Queen of Tejano Selena was murdered 25 years ago and fans haven't forgotten their icon still
Today, the world remembers Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, the Tejano singer who during her all-too-short time in this world changed the face of music forever.
Selena was only nine years old when she began performing with her siblings at her father's restaurant. But even at her young age, she was already a star. Over the next decade, she would go on to establish herself as one of the most prominent Mexican-American singers and songwriters, in addition to being a model, actress, and fashion designer.
Her story continues to be one that inspires people and proves anyone can break down barriers that stand in their way. But Selena's iconic run as the 'Queen of Tejano music' was cut short when she was murdered by her closest friend and the president of her official fan club, Yolanda Saldivar.
Today marks twenty-five years since the death of an icon rocked the nation, and fans mourn the irreplaceable loss as they look back at her legacy and all the lives she changed.
"25 years ago Selena was taken from us," tweets one user. They add, "she was just starting her career I can’t imagine how big she would of been today if she was still alive. We forever love you & miss you Selena RIP." "#Selena25 you were taken too soon," says another fan. "if you were here longer, i knew you would be my role model in life. but even so, your kind heart and free spirit will always inspire me to do what i love despite the odds. hope you're enjoying paradise".
Selena was only 23 and at the beginning of what many believed would have been a career the likes of which no one had seen before when she was brutally gunned down by Saldivar, and this is a fact that will continue to anger fans no matter how many years go by. One such fan tweets, "Selena died too young I will never forgive that b*tch who took our dear Selena away from us #Selena25 R.I.P. Selena".
Despite being in prison, Saldivar has continued to give interviews about the late star whom she murdered, including alleging that the young singer was pregnant when she killed her as well as that she was having an affair with her doctor, Ricardo Martinez. These claims have only fuelled the hatred fans have towards their idol's killer.
Many fans also shared heartbreaking details around Selena's death, including this fan who tweets, "the fact that during selena’s last conversation with her mother, her mother leaned over to her and whispered 'i love you' then selena said 'i love you too mama' is something that always breaks my heart. these two had an unbreakable bond".
Other fans shared happier memories of the singer, including this tweet which shares a video of Selena joking that her next project would be "...the Selena perfume, and it's going to smell like Chorizo and Huevos...!"
Some users noted that Selena's legacy remained untarnished, stating "#Selena25 is trending and do you see any 'she was overrated', 'Jlo out sold', 'she wouldn't have been Shakira', or 'she's only big after her death'? No," before adding "Black me, learn from this when mentioning Aaliyah next time."
Aaliyah was also an extremely talented and genre-defining artist who died at the young age of 22, but attempts to memorialize her often draw out criticism from many who do not believe she was quite as influential as others claim she was.
Selena's legacy, on the other hand, is one that rarely sees such hatred, and is instead full of inclusivity, as this tweet points out: "I was 9 years old when Selena died. I'm from Texas so it was a BIG FREAKING DEAL when it was announced. You couldn't go anywhere without hearing her name. Anyone and everyone, regardless of their skin color, LOVED Selena."
Selena, in her short-lived career, inspired many young girls across America including Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, Selena Gomez, and many more. Her success taught young black and brown girls to dream big and chase after what they wanted, because it proved that a young brown girl from a poor family could make it big in America.
Her story was one of resilience and drive, and without her, the world of pop music would not be what it is today.