Selena Gomez [1] has truly undergone a rebirth this year. From her style to her music to her attitude, everything about her has evolved, and now she's getting more candid than ever about it. In an interview for Billboard [2] magazine's Oct. 17 issue, cover star Selena opens up about Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift [3] but also reveals the shocking reason behind her break in 2014 [4] and, taking no prisoners, why she thinks the tabloid media is "vile." It's obvious that the "Good For You" singer has a newfound confidence, and she's ready for the world to hear it in her new album, out on Oct. 9 and aptly titled Revival. Keep reading for a sneak peek at her Billboard interview, then check out her mature new style in Europe. [5]

• On tabloids: "I'm so f*cking nice to everybody, and everyone is so vile to me. I've been working since I was 7. I've been a UNICEF ambassador since I was 17. It's so disappointing that I've become a tabloid story. It took away everything I loved about this business."
• On Justin Bieber: "I'm proud of him . . . This is what I always saw in him, why I always believed in him."
• On whether Justin's career inspired her: "No. This is my time. I've deserved this. I earned it. This is all me."
• On her 2014 break: "I was diagnosed with [autoimmune disease] lupus, and I've been through chemotherapy. That's what my break was really about. I could've had a stroke."
• On the media's response to her break: "I wanted so badly to say, 'You guys have no idea. I'm in chemotherapy. You're assh*les . . . But I was angry I even felt the need to say that. It's awful walking into a restaurant and having the whole room look at you, knowing what they're saying. I locked myself away until I was confident and comfortable again."
• On BFF Taylor Swift: "Taylor makes me feel empowered, like I can trust new people . . . The way she cares about women is so adamant. It's pulling me out of my shell."