Selena Gomez Reveals She Was 'Obsessed' with Kurt Cobain Growing Up: 'I Know a Little Too Much'

There was only one music icon locked in Selena Gomez’s “Heart-Shaped Box” growing up.

The pop superstar/actress, 31, appeared on Friday’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live and shared who her music idol was growing up. Gomez ultimately surprised the host, 56, by revealing that her very favorite artist was none other than Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain — and explaining that her "obsession" ran deep.

She spoke about her fascination with the late rock star after taking part in a trivia game about herself with a super-fan on the late night show. Shortly after playing the game, when she sat down for an interview, Kimmel asked, “Who was your Selena Gomez? Was there somebody you were kind of obsessed with?”

“Yeah,” Gomez responded, while nodding and smiling. “Kurt Cobain.”

Although Cobain died by suicide at age 27 in 1994, just two years after the Only Murders in the Building star was born, she explained that his music was a big part of her youth. “I just think my mom, obviously, would play all kinds of music for me growing up,” she shared.

“I kind of got obsessed and dyed my hair and cut my hair like him,” the hitmaker explained. “I know a little too much.” 

When the host asked how big of a fan she was and whether she had posters up on her bedroom walls, Gomez revealed, “Yeah, I would rewatch his interviews, I would watch his performances, I had seen his documentary like 12 times.”

While the “Single Soon” artist hasn’t spoken publicly about her love for the grunge icon before, she’s subtly teased it over the years. In 2017, the Rare Beauty founder dyed her hair blonde and went for a ‘90s-inspired bleached-out look, which her colorists even dubbed “Nirvana Blonde.” 

That same year, she also captioned a couple photos of herself shared to Instagram with “all apologies,” seemingly in reference to the song of the same name off Nirvana’s classic 1993 album In Utero. In one of the photos, she even drew Xs over her eyes, resembling the “Smells Like Teen Spirit” band’s logo. 

At the time — when her shaggy blonde bob resembled both Cobain and his wife Courtney Love’s early '90s hair cuts — Love, 59, also showed Gomez a bit of love. At GLAAD’s 2017 Spirit Day Concert, the Hole frontwoman covered the singer-songwriter’s 2015 hit “Hands to Myself” along with Justin Tranter, who’s among the co-writers. 

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Gomez will soon be channeling her appreciation for rock by starring in a forthcoming Linda Ronstadt biopic. The Grammy-nominated artist revealed she would be portraying the music legend, 77, in January, when she reposted a Deadline article announcing her casting on her Instagram Story with the caption, “I have no words to describe my heart for this project ... years of hoping this dream would become my reality."

The pop star recently treated fans to new music. Just last week she dropped “Love On,” a flirtatious track about romancing a new beau and inspired by her love for Paris. 

The “Wolves” singer also shared a sexy music video helmed by French director Greg Ohrel. 

Shortly after the video dropped, Gomez’s boyfriend Benny Blanco showed his support for the singer and her latest release. She shared a handful of behind-the-scenes photos from the set of the video on Instagram, and in the comments he expressed his excitement by writing, “omg !!!!"

The song marks her first single of the year and comes nearly six months after she dropped “Single Soon” in August 2023.