Selena Gomez Releases Anticipated "Rare" Album: A Journey About Getting Over Justin Bieber and Finding Herself (Review)
Selena Gomez released her anticipated album, “Rare” on January 10th, coming after a four year hiatus off full length projects, a life threatening kidney transplant, and her famous ex-Justin Bieber leaving her for Hailey Baldwin. Here is Selena Gomez’s response to those highlighting moments of the past five years.
Rare
This song starts off with a mid-tempo 80s beat and it reminds me of her 2017 drop “Bad Liar.” I like the lyrics, but the post-chorus and the lead into the second verse is very messy. I hate when the beat is louder than the singer. It’s a nice introduction to the album, but the beat—KEEP IT. The chorus SAVES the song.
it seems like you don’t care, why don’t you recognize I’m so rare
Also please God, someone tell me what Melanie Martinez song that the chorus sounds like.
Dance Again
From the start, this song reminds me of the opening of Melanie Martinez’s song “Principle.” This is good for Selena because I dearly enjoy Melanie’s music. This song sounds like it would be great if it was played in a montage or commercial. It’s very pop and made for twirling. It does kind of getting annoying since she says “feels so good to dance again” 400 times. Overall it’s a cute song.
I kickstart the rhythm, all the drama's in remission no, I don't need permission
Look At Her Now
This song is a grower, even if the lyrics are stupid.
“Of course she was sad, but now she’s glad”
It sounds like an 8 year old trying to write a song and using words just because they rhymed together. I hate the bridge of this song—it’s like if 2007 merged into 2014. The only reason her fans love this song is because they feel bad for her so they’re trying to desperately believe the lyrics. Selena is also trying to desperately believe those lyrics, but the lyrics are so cringey.
And the mm-mm-mm-mmmm—no thank you. But sometimes I am in the mood to listen to an annoying song and this would be my pick.
Lose You to Love Me
Lose You to Love Me is arguably the best song on the album. This song isn’t typical Selena because there aren’t random bolts of beats or mhms or la la la’s. This song is well thought out and well produced. The lyrics are heartfelt and the chorus isn’t annoying despite the generic “lose you to love me” theme. The lyrics are absolutely heart wrenching and if I was going through a breakup, I would have bawled my eyes out to this song.
Once you ignore the tactful release of this song to combat the Bieber wedding, it actually is a beautiful song.
Only an icon would deliver such greatness.
To love, love, yeah To love, love, yeah To love, yeah I needed to lose you to love me, yeah
We did an in depth review of this song so check it out below.
Ring
Not to disrespect Selena, but this song gives me Camila Cabello vibes. This song is actually amazing. It’s something different from Selena. It’s literally just a song about how guys are obsessed with her. Evil queen. There’s not much to say about this song besides the fact that it’s amazing and the lyric “Yeah, I received your message, all twenty three” lol ended Justin. This song is sultry and fun. This song is actually the best on the entire album, LYTLM can take spot #2.
Also can we take a moment to laugh at her fans for thinking this song was gonna shade Jailey? They literally THOUGHT that the ring that Justin gave Hailey, was Selena’s first. They made up this thought and ran with it as a fact. Y’all think you know everything. Delusional and stupid.
Anyways, the song is flawless. I already have an idea for a live performance if Team Gomez wants to run a check.
Wrapped 'round my finger like a ring, ring, ring They just like puppets on a string, string, string
Vulnerable
This song lowkey sounds like a Taylor Swift reject. This song is okay it’s very forgettable. It literally starts off with Selena in your face and you have no idea what the hell she’s talking about. The beat triggers me because it reminds me of something that would play in Forever 21. Overall, it’s a cute song, but I feel like the beat and lyrics don’t match. She could’ve made this song a ballad like LYTLM, but we know two ballads is already one too many for Sel!
The production ruins the song. Selena sings in like 5 different singing styles and it’s like “am I listening to Taylor Swift? Halsey? Melanie Martinez? Selena Gomez? The world may never know.”
People You Know
This song seems like a grower, but I don’t know how I feel about the chorus.
“People can go from people you know to people you don’t” it’s like thanks for stating the obvious?
There doesn’t seem like there is much creativity in some of these songs. I love the bridge and the whole “Dum-dum-dum, da-da-dum-dum-dum” vibe she has going on in the song—but that’s literally it for this song. Again, thirty different singing styles. Is it Selena? Lorde? Billie Eilish? I don’t know!!
People can go from people you know to people you don't
Let Me Get Me
If you like the fast paced song “Me & My Girls” on Selena’s last album Revival, you are going to like this song as well. It has a similar fast pace beat and similarity in composition. I actually really like this song. The lyrics are surprisingly kind of meaningful and it’s almost like Selena is sending a message to herself. Some Melanie Martinez jumps out as well and has me going “Melanie???” but as we can see so far from this album, Selena is apparently singing in 80 different singing voices. They lyrics kind of talk about HER bringing HERSELF down which is nice that she’s finally gained some sort of self awareness 27 years later.
There is also a dance break so hopefully if Selena gets to perform this song, she’ll give us a better dance break than the one she did for Same Old Love at the 2015 American Music Awards.
Ah ooh, don't get me down, I won't let me get me
Crowded Room feat. 6LACK
There is something off about this song. I like it.. it’s very calm and that is probably what’s throwing me off. I like how soft her voice sounds in this song, and I often don’t compliment Selena’s voice. Can’t believe she snapped. Once again, I dislike the bridge. It’s like she threw some words on a paper and said “and here’s the bridge!” Then Selena does whisper towards the end of the song BUT rightfully so! 6lack’s part is so forgettable I keep forgetting he’s even on this song.
However, I am gonna say that Selena is not gonna be able to sing this song live. The song itself sounds SO incomplete. It’s peaceful, but weird somehow.
Baby, it's just me and you, Baby, it's just me and you, Just us two, Even in a crowded room
Kinda Crazy
Melanie???? I’m kidding lmaoo…well not really. SOME parts of the song sort of sound like Melanie Martinez’s song, “Lunchbox Friends.” Now it could be my ears playing me, but I’m not mad at this. What I find funny is the lyrics “Hey, you're the one who started talkin' to me, Made the move, asked me to be your babe, And now you're treatin' me like I'm insane, You're insane” This is probably how Selena felt after Jelena had one of their many many arguments. “I’m not crazy!!11!! ur crazy!!” To be honest this song is okay. I can’t listen to it without getting a little bored.
The chorus sounds like Melanie Martinez’s songs, but I can’t put my finger on it. Also, this sounds like it would be Selena’s reply to Justin Bieber’s “What Do You Mean?” but hopefully we leave Jelena in the last decade because I’m tired.
I think you’re kinda crazy, And not the good kind, baby, 'Cause you're actin' super shady
Fun
Whenever Selena talks about her songs she always without fail describes them as “fun.” So I’m glad she finally has a song with the title “Fun.”
This song is okay, it’s nothing special. The lyrics are blah, the beat gives me Cheetah Girls meets Hilary Duff. I guess it’s literally just a…..”fun” song.
You look like…..fun.
Cut You Off
As song as this song stars, Selena is already in my ears. She starts before the beat starts.
This is a mid-tempo song and it’s painful for me to listen to. It’s not horrible, but it’s like she picked such sad lyrics and had the opportunity to not give us a beat from 2015 and then said never mind!” The song isn’t anything special and it’s very easily forgettable, which I blame the production for.
A Sweeter Place Ft. Kid Cudi
This song has been stuck in my head for 8 hours. The beat defines the defintion of being radio friendly. It sounds like another of her “Back To You” songs. This song sounds like it was made for the end credits of a movie. There is something about it that lacks foundation, but like I said it’s not horrible—it’s just okay. It’s also 4 minutes long which was PAINFUL. It’s like her team said “Kid Cudi?! Milk it.” This is probably the closest thing Selena will get to R&B.
There must be a sweeter place, We can sugarcoat the taste
This gif montage looks like it could be its music video.
Target + Japanese and Vinyl Edition.
This edition includes Selena’s droplet songs throughout the years: Bad Liar, Fetish, It Ain’t Me, Back To You, and Wolves. The vinyl edition includes a studio version of “Feel Me,” a song she lied about writing.
I’m not really interested in reviewing those songs because this album gave me a headache.
Final Thoughts
My main issue with this album is its lack of cohesivity. It seems like a BUNCH of songs from different eras of music, thrown together and slapped on an album. Most of the songs have one element instead of the whole package. It’ll be like, the bridge is good on this song, but the chorus sucks. The lyrics are awesome, but the production doesn’t match. The album does not flow as I thought it would and it just needed more focus. It did too much, resulting in doing nothing at all.
I think this album contains a lot of growers, but the majority of the songs are very forgetful unless you force yourself to remember them. The top three songs on this album have to be:
Ring
Lose You To Love Me
Let Me Get Me or Rare
Where is the personal story? The growth?
In the past four years, Selena went through a lot. Like honestly, she did. However, I didn’t see that reflected in this album. She cried more over Bieber than her kidney transplant. There was no mention of the literal life or death kidney transplant. I know I say she got that because of drugs, but despite the reason, where is the emotion or the physical pain that she was put through. Why is that journey not reflected in this album? Why not have a song about girl power or sisterhood since she loves preaching that? There was nothing about this album that TAUGHT ME ANYTHING ABOUT SELENA. She didn’t let the fans in like she said she would. It was an album made for a montage of movies. Don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t suck. But like what was the point? Four years for what? To hear Selena sing in different impersonations about random ass experiences that everyone faces?
Keep it.
6 out 10 stars
I’m going to start rating out of ten. In comparison, Revival is an 8.
Do you agree with our review? What are your thoughts on the album? Leave a comment down below. You can comment anonymously so take advantage of that.
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