Songfacts®:

• In the four-year period between Selina Gomez's Revival and Rare albums, the singer had high-profile romances with Justin Bieber and The Weeknd. Both her love life and health problems were the subject of intense media scrutiny leading her to be more cautious of new relationships. Here, she addresses a new romantic interest warning him she is "vulnerable" emotionally. Before Selena dives deeper into the relationship, she wonders if he'll commit to her fully once her demons show up. Ultimately, she decides it's worth the risk.
• Selena Gomez wrote the lyrics with Amy Allen, with whom she also collaborated on "Back to You." Allen's other credits include Halsey's "Without Me" and Harry Styles' "Adore You."
• "Vulnerable" is a polished pop song driven by a pulsating beat. The producers are:
  
  New York singer and producer Jon Bellion, who is best known for his 2016 hit "All Time Low." His other credits include Maroon 5's "Memories."
  
  The Miami production and songwriting team Monsters & Strangerz, whose previous collaborations with Gomez include her 2013 track "Forget Forever."
• Selena Gomez revealed to Jimmy Fallon that this is her favorite song on Rare. The singer said she hoped people in a similar physical or mental situation as her would find comfort in the track.
• When Gomez battled anxiety and broken relationships, she found herself exhausted. As she talked about her issues during therapy, she realized being vulnerable was a strength, not a weakness. "So when we worked on the song, that's exactly where it started," Gomez explained to Billboard. "If I can give you all of myself, are you able to take that, and take care of that? And if you're not, then I'm still gonna be who I am. I'm just not gonna have you in my life, but I'm gonna continue to be who I am."
• The song came at the end of a long day when Gomez, Bellion, Amy Allen, and Jordan and Stefan Johnson from Monsters & Strangerz had failed to come up with anything. Bellion recalled to Billboard that the breakthrough came when Gomez opened up one of her notebooks. She found a poem with a line that read, "I'll stay vulnerable." The singer read it aloud and "from that little snippet" it all fell into place."