Songfacts®:

• "Ojos Tristes" is a slow-burning bilingual pop song by Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco with additional vocals from María Zardoya of The Marías. Gomez sings in English and Zardoya performs in Spanish.
• "Ojos Tristes" - which translates to "Sad Eyes" - is a post-breakup lament. It samples and reimagines the 1981 Spanish classic "El Muchacho de los Ojos Tristes" by Jeanette, though it shifts the perspective. Where Jeanette's original describes meeting a melancholy, mysterious man, Gomez flips the narrative, with a woman reflecting on the one she left behind.
• Jeanette gave Gomez and Blanco's version her seal of approval, calling it "gorgeous" and applauding its ability to honor the past while giving it a fresh, modern edge.
• The production, handled by Benny Blanco, María Zardoya, and The Marías' drummer/producer Josh Conway, wraps the song in a hazy, dreamlike disco glow, balancing nostalgia with contemporary polish.
• Gomez and Blanco recorded "Ojos Tristes" for their collaborative album I Said I Love You First. It's another chapter in Gomez' exploration of her Latina roots, a journey she's been on since Revelación, her 2021 Spanish-language EP.
• Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco saw The Marías in concert in 2024. "I was mesmerized by them," Gomez told Billboard, "and knew I wanted to have them on our album."