Queremos Bailar! We Want to Dance! - My Thoughts on the New Selena Series on Netflix

I would love to preface with these things first before fully diving into my thoughts on this series. First; By the time this blog goes up, I still won’t be finished with Part 1 of the series. Second; I’m not a media critic like AT ALL LOL if you’re looking for any critiques that dive into those aspects of the series, this ain’t it however, I will gladly share those thoughts on my Instagram if I come across any on my own. Let’s get into it!

So when Netflix dropped the trailer for the series I thought FINALLY because we have been waiting for years on updates on how it was going to look like. Not gonna lie, I still can’t get over the fact that Suzie Crabgrass from Ned’s Declassified is playing Selena so seeing the trailer that came out earlier this year was WEIRD. But I knew deep down I had an interest and was going to watch when it came out.

After watching the first episode, I remembered a critique I heard in an episode of the podcast, Latinos Who Lunch. In the podcast episode, they discuss and critique the Selena film and conclude that the film centers on Selena’s dad, Abraham Quintanilla. This is exactly what I thought while watching this series. It felt like I was watching Abraham Quintanilla the Series. FYI: Abraham Quintanilla is an executive producer on the Netflix series and has had control over a lot of Selena related projects. More tea on that here.

Growing up, watching the Selena film felt like the closest insight I could get into Selena’s life. As I got older and started learning more about Selena beyond the movie, I feel like I was getting a deeper insight into who she was. From watching her live performances to her interviews, you get to see her bubbly personality and her lively energy shine. I HIGHLY recommend you look up Selena's interviews on YouTube if you want to know more of what she was like. Like this one!

Now that I have a better knowledge of her, I watch the film when I want to feel comfort and nostalgia. And I think that’s why Selena’s revival through the Netflix series happened. This generation loves nostalgia and as a result, we’ve been seeing a lot of remakes and reunions happen. So while older generations, especially those who grew up with Selena’s music, may not be fully satisfied with this series, for many, this is going to be their first introduction to Selena or make them revisit her music. It might motivate viewers to listen to her music that they weren’t already familiar with. It may even spark curiosity about Tejano culture and make viewers want to google “who is Johnny Canales?”

Netflix, an international streaming platform, is introducing new generations and audiences to the Tejano culture I grew up with and that is exciting!

After mentally confirming my critiques about the series, I realized this show wasn’t for me. I thought about hitting pause and not continue the show this past weekend but there was one thing that kept me going; the music! I’ve been having so much fun GETTING MY LIFEEEE to Tejano and 80’s pop music while watching the series. I appreciate that this series is going over the different eras of Selena as well. I don’t think the film fully captured all the different and FABULOUS eras that Selena had during her career. When this series gets to Selena’s mariachi era, don’t be around me unless you’re ready to hear a loud ass mariachi grito.

Last Note

I don’t need a Selena series to make me feel happy. I feel SO GRATEFUL for all the music, inspiration, and representation she was able to give us. Selena’s legacy is far more than just her music and if anything, I hope this series inspires people to learn more about her.