Fans of Selena Gomez have noticed how the singer’s voice has changed dramatically over the years.
The musician and actress, 32, first rose to fame as Gianna on Barney & Friends back in 2002, before starring on Disney Channel’s hit sitcom Wizards of Waverly Place and going on to forge a successful solo career.
Selena has spent most of her life in the spotlight, but recently sparked concern after a series of carpet interviews, particularly at the Golden Globes, and while presenting at the 97th Oscars – had fans questioning why her voice sounded different.
Sharing their thoughts to X, they wrote: ‘I’ve always thought Selena Gomez’s speaking voice sounds as she is congested’; ‘I don’t think I ever knew Selena Gomez voice sounded like that’;
‘Was Selena Gomez’s voice always like this???’; ‘No really what happened to Selena Gomez’s speaking voice?’; ‘Are we sure about Selena Gomez voice? was that real.’
Someone else clocked: ‘I read somewhere it has something to do with her lupus,’ while others attributed it to her getting older.
Fans of Selena Gomez have noticed how the singer’s voice has changed dramatically over the years (pictured this month)
The musician and actress, 32, first rose to fame as Gianna on Barney & Friends back in 2002 (pictured), before going to forge a successful solo career
Selena was diagnosed with the disease in 2015 and revealed that she had gone through chemo to treat it.
Lupus, which causes the immune system to turn on the body, attacking health organs and tissues, affects one in 10,000 people, with 90 per cent of them women.
Patients with the condition often experience flare-ups where symptoms like joint and muscle pain, extreme fatigue and rashes get worse. These episodes can last for weeks or longer.
According to Healthline, lupus can also cause vocal fatigue, hoarseness due to inflammation of the vocal cords or laryngeal tissues, altered vocal quality and reduced vocal intensity.
These changes can be temporary or chronic. Selena has yet to comment on if lupus has affected her voice.
In a viral video, which has surpassed 1.9 million views, one TikTok user compiled footage of Gomez over years to showcase the stark difference in how she talks.
The first clip in the recording showed Gomez, who was just a teenager, at the time, excitedly talking about wanting to guest star on Gossip Girl someday.
As she spoke, the performer was very expressive and animated as she listed all the reasons she loved the CW drama, which starred Blake Lively and Leighton Meester.
Selena recently sparked concern after a series of carpet interviews, particularly at the Golden Globes (pictured) had fans questioning why her voice sounded different
Sharing their thoughts to X, they wrote: ‘I’ve always thought Selena Gomez’s speaking voice sounds as she is congested’; ‘I don’t think I ever knew Selena Gomez voice sounded like that’
Someone else clocked: ‘I read somewhere it has something to do with her lupus,’ while others attributed it to her getting older’
Selena was diagnosed with the disease in 2015 and revealed that she had gone through chemo to treat it (pictured this month)
The next video showed her delivering a heartfelt acceptance speech, at age 24, about depression at the American Music Awards in 2016.
During the post-rehab appearance, there was a shift in her speaking voice, most likely from nerves as she spoke candidly about her physical and emotional health issues.
‘In 2014 this stage was actually the first time I was authentically 100 percent honest with all of you,’ she said. ‘I think it’s safe to say most of you know a lot of my life whether I liked it or not.’
She continued: ‘I had to stop because I had everything and I was absolutely broken inside and I kept it all together enough to where I would never let you down, but I kept it too much together to where I let myself down.’
At the time, she had checked into a treatment facility back to focus on her mental health after canceling the 34 remaining shows on her Revival world tour.
The next clip fast forwarded to 2024 as Gomez sat down for an interview with young fashion reporter, Taylen Biggs, 11.
The Emilia Pérez star seemed a lot less exuberant than when she was a rising star as she bashfully spoke about being a public figure.
‘I think people probably know to much about me,’ she said while using her left hand to cover part of her face. ‘I guess I had to get use to this idea that my life isn’t always going to be just me. Sometimes it comes with a lot of noise.’
Another clip that highlighted the distinct contrast in Gomez’s speaking voice over the years was during a recent interview with Access Hollywood at the 2025 Golden Globe Awards.
According to Healthline , lupus can also cause vocal fatigue, hoarseness due to inflammation of the vocal cords or laryngeal tissues, altered vocal quality and reduced vocal intensity (pictured in 2013)
In a viral video, which has surpassed 1.9 million views, one TikTok user compiled footage of Gomez over years to showcase the stark difference in how she talks
The next video showed her delivering a heartfelt acceptance speech, at age 24, at the American Music Awards in 2016 (seen above)
The interview, which took place in January, worried her fans as many felt she looked ‘out of it’ and was slurring her words.
‘It looks like it’s painful for her to talk at the end clip,’ one TikTok user commented.
Some speculated that the change in voice could be ‘a combination of her medication and lupus’ or pushing through anxiety.
‘I’ve had two kidney transplants and I have an ostomy bag and I probably take similar medications to Selena,’ one said in her defense. ‘I could not imagine being on a red carpet with all those flashing lights and loud noises. It’s super overwhelming just doing everyday tasks in bright sunlight when your on transplant medications, let alone a crazy red carpet event.’
Another commented: ‘I have an autoimmune disease that sometimes makes my brain fog up a bit. Selena is doing the best to live a normal life with her condition. These kind of illnesses go wild when you pass 30 years so it must be harder now to manage.’
