Como la Flor

It took ten years for A.B. Quintanilla (pictured) to write "Como la Flor", after conceptualizing the song in 1982.

Former musician Abraham Quintanilla, decided to promote his children's band, Selena y Los Dinos, following the 1980s oil bust that resulted in a recession in Texas in 1981.[1] The recession forced the family into being evicted from their home and performing became their primary source of income.[2] In 1982, Selena y Los Dinos performed in Sacramento, California along with three other bands from Mexico.[3] After their performance, A.B. Quintanilla, bassist and music producer for the group, saw a family in the nightclub selling illuminated plastic flowers. A.B. had an admiration for them for hustling as their source of income.[4] He formed a rhythm that got stuck in his head while the title of the song "flor" ("flower") came into fruition,[5] though said that no matter how he tried "plastic flower" was lyrically unappealing.[4] He made a promise to himself that one day he would write a song about a flower.[6]

In 1992, the band decided to rest at a hotel in Bryan, Texas following a concert. A.B. recalled the poor quality of the hotel saying that it "at least didn't have any roaches". The band rested for the night before heading out to Houston the next day.[4] While at the hotel, A.B. had an infectious melody, he ran out of the shower and pulled out a keyboard and immediately began working on it,[6][7] along with backup vocalist Pete Astudillo and keyboardist Joe Ojeda.[4] A.B. often had melodies and ideas in his head for songs that he wanted to write about. He often asked Astudillo how to say certain words or phrases in Spanish. Typically, A.B. would provide Astudillo with a melody and small arrangements he created for it, making it easier for Astudillo in developing the song. Astudillo said that it is difficult to create melodies and arrangements for a song without assistance. He found that he and A.B. worked well together; whenever presented with new ideas, themes, or words and expressions, they found it easy to build on each other when creating a song. A.B. explained to Astudillo about an idea he had for 10 years and Astudillo initially had a different idea. He tried to input his own personal experiences on the song, he felt that it would resonate better if it came from real-life experiences.[8] A.B. had wanted to write a song about someone receiving a flower from their lover that wilted away as an analogy of the love that ended. A.B. and Astudillo decided on painting a sorrowful woman wishing her former lover well, instead of someone who was better off without him. Astudillo linked the song to a Spanish-language version that predated Adele's 2012 single "Someone Like You".[9]

It took A.B. 20 minutes to "put together music and everything", while it took another hour for Astudillo to put the lyrics together. Keyboardist Ricky Vela recalled how he went out to eat and when he returned they had already finished writing the song.[4] During the recording sessions, Selena left the studio without finishing the backing vocals. A.B. said, "homegirl just bounced on me, she said, 'I'm out of here, I'm going to the mall". It took A.B. a while to correct the tune and eventually recorded the backing vocals to finish the song.[7] Ojeda provided arrangement assistance for "Como la Flor".[10] A.B. created a formula that helped him write "Como la Flor" and other recordings that are "simple, catchy little (songs)" by emphasizing "melody line, synth hooks and basic instrumentation."[11] He believed that writing simplistic lyrics is "what sells."[12] "Como la Flor" was recorded at Manny Guerra's AMEN Studios.[13]

"Como la Flor" is primarily a Tejano cumbia torch song.[16][17] American scholar Deborah Parédez describes it as a transnational fusion between tropical and cumbia rhythms with reggae and pop music.[18] Tejano music journalist Ramiro Burr called the track a "pop polka".[19] The song contained a style of cumbia similar to the styling of "La Carcacha" (1992) with incorporations of pop, disco, and R&B.[20] "Como la Flor" is "equally catchy" to "La Carcacha", though the music was done "slow and easy".[5] Mike Hazelwood of Tulare Advance - Register called "Como la Flor" a Tejano recording that is "infectious enough" to be appreciated from listeners outside of its genre.[21] "Como la Flor" is written in the key of B♭ major and composed in ⁴
₄ time signature.[22] The song has a moderate metronome of 92 beats per minute, while Selena's vocals span from F₃ to B♭₄.[23] "Como la Flor" features an upbeat production, a "lively tempo",[24] under a danceable synthesizer pop cumbia beat,[15] and a banda keyboard sound.[25] The recording showcases Selena's "trademark cumbia rhythm".[26] Chris Pérez, guitarist and widower of Selena, described the melody as being a simple one, that is melancholic in nature.[27] He called the song a "heart-wrenching ballad",[28] while Parédez referred to it as a "captivating ballad".[24] Nathan Smith of Texas Music Magazine, called it a "heartfelt, pop-tinged Tejano ballad".[29] Selena "mixes pop vocalism",[25] and displays a "boo-hooing cadence" consistent of ranchera songs.[30] The recording makes use of a tessitura that invites participation, its lyrical structure features call-and-response in its chorus, which is found to be "catchy".[31][32] Ramiro Burr of the San Antonio Express-News enjoyed the song's "memorable melodic hook" that he felt "had listeners whistling along."[33] Soraya Nadia McDonald of The Washington Post called "Como la Flor" an "ear-wormy goodness" track.[34] Christian Wallace of Texas Monthly called the bassline "emphatic" and found its beat to be "irresistible".[35] "Como la Flor" encompassed "beauty and ephemerality", a cliched association because of its title according to scholars Rosana Blanco-Cano and Rita E. Urquijo-Ruiz.[36] Joey Guerra of the Houston Chronicle, particularly enjoyed "Como la Flor" as being uniquelly different from other Spanish-language songs.[37]

In the lyrics, Selena addresses her former lover who has discarded her.[30] She tells him that she hopes someone new would be able to make him happy, seeing as she was unable to do so.[38] She describes the end of their relationship as that of a wilted flower,[39] that once bloomed and has since died.[40] She finds this painful along with the agony one goes through during a breakup. Unsure of her ability to ever love again, she explains how she gave all the love she possibly had to him and wishes him and his new love interest the best.[41] The lyrics explore the turbulence of a relationship.[42] Selena portrays a hopeless romantic who is content with losing a relationship "as long as she could say she had loved". Erika Ramirez of Billboard, believed Selena performed songs such as "Como la Flor" and "No Me Queda Mas" (1994) with "such exuberance and devotion" that it provided listeners with either nostalgia for those who had similar experiences or provided a fantasy for those who never encountered a relationship.[14] Pérez called the lyrics "aching",[27] while Wallace found them to be "plaintive" that had even "the toughest hombres" weeping.[35] Eyder Peralta of the Houston Chronicle found them to be lovelorn, a "clean pop [offering]" that echoed works done by Chelo Silva.[17] Parédez found them to be self-abnegating following an unsuccessful relationship, themes opposite to works typically done in cumbia, salsa, and dance songs in Latin music; its lyrics more resembles that of pop music.[15] Jessica Roiz of Billboard, felt that "Como la Flor" provides a life lesson on learning to maturity depart a relationship "being the bigger person" and wishing the new couple well.[38] She found the lyrics to be empowering and positive.[43]

According to Parédez, "Como la Flor" exemplified a pop cumbia song that was created and aimed at a wide range of musical tastes of Latinos.[44] She found "Como la Flor" to contain themes of longing and despair.[45] The recording contains a "residue of materiality", with its melodic shifts, "Como la Flor" successfully "evokes Selena's presence in the elegy marking her absence".[46] She continued that listeners know it is a "multivalent emotional register and communal sensibility."[47] "Como la Flor" has a "tensive pull" during Selena's emotional delivery of her proclamations of an unrequited love.[15] The song contains Selena's "teardrop vocals",[47] that "captures and conveys" what Roland Barthes called "the grain of Selena's voice".[46] "Como la Flor" provided "emotionally useful modalities" from what Jill Dolan would call "utopian performatives" or Josh Kun's use of "audiotopias". Blanco-Cano and Urquijo-Ruiz believed that "Como la Flor" is able to "[measure and direct] the affective labor of Latinidad".[48] Pérez believed her emotive vocals are what elevated "Como la Flor". He found that when he listened to other performances and cover versions of the song, he found them unmatched to Selena's emotional delivery.[27] Sertan Sanderson of Germany-based Deutsche Welle, felt that listeners did not need to be fluent in Spanish in order to enjoy the song.[49] "Como la Flor" was added to the posthumously released Dreaming of You (1995), that was remixed by A.B. who redone the song to match how the band would have performed it live.[50] According to Ramiro Burr of Billboard, the song was redone to "dilute her ethnic sound" in favor of appealing to a mainstream audience. He found it to contain more "percussions to spice [the track] up."[51]

Upon its radio release in June 1992, it entered at number 36 on the US Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart on the week ending July 18, 1992.[52] "Como la Flor" rose to number 35 the following week.[53] On the week ending August 1, it rose to number 31 and then number 24 the week after.[54] The song continued an upward track, rising to number 23 before falling to number 24 the following tracking week.[55] After rising to number 19, the song fell to number 22 in the week ending September 5. "Como la Flor" received Billboard's "power track of the week" honor after rising to number 14 in the tracking week of September 12.[56] The song entered the top 10 on the Hot Latin Songs chart on September 19, rising to number nine.[57] Rene Cabrera of the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, called it "a giant leap", noticing Selena and other Tejano recording artists dominance on Billboard's music charts.[58] Reaching number eight the following week, it remained there for two consecutive weeks.[57] "Como la Flor" peaked at number six on the week ending October 24.[59] Suzette Fernandez of Billboard magazine, believed the song had "made a statement in Selena's musical career" after its peak, calling it her first commercially successful single in the United States.[41][Note 1] The song fell to number 10 the following week,[62] before rising back to number eight for two additional weeks.[63] "Como la Flor" began falling, remaining on the charts for an additional three weeks before slipping off for a total of 19 weeks.[64] "Como la Flor"'s popularity propelled sales of its parent album Entre a Mi Mundo, knocking La Mafia's Ahora y Siempre from the top of the Regional Mexican Albums chart.[5] In a survey compiled by the Austin American-Statesman, "Como la Flor" was the most-played song on Tejano radio stations in Texas.[65] It was one of the most-played songs on radio stations in Houston, Dallas, and San Francisco.[66] In Los Angeles, California, the song was the most-played song on Latin music radio stations for three weeks beginning October 13 through the week of October 29, 1992.[Note 2] "Como la Flor" finished 1992 as the 31st best-performing song on the Hot Latin Songs chart,[70] while topping indie music charts in the state of Texas.[71]

In July 1992,[72] EMI Latin president Jose Behar booked Selena for a high-profile press tour in Monterrey, Mexico with music media types that was two and a half times that of the United States.[5] A 1992 market report estimated the music market in Mexico to be valued at $267 million—more than twice the market value of the United States. Selena was not commercially successful in the country, a music reporter from El Sol de Monterrey, showed that the Mexicans did not accept Selena's music.[73] At the time, Tejanos were looked down on as "hayseed pochos" among Mexicans, a racial and social class slur.[74] EMI Latin executives were anxious, noting Selena's limited Spanish could negatively trigger the Mexican media.[75] The record company aimed to capitalize on the growing popularity of "¿Qué Creías?" and Entre a Mi Mundo, which became the first recording by Selena to appeal to audiences in Mexico.[74][Note 3] During the meet-and-greet, Selena "played her cards right"; she walked in smiling and embraced all 35 press representatives.[74] She won over the Mexican media who hailed her as "an artist of the people" and was booked to play at several concerts throughout Mexico.[76][29] Burr believed Selena "practically entered Mexico as a headliner" and noted the stark difference between Selena's mass instant appeal to that of La Mafia and Mazz who toured Mexico for years as opening acts before their popularity grew in the country.[19] Her performance to an attendance of 70,000 people in Nuevo Leon was "not a typical occurrence" for a Tejano artist in Mexico.[29] Following her visit, "Como la Flor" reached number five on Mexico's Grupera chart,[77] before peaking at number three on October 12.[78] In a report in El Siglo de Torreón, found "Como la Flor" as one of the most popular songs on radio stations in Mexico in 1992 and early 1993.[79] It was the first song by Selena "to really take off" in Mexico,[27] it became her first "international hit song".[80][81] Its popularity aided Selena's commercial growth in Mexico,[4][82] where it was regarded as being "very popular" in the country.[83] "Como la Flor" is considered Selena's "breakthrough hit recording", she became popular winning "over audiences in Mexico".[81]

At the 1993 Premio Lo Nuestro awards, "Como la Flor" won Regional Mexican Song of the Year.[84] It was nominated for Single of the Year at the 1993 Tejano Music Awards.[85] "Como la Flor" was dropped during preliminaries, which was considered a surprise, according to music critic Rene Cabrera, who expected Selena to win the category.[86] The track was nominated for the Pura Vida Hispanic Award's Song of the Year, though lost to Emilio Navaira's "Como Le Haré".[87] "Como la Flor" was recognized as one of the award-winning songs at the first BMI Latin Awards in 1994.[88] Tom Whitehurst Jr of the Corpus Christi Caller-Times compared A.B.'s "famous songwriting" of "Como la Flor" to that of Jerry Jeff Walker's fame after writing "Mr. Bojangles" (1970).[89] The commercial success of "Como la Flor" led A.B. to be contracted with EMI Latin as one of their "top songwriters" in 1993. The contract was valued at $250,000 (1993 USD).[90] Following the shooting death of Selena on March 31, 1995, "Como la Flor" debuted and peaked at number nine on the Regional Mexican Songs chart in the week ending April 15, 1995. The song was behind four other songs by Selena and recordings by La Mafia, Los Dinnos, Bronco, and Los Tigres del Norte, respectively.[91] It was the most requested song, along with "La Carcacha", on radio stations in Mexico following the announcement of her death.[92] Elsewhere on Billboard, "Como la Flor" peaked at number three on the US Billboard TouchTunes Latin Songs chart, which ranks the top-selling jukebox spins in the United States, on the week ending December 14, 2002.[93] "Como la Flor" peaked at number one on the US Regional Mexican Digital Song Sales chart following Selena's 20th anniversary of her death on the week ending April 18, 2015.[94] The song remained on the chart for 407 weeks by November 2017.[95] The song peaked at number four on the Latin Digital Song Sales chart on the tracking week of December 16, 2020.[96] As of March 31, 2020, "Como la Flor" has been streamed on Spotify 1.83 million times,[97] and continues to receive airplay on radio stations dedicated to Tejano music.[98] "Como la Flor" has been certified 9× Platinum (Latin) by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), which denotes 540,000 units consisted of sales and on-demand streaming.[99]

During her performances of "Como la Flor", Selena would often perform a flamenco-inspired floreo hand gesture. She could be seen "turning her wrist in three backbonning [sic] waves, elbow to fingertips twisting in a serpentine motion, fingers elongated" as she "languorously croons" the title of the song.[100] Selena often opened "Como la Flor" with a downtempo "mournful attenuated cadenza" that is seductive and emotional, taking several breaths before the song transitions into an upbeat cumbia.[101] The slow and emotive opening of the song is reminiscent of "the doleful and booming voices of Mexican ranchera singers" with vocal performances containing "melodramatic flair".[45] Her vocals are found to be "achingly melodic" in tone.[22] Elijah Wald of The New York Times believed Selena "[emphasizes] the heartache of the lyric, slowly drawing out the lines about a lover leaving, her face contorted in pain."[102] Selena's use of dramatic pauses are found to be similar to the flin styles of bolero singers Chavela Vargas and La Lupe.[45] In a particular performance, during Selena's dramatic pause she is seen "smiling and even laughing" which Wald believes the singer is "reminding the audience they are all watching and enjoying this together" before Selena's enunication of agony and begins "beating her chest, murmuring the final words, ["como me duele"] ("how it hurts me"). "Como la Flor" then transitions into an upbeat cumbia, as "her hips sway" to the beat.[102] Parédez believed Selena's performances of the song provided attendees with "valedictory reverence, pleasurable engagement, and gestures of identification across the space of Selenidad."[24] She called the singer's performances of the song "ebullient" that equates the "emotional register" of Latino mournfulness."[103] Scholars Blanco-Cano and Urquijo-Ruiz agreed with Parédez's assertion, finding that Selena's performance of "Como la Flor" exemplifies "the emotional register and cultural codes of Latinidad."[48] Wald notes the repetitive performances Selena acts on stage whenever she sings "Como la Flor", finding that it still "feel authentic".[102] Blanco-Cano and Urquijo-Ruiz finds her performances of "Como la Flor" to match the Latino expressions of longing and belonging, as well as grief and survival, noting the singer's "easy charisma, choreographic virtuosity, [and] velvety voice" as evidential proof.[48] It is one of the most popular reenactments of Selena by drag queens.[48]

Since its introduction as part of Selena's set list and as its popularity grew, she either opened or closed her concerts with "Como la Flor".[27] According to Pérez, "Como la Flor" was most likely Selena's favorite song to perform.[27] A.B. disagreed, citing Selena's irritations of constantly playing the song at every one of their concerts. Selena expressed her frustrations to A.B. saying "I don't wanna play that song anymore, I am sick of singing [that song]." A.B. replied that if anyone were to purchase a ticket to see Michael Jackson, they expect to hear "Billie Jean", he told Selena that people expect to hear "Como la Flor" when they attend her concerts.[104] Selena closed her Houston Astrodome concert on February 26, 1995, with "Como la Flor" to positive reviews. Jennifer Machin of Billboard, called it one of her best live performances.[105] This was echoed by Natalie Contreras of the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, who hailed the performance as Selena's "finest rendition."[30] According to Blanco-Cano and Urquijo-Ruiz, this performance of "Como la Flor" provided viewers "the sounds of Latino desire [and witnessed] the improvised steps marking Latino loss". They found "Como la Flor"'s placement as a closing number peculiar saying that it "underscores its special status" in Selena's repertoire.[48] On March 19, 1995, Selena performed in Bryan, Texas, the town where A.B. wrote "Como la Flor" along with Astudillo. She closed her concert with "Como la Flor", her last performance before she was shot and killed on March 31.[7] In "Cumbia Medley", a live mash-up track featuring "Como la Flor" on the Selena movie soundtrack (1997), Selena performs the recording in a "soothing, elongated tempo".[26] Ramiro Burr of San Antonio Express-News called the song a "prime cut" finding it "electrifying and bursting with energy" that represents a "crowning achievement" for Selena.[106] "Con Tanto Amor Medley", a three-song medley mash-up featuring "Como la Flor" remixed with new arrangements by A.B. was added on the greatest hits album Ones (2002). Cobo believed the track was created to fit an array of Latin music radio formats. With "Como la Flor" appealing to regional Mexican music radio stations with the additions of mariachi-style trumpets.[107]

In 1996, Astudillo performed a medley of recordings by Selena, including "Como la Flor" during her first anniversary of her death.[108] That same year, Jennifer Pena performed the song, which impressed music executives in attendance.[109] "Como la Flor" was the closing song on the broadway musical Selena Forever (2000) starring Veronica Vasquez as Selena,[110] and in the Mexican musical Selena, El Musical (2006) with Lidia Ávila as the title role.[111] The recording was also the closure song for Selena ¡VIVE! (2005), where Thalía, Banda el Recodo, La India, Ana Bárbara, Mariana Seoane, Pablo Montero, Alicia Villarreal, Ana Gabriel, Paulina Rubio, Olga Tañón, Gloria Estefan, Alejandra Guzmán, Bobby Pulido, Jay Perez, Soraya, Graciela Beltrán, Aleks Syntek, Fey, Montéz de Durango, A.B.'s group Kumbia Kings and Selena's Los Dinos band, along with the 55-member children's choir from Stevenson Elementary, performed the song to the event's conclusion.[26] Olivia Tallet and Larry Rodarte of Mi Gente magazine, called it the climax of the show.[112] In 2006, William Hung performed "Como la Flor" off-camera during the third season of American Idol.[113] Other performances includes David Archuleta at the 2010 Tejano Music Awards,[114] Just Sam during her audition on the eighteenth season of American Idol,[115] Jackie Cruz,[116] Becky G at the 2018 Fiesta de la Flor,[117] Danna Paola, Natti Natasha, Ally Brooke, and Greeicy at the 2020 Premios Juventud,[118] Kacey Musgraves,[119] Cardi B,[120] Angela Aguilar,[121] and Francisca Valenzuela.[122] Elia Esperanza's performance of "Como la Flor" during her audition on the eleventh season of The Voice, debuted and peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Latin Digital Song Sales chart, while Selena's version re-entered at number twelve.[123] Esperanza wanted to perform the song to showcase her musical abilities. Adam Levine turned first, before Blake Shelton and Miley Cyrus did, thanking Esperanza for "being different".[124] Cristian Castro's version, a duet with Selena that was created for Enamorada de Ti (2012),[125] received mixed reviews from music critics.[126][127][128] The duet debuted and peaked at number 25 on the Billboard Regional Mexican Digital Song Sales chart.[129] Castro promoted the song at the 2012 Latin Billboard Music Awards.[130] Jennifer Lopez, who played Selena in the 1997 biopic, performed a four-song medley at the 2015 Latin Billboard Music Awards that included "Como la Flor" to rave reviews.[131] Aimee Garcia performed the song as part of her audition to play Selena in the 1997 biopic, the role was eventually given to Lopez.[132] Khloe Kardashian has named "Como la Flor" as one of her favorite Selena songs,[133] as did The Cheetah Girls during their tour of Texas,[134] Selena Gomez,[135] Caitlyn Taylor Love,[136] and Snoop Dogg.[137] English YouTuber the Kabs Family, uploaded a video of their four-year-old, Maliya Kabs singing "Como la Flor", which went viral in March 2021. Billboard magazine called Kabs' singing as having "so much emotion".[138]

In 1997, Jennifer Lopez (pictured) starred as Selena in the biopic film. Lopez dramatized Selena's live performances of "Como la Flor", which were considered one of the highlights of the film.[139]

A.B. found "Como la Flor" to be ahead of its time.[4] When writing for Amor Prohibido (1994), he found it challenging to meet expectations after the commercial success of Entre a Mi Mundo and "Como la Flor".[82][140] When A.B. met with record executives in New York City and Nashville, they pressured him to come up with another successful song. He stressed that writing a successful song following "Como la Flor" was infeasible—as he expressed to Billboard, "you don't try to outdo a hit, you just write another hit".[141] "Como la Flor" has since been regarded as Selena's signature song, her "trademark", and has become a posthumous epithet and swan song,[142][48] and her most popular recording.[143][144][145] "Como la Flor" has enjoyed international success,[146][147] and Selena's dominance on the Latin music charts in the 1990s is credited to it.[140] It is one of her "most celebrated song" and has become part of the Texas musical cannon.[29] A Santa Ana Orange County Register writer described "Como la Flor" as a Cinderella story, finding lyrical parallels to Selena's life saying that "by the time she blosommed, her life was cut short."[148] Cathy Ragland of the Austin American Statesman agreed, comparing "Como la Flor" to Selena as being "a metaphor for her life- a beautiful, delicate creature",[149] as did Raul Reyes of USA Today.[150] According to Jessica Roiz of Billboard magazine, "Como la Flor" has "universal appeal" along with "Dreaming of You" (1995) and "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom" (1994).[38] Burr also felt that "Como la Flor", among other recordings by Selena, has "instant appeal".[33] Selena felt that "Como la Flor" was her "very first big record and the one that started making things click [for her and the band]".[151] Selena's popularity grew substantially following the songs release.[20] According to Parédez, "Como la Flor" resonated with Latinos.[152] It established Selena within in the Tejano music market; who previously dismissed the singer.[153] "Como la Flor" established Selena as a commercial threat in the Tejano music market.[81] Along with "La Carcacha" and "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom", "Como la Flor" catapulted Selena into fame within the Tejano field.[154] It is considered a career-launching song that introduced Selena into the realm of the Latin pop market.[155]

Music executive Cameron Randle of Arista Records, believed it was the utilization of cumbia music that opened the doors for Selena. The genre is considered a "musical passport" into Latin America. Tejano cumbia constructed a strip-down accordion-driven conjunto style of cumbia music. Selena transculturated Tejano cumbia by adding ska, reggae, hip-hop, and funk into her repertoire. With the additions of African American music into Tejano cumbia, Selena was able to tap into the underexplored cultural similarities shared between Mexican Americans and African Americans.[15] "Como la Flor", along with "Baila Esta Cumbia" (1990) and "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom", helped bridged Tejano music and Latin pop, it gave Tejano a "far brighter spotlight" in the public consciousness and marked the emergence of Latin pop.[156] Leila Cobo found the recording as an example of what Selena did best, along with "La Carcacha".[157] Throughout the 1990s, "Como la Flor" and "La Carcacha" were songs constantly played at parties in Latino communities in the United States and Mexico.[158] Selena bridged her Mexican American roots with her American heritage with songs such as "Como la Flor" and "La Carcacha".[159] Songs such as "La Carcacha" and "Como la Flor", allowed Selena to "conquer Mexico" in the 1990s.[160] Christian Wallace of Texas Monthly suggested "Como la Flor" as a possible contender in being an official state song for Texas, noting its relevancy at quinceaneras and proms in the state of Texas for the past two decades.[35] After staff of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution compiled their list of the 100 greatest songs of the southern United States, they left out the states of Texas and Louisiana from their list citing that the two states required their own such lists. Staff members Shane Harrison, Nick Marino, and Sonia Murray chose "Como la Flor" as one of Texas' vast musical contributions to popular music.[161]

In 1996, Joe Nick Patoski of The New York Times published a biography of Selena entitled Selena: Como la Flor.[162] The biography is considered "the most insightful portrayal [of Selena.]" by literature critics.[163] The city of Corpus Christi erected a life-size bronzed statue called Mirador de la Flor, years after its inception the city provided speakers above the statue which plays "Como la Flor".[164] In 1997, Warner Bros. released Selena staring Jennifer Lopez as the title role. In a scene in the film, Selena handles a rowdy crowd at a fair by performing a downtempo version of "Como la Flor". Lopez portrays Selena's live performances of "Como la Flor"; after the opening chords "crest and fall", she slowly sings the chorus of the song "taking her time with each phrase." She then pulls the microphone away before the final line and dramatically pauses before "casting her performative spell" before the song transitions into an upbeat song.[36] Billboard called the scene one of the top eight moments from the film.[139] During an interview with the BBC, director Gregory Nava opined that people in Europe would have been singing along to "Como la Flor" had Selena lived longer.[165] A perfume bottle bearing the name of the song was released through Selena Etc. in April 1997, the scents were picked out by Selena before her death.[166] "Como la Flor" was included in the list of "girl power" songs of the Los Angeles Times celebrating International Women's Day in 2020.[167] Roiz believes that "Como la Flor" is a "must-have [song] in anyone's playlist."[43] In 2016, MAC cosmetics unveiled their Selena collection that featured a lipstick called "Como la Flor". Selena's sister Suzette Quintanilla felt that the lipstick is a "beautiful red-tone color, a signature color that my sister would wear when performing onstage."[168] Greg Gonzalez, singer-songwriter of Cigarettes After Sex, wrote "Kiss It Off Me" (2019) which is inspired by "Como la Flor".[169] In December 2020, to promote Selena: The Series, Netflix asked people to upload videos of themselves lip-syncing to "Como la Flor" with the hashtag "TodosComoLaFlor". Participants began uploading their videos on TikTok, reaching 250 videos per hour, a Guinness World Record.[170] "Como la Flor" was used in the second season of the HBO drama Euphoria.[171]

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Entre a Mi Mundo.[4]

• "Como la Flor" visual video on YouTube