1/16/2020

Pop Review: Selena Gomez-Rare

Release Date: January 10, 2020
Label: Interscope Records
The new year means brand new music. However, January is typically light on the full-length masterpieces that grace our speakers and vinyl needles. While there still were not many big releases so far, Selena Gomez bursts into 2020 in defining herself during the upcoming next decade. The album maintains a positive tone inside Rare. The title track ushers in an old touch of ‘50s style music, getting the listener pumped up at the same time.

After a 3-year long hiatus from the music scene, her confidence exudes deep in the lyrics of tracks like “Vulnerable.” “Lose You to Love Me,” and “Dance Again.” You might as well dance all the way to track four, “Lose You to Love Me,” because it shifts into a self-reflection in still keeping with a positive, flowing attitude. From acoustic to mainstream Pop, “Ring” and “Vulnerable” respectively, give the listener a dose of two sides of the same coin with Gomez. We get some clever wordplay on “Ring” and, “Vulnerable” lets in traditional Top 40 elements.

“People You Know” keeps up with the mystical sound of the record as it’s not something many are used to hearing in a typical pop record. Feeling like I’ve entered a club all of the sudden, “Let Me Get Me” hits your eardrums with a ‘get on the floor and shake’ sensation. There are few tracks on Rare that give off an emotional or sensual tone, as it seems Selena seems to capture a more upbeat outlook for her mind and music going forward. “Crowded Room,” featuring rapper 6LACK exhibits how some people go from strangers to lovers overnight. “Kinda Crazy” tells of a lover’s suddenly odd behavior and putting an end to it before things escalate to a point of no return. At the same time, there’s just something about this person that is hard to overlook.

Rounding out the album, are three tracks that have their own unique pattern. “Fun” is exactly that, the clap-along-beat stays along the same lines as its acoustic partner “Ring.” It is a cool, up-tempo song that can lift any mood. “Cut You Off,” briefly aligns Gomez with imagery of Alanis Morissette. For those who like an Alternative/Indie style of Pop, this track is a no-mercy, changeup that makes you think twice about how someone might be treating you. Lastly, joined by renowned rapper, Kid Cudi, Gomez celebrates getting to the final destination she’s been searching for over the past 3 years.

Clearly, Selena Gomez is making all the right moves to set herself apart from her childhood and many of her youth co-stars in the way she is developing herself as an artist. While she certainly stays within the realm of Pop, she has no trouble diving into Indie flavors, especially on this new record. And that might just be what fits her best. But, like all young and developing artistry, it is always incomplete; for it always leaves room for experimentation and new creation.

Gregg Keniston – Muzikman.net Staff
January 10, 2020


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Tracks:
01. Rare
02. Dance Again
03. Look At Her Now
04. Lose You to Love Me
05. Ring
06. Vulnerable
07. People You Know
08. Let Me Get Me
09. Crowded Room (feat. 6LACK)
10. Kinda Crazy
11. Fun
12. Cut You Off
13. A Sweeter Place (feat. Kid Cudi) 

 

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