How Tejano Star Selena Continues To Inspire 25 Years After Her Death
(CBSDFW.COM/CNN) -- It's been 25 years since the death of Selena Quintanilla Perez shocked millions across the world. However, her unique songs and style continue to inspire both older and newer generations of fans.
It was on March 31, 1995 that the "Queen of Tejano" was killed by her fan club president in Corpus Christi.
Tributes to the late Tejano star have continued to pour in throughout the years since her death.
Next month, MAC Cosmetics will launch a second makeup collection inspired by her, a Netflix series based on her life is in the works and she was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame a couple of years ago.
A tribute concert called "Selena XXV" was also scheduled for May 9 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, but it had to be postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The concert is expected to rescheduled.
As she continues drawing new generations of fans, here's a look at how she's impacted music and culture through the years:
Her music inspired many A-listers
The 23-year-old Grammy-winning singer has inspired the careers of numerous artists, including Demi Lovato, Camila Cabello and Selena Gomez, who was named after the singer.
Selena may have risen to stardom in the early 1990s but fans in both sides of the United States-Mexico border continue singing "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom" and "Como la Flor" until now.
Songs from 1995 crossover album, "Dreaming of You," which was released unfinished after her Selena's death, continue making it to stages around the country.
Solange has covered "I Could Fall in Love" on tour multiple times. Last year, Camila Cabello performed "Dreaming of You" at the Houston Rodeo and Ally Brooke sang it during the Miss Universe pageant.
"Never imagined I would ever ever everrr hear this song sung at a MISS UNIVERSE pageant! (Not the best recording I did with my phone) @allybrooke Thank you so much for this! Truly honored you chose this song and honored her..," Selena's sister Suzette Quintanilla wrote on Instagram.
For Jennifer Lopez, her breakout role as Selena in the 1997 biographical film "Selena," which has become a cult classic for fans, was much more than a great step in her career.
"She had a sense of living in the moment, living in the present and following her heart," Lopez told Billboard. "For me, that was the biggest lesson."
She showed others it's OK to celebrate their identity
Selena was both Mexican and American. She sang in Spanish and spoke mostly in English. She couldn't be prouder of it and people took notice.
For many fans, it was the first time they saw someone who looked like them under the spotlight and thriving.
For that reason, Nathian Shae Rodriguez, a professor at San Diego State University, is teaching a class this semester using Selena's influence to examine representation in media.
"She gave me an identity in the media, and she gave me a person I could be," he told CNN last year. "I could listen to Spanish music while also being able to speak English. She existed in this in-between and that's how I felt."
Her wardrobe staples are unforgettable
Selena was as passionate about fashion as she was for music. She wore elaborate outfits onstage and produced her own clothing and accessories line.
She rocked crop tops, hoop earrings and bedazzled bustiers that fans still remember and imitate.
Following her performance at the Houston Rodeo, Cardi B said her look in the video for her hit song "Please Me" featuring Bruno Mars was inspired by Selena.
"This was the inspo for 'Please Me,'" she said in an Instagram video while pointing at a photo of the singer in her signature bejeweled bustier along with a purple leather jacket.
Hundreds of fans who idolize Selena's signature bold lips rushed to MAC Cosmetics stores for a limited-edition makeup collection inspired by the singer was released in 2016. The company created the collection after 38,000 fans signed a petition asking it to do so.
Lipsticks, eye shadows, gloss and a face powder with purple packaging quickly sold out within hours.
Fans are already anticipating the new makeup collection set to be released in April.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. CNN Wire contributed to this report. The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2020 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company contributed to this report. All rights reserved.)
