Following four years of dropping singles, Selena Gomez has returned with her first full album since 2015’s “Revival.” Released January 10th of 2020, “Rare” lies a bit over 40 minutes with 13 songs. Gomez teased the album with the single release of “Lose You To Love Me” at the end of 2019, produced by Mattman & Robin and FINNEAS—most known for writing and producing for his sister, Billie Eilish. An empowering message lies within the wistful melody, tender vocals making sense of healing, following the loss of a lover.
The album’s title track, “Rare,” dives into independence and self-love, as lyrical components explore being in a relationship with someone who may have not appreciated her uniqueness as a person. It’s a song about loving each and every one of your ticks and quirks, and Gomez had confirmed on her Instagram in 2018, that it’s her favorite song on the album.
The meat and potatoes of “Rare,” lie in the lyrical expressions of moving past a season of heartbreak or loss, and finding herself past the healing process (“Took a few years to soak up the tears but look at her now”). “Dance Again” beings with Gomez’s smooth vocals, ‘happiness ain’t something you sit back and wait for,’ before sliding into the electro-pop bop. Each track on the album mimics a celebratory emotional breakthrough, while maintaining catchy, sonic vibrations, bound to get you moving. In “Vulnerable,” Selena explores the event of her emotions being taken advantage of, and the decision to remain vulnerable rather than simply letting this person go. “People You Know” is about the transitional phase of a relationship, when someone close drifts away into a person you no longer know.
The record is consistent in its thematic sound with an underlying, self-empowering messages throughout, showing how Gomez has musically evolved since her early music career. With a fat production and writing team, “Rare” opens a new door for Selena Gomez’s discography.
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