A mystery! Fans of Selena Gomez are trying to decipher what her new back tattoo is and what its meaning could be.
In an Instagram post shared by @bangbangnyc, Selena, 29, has her back turned toward the camera, showing off some new ink on her upper back. Upon noticing the new post, fans were quick to share their thoughts on what the design could be.
While several immediately think a “Darklena” era is coming, others think it’s a simpler design.
“Looks like a bleeding rose,” one user wrote under the December 15 post. “Looks like one of those macrame dream catcher things,” another commented. A few others agreed it appears to be a dreamcatcher. However, many pointed out that it’s difficult to ascertain what the exact design is from the black-and-white picture.
This isn’t the first time that the “Baila Conmigo” artist got new ink, though. In 2012, she got her first tattoo inked on her wrist: a music note. Two years later, the former Disney Channel star showed off a back tattoo that read “love yourself” in Arabic.
In 2017, Selena opted for a sentimental design as a nod to her Netflix series 13 Reasons Why. Being the executive producer, she and actors Tommy Dorfman and Alisha Boe got matching semicolon tattoos in honor of Project Semicolon.
Tommy, 29, who portrayed Ryan Shaver in the series, explained the meaning behind the simple artwork.
“The ; symbol stands for an end of one thought and a beginning of another,” she wrote at the time in a since-deleted Instagram post. “Instead of a period, authors use the semicolon to continue a sentence. For us, it means a beginning of another chapter in life, in lieu of ending your life.”
The “Lose You to Love Me” singer also chose a sacred Buddhist symbol for a tattoo on her left hip, signifying peace and meditation. On her right hip, Selena has a tattoo that reads, “God who strengthens me,” which is an interpretation of the Bible verse, Philippians 4:13.
Bang Bang has given Selena noteworthy ink in the past along with other noteworthy celebrities, such as Rihanna. He once spoke about the Only Murders in the Building actress’ thigh tattoo of two praying hands, which she unveiled at the American Music Awards in 2019.
“The tattoo is a traditional pair of praying hands with a rosary,” the tattoo artist told E! News that year. “She didn’t talk about the meaning or why she wanted the tattoo, but she has wanted the piece for a while, and they finally made it happen.”