Complex sentence: Despite her earlier statements, Gomez first confirmed in October 2012 that work had begun on an upcoming album, and later said it would be her solo debut album, rather than her band's fourth album.
Split into simpler sentences: Despite her earlier statements, Gomez confirmed in October 2012 that work had begun on an upcoming album. Gomez later confirmed that the album would be her solo debut album, rather than her band's fourth album.