5 year anniversary album review: Rare - Selena Gomez

Amir Kattach

Overall rating: 6.6/10

Is this Dance-Pop album truly “rare”, or did it fall short in making a profound statement?

5 years following her preceding album, “Revival” Selena Gomez released her 3rd studio album as a solo artist, Rare. The record, totalling over 40 minutes, features 13 tracks alongside features with artists Kid Cudi and 6lack. Rare brought Gomez her most critically-acclaimed song to date, “Lose You To Love Me”, a ballad surrounding themes of empowerment, vulnerability and self growth, earning her the number #1 spot in the charts of  Ireland, US and Canada. Despite the album having riveting sales chart performance at the time, it feels as though 5 years later, the majority of the album remains overlooked, appearing to have been unsuccessful at garnering any long-term listeners. An album described as a “diary” by Gomez herself, was “Rare” a diamond in the rough, or did it fall short in keeping fans listening?

Background of “Rare”

“Oh, why don’t you recognize I’m so rare?” - one of my personal favorite lyrics from the album, Gomez describes her relationship with the album, stating that the word rare is one that stood out to her, the meaning of it. She went out of her way to get the word “Rare” tattooed on her neck, showing her dedication and personal connection with this record. Her personal motivation for the nomenclature of the album comes behind her opinions on Social Media, citing how she felt as though everything online was based on looks,  and that there was lots of societal pressure in regards to the way people are to present themselves. She sought to craft a piece of work that represents an individual who affirms that people are unique, that they are rare and are to be appreciated. A different artistic direction from some of her previous works, as Selena had gone for a more teenager-esque sound with her first albums under the title “Selena Gomez and The Scene.”.  In an interview with Jason Lipschutz from billboard, Selena discusses her personal motivation behind the crafting of Rare. “I wanted a record that made people feel something” she says, “whether that was a hard relationship to get through, or gaining your confidence back, or being okay with just having fun. So there’s different layers to it, and I’m so grateful that it ended up becoming what it is now, after four and a half years.”

4 and a half years between her 2 albums, Gomez' personal journey between her albums Revival and Rare can be described as a rollercoaster. In 2017, Selena went through a Kidney transplant, as a result of her previous struggles with a medical condition known as Lupus. She had been in an on-and-off relationship with musician Justin Bieber between 2011 and 2018, and had dealt with 2 public breakups. In an interview with NPR, Gomez had also opened up about mental health struggles which all were the catalysts of her break from releasing music. Gomez continues to be an activist for mental health support, and despite going through a whirlwind of struggles in the span of 5 years, Selena Gomez was able to persevere and now wants to give back to those around her, and feels as though her struggles have made her a stronger person. The album itself, Rare, is her response to everything that brought her down, a rebuttal to the defeatism she had faced.

Album Evaluation

The opening track, named after the album’s title, “Rare”, provides a narration as to how she and an undisclosed partner have been growing distant, how she does her best and is present and supportive to them, while also questioning why she isn’t being appreciated for who she truly is. However, Gomez affirms how she knows she’s unique, especially by the lyric “But I know that I'm special”, and makes it clear that she can easily find another person to fill the gap her partner had left, especially by the lyrics “And I'll bet there's somebody else out there, to tell me I'm rare, to make me feel rare”. The lyrics as a whole are quite surface level, and are not necessarily anything to be in awe about. However, the instrumental is quite catchy, with the combination of drums and acoustic clicks keeping the listener engaged. Unfortunately, I felt as though the lyrics were very repetitive, almost a little too repetitive. The song suffices as an opening track, encouraging themes of confidence and independence that adequately transition into the remainder of the album. Leading into the second track, “Dance Again”, an electropop track that talks about how Gomez has her energy, her groove back and can dance again. I particularly enjoy the pre-chorus of this track, as a very catchy rhyme scheme is employed in the following, “I kickstart the rhythm, all the trauma's in remission, no, I don’t need permission”

These lyrics show how despite the trauma and struggles Gomez had faced within the performing the album, she is able to set it all aside and regain a sense of rhythm. The instrumental is also impressive, including some influences of dance-pop and electropop from the 2000s. As the album encapsulates the themes of self-love and acceptance, it works in matching the overall theme. “Look At her Now” is the 3rd track, which I personally have mixed emotions on. On one hand, the production remains one of the best on the album, as the instrumental is infectious in its energy. On the other hand, I feel as though there was lots of wasted potential in the lyrics, particularly the chorus. A large part of the song is simply the two lines, “Mm-mm-mm, mm-mm-mm, mm-mm, Look at her now, watch her go”, which I find to be a waste of the lyrics. However, the lackluster lyrics are redeemed by the albums’ 4th track, “Lose You To Love Me”, which is the standout track of the album. Discussing the letting go of a past relationship, the track reflects on the themes of betrayal, heartbreak and personal growth. In a sea of pop-songs, some of which are riddled with uninspired lyrics, this ballad pulls the listeners heart apart, full of raw emotions and impressive vocals. It makes sense why this song was so successful, as it can be related to by individuals of several age demographics. 

Unfortunately, after a high peak, we are again greeted with some more pop songs that despite having motivational, confidence-provoking messages, simply blend into the background. “Ring” , the album’s 5th song, a track with latin influence, flamenco-style guitar, is one I feel divided about as well. The chorus is the best part of the song, as a result of how catchy it is. I even find myself humming the melody sometimes. The problem with this, is that the lengthy chorus is repeated not 1… not 2… but 3 times. With the song being less than 2 minutes and a half, the chorus becomes quite repetitive after the 2nd time? If the chorus is especially long, then that probably means that the verses are bound to be quite thin and lackluster which is the case with this track. I appreciate the experimentation with the musical structure, but the lack of cohesion makes this song one I usually skip when streaming. Following Ring, “Vulnerable” is also a little more on the forgettable side, which breaks my heart to say. The meaning behind the track is quite significant in my opinion, as the message of being able to open up in a relationship, offering your true self with the lingering fear of judgment and being taken advantage of is one that is especially meaningful. However, I sadly find the execution to be mediocre at best, as the song fails to leave a lasting impression. I find that the problem with several of the songs discussed so far is the lack of a hook. Hooks are especially important, to disrupt the structure of the song, to keep the listener wondering what is coming next, but the repetitive structures are a recurring problem.

“People You Know” is the track that marks the middle of the album, being one of the more well-known songs on this record. The instrumental is quite good here as well, and I do enjoy the first verse in terms of the lyrical choices. The usage of the metaphor with water in the first lyrics is quite a good hook, “You were running through me like water, now the feeling's leaving me dry” and kept me engaged when initially listening. However, this potential was wasted as the 2nd half of the song is essentially the chorus being repeated over and over. I think the repetition in this track works a little better than in other tracks, as the more melancholic start is balanced by the upbeat second half, but it still makes the track leaving more to be desired. However, one of my favorite tracks, “Let Me Get Me” follows. Let Me Get Me discusses how Selena is finally at a state of freedom, how she doesn’t want to be hit by negativity after being set free from her struggles. I personally see similarities with “Dance Again”, and I especially enjoy the bridge as it really hooked me when listening, and it made for a very engaging song. The instrumental was quite multidimensional, and I regard this as one of the better tracks on this album despite it having streams that are on the lower end.

“Crowded Room” is the first track with a feature, particularly with 6lack. It has a relaxing, comforting feel, with a sensual undertone; talking about a strong attraction between her and someone else even in a crowded room. It doesn’t necessarily stand out, but I appreciate the mellow instrumental combined with some great vocals from Selena’s part. The next 3 tracks, “Fun”, “Kinda Crazy”, “Cut You Off” can all be grouped into one as they are quite similar, and coincidentally gathered similar numbers when it came to streaming. These are all fun (pun intended), pop songs that don’t really do too much, resembling a song you may hear on the radio. These songs aren’t offensive, but don’t really do anything for me either. The instrumentals are again, great, but they resemble each other, and to be put back to back makes them compile up to 10 minutes of just.. Same-ness. The closing track on the standard edition of the album. “A Sweeter Place” is accompanied by a feature with Kid Cudi. It deals with the topics of seeking clarity and needing to let go of fears, problems and allowing yourself to grow. The electronic instrumental is quite good on this track, and I find that Kid Cudi’s feature adds another dimension to the track. Definitely a good track to wrap the album, and just manages to get your attention after 10 minutes of playful, mundane  pop songs.

Overall, while there are some highs on this album, I feel as though there are some tracks that sound as if they were demos, and to the listener they appear unfinished. The Deluxe Edition of Rare, which is the same but the tracks “Feel Me”, “She”, “Boyfriend”, and “Souvenir”, has tracks that are generally much more substantiated and polished. My main problem with this album is that for an album that covers the themes of being rare, different, unique, it contains some tracks that just.. aren’t? Don’t get me wrong, “Lose You To Love Me”, “Dance Again” and “Let Me Get Me” all stand out, having qualities that set them apart from the sea of pop music and ballads that are out there. However, I feel as though the album’s problem is that it sounds a little too polished at some  parts. Being rare is about being who you are, and nobody lacks imperfections. Some of the tracks, particularly “Look At Her Now”, “Ring”, “Fun” and “Cut You Off” are a little more repetitive, and for songs that are supposed to have a message, they don’t portray the meaning properly. Rare as a whole is a great concept, one that stands out by making a statement against the expectations of the internet and social media, places that are generally very judgemental and critical. However, Rare also sounds as if it was made to please those same people, without taking many risks in the stylistic department, and several of the songs just sound like a song you would probably hear while shopping for a pair of Jeans. As a whole, there is merit to the album, but if Gomez really wanted to make this album… rare, more risks, more creativity and originality should have come into play.