6/10
Favorite Track: "Ring" Least Favorite Track: "Let Me Get Me"
Regardless of your opinion of her, if you were born after the year 2000, you are most likely very familiar with the name Selena Gomez. Be it her Disney Channel endeavours, relationship with Justin Bieber, or her music career, most are in some way aware of who Gomez is. Musically I can’t say that I have been much of a fan up to this point. For that reason I didn’t have high expectations as I began to dissect her newly released third studio album: Rare. However, after listening to this album countless times I can confidently say that this project is much better than I anticipated it to be. The album opens with two of it’s strongest tracks with the title track, followed by “Dance Again”. I especially love the exciting blend of house, electronic music, and pop provided on “Dance Again”. The track also has this electric bassline that is absolutely infectious. This album is not only Selena’s most ambitious outing to date in terms of sonics and lyrical content, it is also commendable to note that this album took nearly four years to complete. Gomez apparently had another project finished that she eventually scrapped in place of Rare, this explains why the project is far more polished than anything else she has released up until this point. However, despite this album having its moments, it really slows down in the second half. Most of the songs past the midway point are very forgettable and just come off as filler. Examples that come to mind are bland moments like “Let Me Get Me”, “Kinda Crazy”, and “Crowded Room”. When juxtaposed with sassy, trap infused, and attitude full bangers, like “Ring” this album really becomes a mixed bag of a listen. A good portion of Rare is too forgettable to be enjoyed multiple times but that doesn’t erase the fact that there are plenty of creative tracks here that really are worth your time, and that's more than I can say about any other Selena Gomez release, and in my book that’s an improvement.
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