2011, Gomez began work on her then-English debut album.

After collaborations with Australian singer Cody Simpson, British singer Cher Lloyd, and American rapper will.i.am in 2012, Gomez released her official debut single "Becky from the Block" (a cover of American singer-actress Jennifer Lopez's song "Jenny from the Block"), followed by her pop rap debut extended play Play It Again in July 2013.

In April 2016, in an interview with Teen Vogue, Gomez first spoke about the possibility of releasing an album.

On March 22, 2019, it was reported that the singer was working on two studio albums simultaneously, one to be released in English and the other one in Spanish.

[10] On October 8, 2019, Gomez took to social media to reveal the release date and the cover art of her upcoming debut studio album.