Selena Gomez took her sweet time before recording her debut album. After all, she had her hands full starring in her hit Disney Channel series "Wizards of Waverley Place," not to mention appearing in a string of sinema and other TV shows. Still, muziki had been a core passion of hers going back to childhood. A child no more, Selena comes on strong with her Hollywood Records premiere CD, "Kiss & Tell." It is nothing less than the emancipation proclamation of a young artist with a lot to say.

She didn't get there alone. Producer Ted Bruner, along with songwriters Gina Schock , Tim James & Antonina Armato and Selena's band, The Scene, wrap, upangaji pamoja her vocals with moto and ferocity. "Because it is my first record I wanted it to be amazing," Selena says. "I think of this record as a huge learning journey. I wanted to find my sound and see where I wanted to go musically."

On that journey, she clearly found her musical nyumbani base. And it rocks. Selena's blazing rock 'n' roll chops may surprise fans, especially on songs like "Kiss & Tell," with its battalion of drums, tight harmonies and Jane's Addiction-like lead guitar, gitaa work. Says Selena with a laugh, "Basically this is my harsh song, but in a good way."

Selena decided to make the album "passionate, fun and empowering,' as she puts it. Thus, for the most part the 17-year-old singer bypasses the puppy upendo and goes straight to a righteous "guys are dogs" attitude. Songs like "Falling Down" and "I Don't Miss wewe At All" simmer with feminine scorn, while the pop gem "I Won't Apologize" (which Selena co-wrote) takes a stand for self-affirmation. "Girls my age tend to change themselves for others," Selena says. "Whether it's a boyfriend au trying to fit in with the 'cool kids,' this song says you're not going to apologize for who wewe are."

Selena tackles ballads on the wistful "The Way I Loved You" and "I Promise You," the latter a upendo song steeped in unadorned romance. She shakes off the sentimentality in the sophisticated put-down rocker "Stop and Erase," "I Got U," "Crush" and "As a Blond," perhaps the edgiest song yet from the legally brunette Selena. "Every girl goes through a break-up at some point," she says, "and they never feel good. I wanted to make sure that the songs about heartbreak were all empowering rather than sad. When I perform these songs I don't feel I am dwelling on pain."

She ends the album with a full-circle moment, re-recording "Tell Me Something I Don't Know," an upbeat hip-hop-flavored track she first cut several years zamani and now revisits with a zaidi seasoned point of view. "I thought it would be a fun to redo the song and add some cool techno beats," says the ever-adventurous Selena, who today stands at the brink of a thrilling new phase of her career.

With a new album, a hit onyesha and zaidi sinema on the horizon, it's a wonder Selena has time left for anything else. But she makes time to give something back. She has volunteered for St Jude's Hospital for children, Disney's Marafiki for Change and she was twice named youth ambassador for UNICEF, a role that recently took her on a fact-finding trip to Africa. It all served to expand her perspective on life. "I am constantly growing and changing," she says, "but I like to think my morals about family and friendships haven't changed."

She's not done dreaming. In the years ahead, Selena plans to push her career to greater heights, while always remembering her mashabiki and the faith they place in her. Summing up her goals, Selena says: "I want to inspire others, help and make an impact." With "Kiss & Tell," she won't have long to wait.