Selena Quintanilla-Pérez Didn’t Record Background Vocals for 1 Hit Song Because She Left Early to Go to the Mall
Selena Quintanilla-Pérez had many talents. Not only was she an incredible singer and dancer, but Selena was also a known fashionista who would often display her showstopping style in the public eye.
Selena’s love of fashion and beauty was clear from the beginning as she was often spotted shopping at malls and boutiques with friends and family. In fact, there was a time when the musician left a recording session to do some retail therapy, which goes to show that even a successful hitmaker such as herself preferred shopping over work.
Selena stopped recording ‘Como La Flor’ to go shopping
Selena may have been a musician, but her interests in life extended beyond the entertainment industry.
Like most women, Selena had a deep love and appreciation for fashion and would often shop at local malls and boutiques when she wasn’t busy recording music or performing in front of large crowds.
Though shopping occupied her time when she had a break from work, there have been instances when the singer left recording sessions to enjoy a little retail therapy.
In 2015, Selena’s brother, A.B. Quintanilla, told Buzzfeed that she left the recording studio before singing the background vocals for her song “Como La Flor” to go to the mall.
Rather than her recording the vocals, the singer told her brother to do it instead.
“Homegirl just bounced on me, she said, ‘I’m out of here, I’m going to the mall,'” Quintanilla recalled, laughing. “I had to go over them forever until I got it in tune, so I’m actually singing in ‘Como La Flor’ with Selena.”
Following the song’s release in 1992, it peaked at No. 6 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Tracks and No. 9 on Regional Mexican Songs. Today, the track is considered one of Selena’s most popular songs of her career.
Selena launched her very own clothing boutique before her tragic death
In 1994, Selena launched Selena Etc boutiques, an in-house beauty salon and clothing store in Corpus Christi, Texas. She later opened a second boutique in San Antonio.
Working with designer Martin Gomez on clothing and apparel that embodied her dynamic Latin American stage designs and style, the Latin superstar sold everything from clothing, hats, and jewelry to her trademark bedazzled bustiers.
The shops also provided hair, nail, and massage services to anyone who wanted to enjoy a little rest and relaxation while they shopped some of the latest fashions.
With the success of her two boutiques, Selena had plans to open a third one in Monterrey, Mexico, in 1995. Unfortunately, her murder on March 31, 1995, pulled the plug on those plans.
Four years after her death, Selena’s San Antonio boutique ceased operation.
As for the Corpus Christi location, Selena’s widower, Chris Pérez, kept the store open for sixteen years before he decided to close it in 2009.
Though both stores are no longer open, fans can still purchase Selena memorabilia at the Selena Museum located in Corpus Christi.
