The Come And Get It singer previously admitted she has trouble letting her guard down because of the nature of show business, telling New York radio station Z100 earlier this summer (15), "I don't trust anyone... It's something that I have to live with and I have to find the balance of who I want in my life and who isn't good for me."

Now, in a new interview with Billboard magazine, Selena says she's slowly but surely letting herself be more free, and it's largely thanks to Taylor and their close-knit group of female friends.

"Taylor makes me feel empowered, like I can trust new people," she says. "All of those girls are so dope. We ran around taking pictures, changing dresses, dancing - super-cliche girly stuff, but it rocked. The way she cares about women is so adamant. It's pulling me out of my shell."

Among the members of the Bad Blood star's celebrity "squad" are models Cara Delevingne, Karlie Kloss, Martha Hunt, and Gigi Hadid, who recently gushed about her crew of strong women.

"We want to be the generation and the group of friends known for supporting each other," Gigi tells Elle Canada. "'Squad Goals' is a big social-media thing right now, and that's what we want to inspire in other groups of friends - to be proud of the power you all have when you're together, which can be amplified so much by each person. That's what has been cool about everyone's willingness to be there for each other.

"We don't want to be like other generations who are infamous for their cattiness. That was cool and it worked for them and they were great. We just want to be the new generation."