Selena Gomez’s
Rare
, released Jan. 10, is her first album in four years and is a powerful record focused on personal growth and emotional vulnerability. Her authenticity has been welcomed by fans, as the LP debuted at №1 on the Billboard Top 200. With
Rare
, Gomez has released three solo studio albums, 25 singles, one compilation album, and three other top ten albums with her band Selena Gomez and The Scene.
Gomez has had a career full of high-profile relationships, hit TV shows, and catchy singles that had fans singing “Kill ’Em with Kindness,” “Come & Get It,” “We Don’t Talk Anymore,” and “Love You Like a Love Song.” Recently, fans have been enjoying some of the most revealing songs of her career. The single “Lose You to Love Me” reached №1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
It has been four years since her last record, which means that Selena had not yet artistically worked through her breakups with The Weeknd or long time on-and-off-again boyfriend Justin Bieber. These relationships had paparazzi and fans of all three stars heavily invested in her romantic life, and this took a deep emotional toll on Gomez, who dealt with lupus and received a kidney transplant in the summer of 2017. Ready to ring in the new decade and leave behind the troubles of the past,
Rare
is Selena’s signal that she is ready to move on.
Gomez dropped “Lose You to Love Me” on Oct. 23 as a teaser that a new album was on the way. That powerful ballad was followed by upbeat, inspirational single “Look at Her Now,” which was released the very next day on Oct. 24. The excitement over these songs explains the success of the entire album. In addition to hitting №1,
Rare
climbed above rapper Roddy Rich’s strong three week standing at №1 with his album
Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial
.
Selena’s smashing success with the project she’s described as “the most important album [she’s] ever released” has inspired me to rank each song on
Rare
from my least favorite to favorite, in the hopes you will give them all a listen.
13. “Let Me Get Me”: A typical pop song, it does not surprise anyone that this is coming from Selena, making it my least favorite. In a very on-brand move, Selena demands space to define herself. The most memorable lyric is “Take that tired heart and turn it inside out,” which has a talented, impressive, vocal touch that is still worth a listen.
12. “A Sweeter Place” (feat. Kid Cudi): With little powerful, emotional messaging here, this is a forgettable but whimsical song that features a fun collaboration with Kid Cudi. Gomez explains there must be a “sweeter place” where she can “French kiss [her] worries away.”
11.“Crowded Room”(feat. 6LACK): A nice love song where, despite being in a room full of people at a party, Selena says that “Baby it’s just me and you,” confessing her love and undivided attention for her partner.
10. “Fun”: The era of committed relationships may be over for a little while for the 27-year-old. After all the heartbreak, Selena wants to let herself go and indulge: “You may not be the one/but you look like fun.” Allowing herself to let go and have fun is a theme of the album, and the anticipation and pause before the word “fun” makes the song more memorable.
9. “Ring”: Asserting her power and how her lovers are wrapped around her like a ring, Selena establishes herself above them. When they come crawling back, she says, “Yeah, I received your message, all twenty-three/You know I’m Jordan with it, G-O-A-T,” in one of the most epic lines of the album.
8. “Kinda Crazy”: A song that is close in melody, vocals and beat, to Doja Cat’s “Say So,” the iconic TikTok song. A playfull Selena says, “I think you’re kind of crazy/And not the good kind, baby/’Cause you’re acting super shady.” A comedic jab at one of her exes, Gomez first teased a song of this name back in 2016, and it was worth the wait.
7. “People You Know”: Here, Selena addresses her exes again and says, “We used to be close, but people can go/from people you know to people you don’t.” Her smooth, simple vocals shine as she shares this lesson.
6. “Cut You Off”: A comedic song where Selena blunty explains her letting go of former lovers and creates an entertaining listen that encourages self-love. The start-again-stop-again abruptness of “So I gotta get you out of my head now/I just cut you off” is a must-listen for someone who needs to get rid of toxicity in their life.
5. “Dance Again”: Letting go of former troubles, in this song Selena says, “It feels so, feels so, good to dance again,” celebrating taking back her life and owning her own narrative. The repetition is sure to stick in your head — something ESPN has caught on to, as it is a regular lead-in to commercial breaks during their programming.
4. “Rare”: Although the title track and its fun music video seems less epic or emotional compared to the preceding songs, the lyrics “Why don’t you recognize I’m so rare?” and “Baby, don’t make me count up all the reasons to stay with you” is an inspiring message. Surround yourself with a partner who lifts you up instead of tearing you down. It encourages you to see yourself as rare and deserving of a partner who treats you as such.
3. “Look at Her Now”: A full party bop that places female empowerment in the spotlight. Easily something I could listen to over and over, the song encourages resilience in every way, especially after a break up. Selena sings, “At first she was sad/But now she’s glad she dodged a bullet/Took a few years to soak up the tears/But look at her now.” The perfect song to dance into the new year, its beat and tempo will have you singing to it all day long.
2. “Lose You To Love Me”: The first track to be released, its powerful lyrics and status as the only ballad on the album earned it the number two slot. Lyrics like “You promised the world and I fell for it” and “I put you first and you adored it” make the song, along with “Look at Her Now,” a not-so-subtle reference to her relationship with ex Justin Bieber; a relationship where she has said she was the “victim of [emotional] abuse.” This song is what the world needed to hear from Selena. Selena’s best friend and AMA Artist of the Decade, Taylor Swift , took to Instagram to congratulate Gomez on “Lose You”. She called the song a “triumph,” and that it is.
1.“Vulnerable”: Against some tough competition above, the lesson in this song is something I think our society needs to learn. In an interview on Ellen, Selena said, “When I was younger, I thought it was a weakness to be vulnerable… everybody seemed to be narrating my life for me.” However, through her vulnerability, she is now taking back control of her emotions and writing her own narrative. Moving from downtempo to a more upbeat bop and back again, the variance in tempo makes the song extra memorable. The lines, “If my love was like a flower would you plant it, would you grow it?” and “If the only other option’s letting go/I’ll stay vulnerable” tells listeners Gomez is embracing vulnerability over a toxic relationship — so she should, because it’s worth it. The lesson here, which lies within such a great song, is one I am sure would make influencers like Brené Brown, RuPaul Charles, and Oprah Winfrey extremely proud.
Rare
puts singers like Roddy Rich on notice. Watch out, because Selena is back and here to stay.
