Selena Gomez is speaking out on how her relationship with Benny Blanco is working at this stage of her life.

In an Interview magazine cover story published on Valentine’s Day and pegged to their upcoming joint album, I Said I Love You First, which got its name because Gomez apparently “said it first” to Blanco, the couple talked to the outlet about the journey of their relationship, how they support each other and more.

When asked about the advice they’d give couples, Gomez responded: “I don’t think that I have life figured out in any way. My perspective on it, in a simplistic way, is that I actually feel valued. I feel seen. I feel respected. And I think that’s all I’ve ever really wanted.”

Gomez famously dated Justin Bieber on and off from 2011 to 2018, which inspired her vulnerable track “Lose You to Love Me.” She spent several years single before she started dating Blanco in 2023, after they were friends for years. The couple got engaged in December.

The “Calm Down” singer explained why being “alone” for five years was needed. “I think that really helped me appreciate someone like Ben,” she said. “He gets so weirded out by me saying this, but genuinely, 10 years ago, I wasn’t in a space in my life where I could have accepted the kind of patience, the kind of unconditional love that he gives me.”

Blanco added that it’s important not to “settle” and that Gomez is his “best friend.” Elsewhere, the producer joked that he’s “so scared she’s just going to wake up and be like, ‘What? No.’” and change her mind, to which Gomez reassured him that won’t happen and he’s “stuck” with her.

In November, the Emilia Pérez actress told The Hollywood Reporter why she went public with their relationship on social media. “This is the safest I’ve ever felt in one, and I see a future with this person,” she said. “When you put a little bit out there, people are not as hungry to hunt you down.”

Blanco has previously worked with Gomez on hit songs like “Kill Em with Kindness” and “Same Old Love.” In addition to the news of their new album, which will drop on March 21, they released a song, “Scared of Loving You,” that is available now.