Selena Gomez wasted no time this new year dropping her highly anticipated third-solo studio album “Rare” on January 10th. Since then, the pop sensation has gotten an overwhelming amount of love from fans and critics for her lyricism; highlighting her vulnerability and advocating for self-love in the tracks. It has been five years since the release of Gomez’s last album Revival, and during that gap of time, fans were expecting a harmonious comeback from the beloved singer (which Gomez delivered!) And while Rare is an album that should be listened to through and through, here are five must-listen-to songs that deserve praise a round of applause of their own!
- “Lose You to Love Me”
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Without a doubt, Lose You To Love Me is Selena’s most memorable and vulnerable songs to date. Although Selena’s vocals are not highly regarded during her piano ballads; the authenticity behind her lyricism was the key to setting this song apart from the rest. Lose You To Love Me is about losing love, but regaining one’s self in the process. An aching declaration of where Selena is now, and how she pieced herself back together after a relationship that had stripped her from her self-worth. The song also earned its spot as Selena’s first No. 1 on the Billboards Hot 100’s Chart, making history for the singer while simultaneously acting as an anchor for anyone who was or is going through something similar.
- “Ring”
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Now here comes one of Selena’s classic feminist anthems she is notorious for. The Latin-esque single is inspiring, and the tone is all about being the girl-boss in a relationship while not giving the upper hand to anyone but yourself. Compartivitively to ballads such as Lose You To Love Me, this is a song that fans of Gomez have praised due to it being transparent and unique from what Gomez has produced in the past.
- “Cut You Off”
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For anyone that has endured a toxic relationship, (which I’m sure we all have) this is the song for you! Not only will the catchiness of the song be enough to entice you to listen, but the song also gives clarity to those who were in similar dilemmas. Putting all into a relationship and not getting enough of what you deserve in return is one of the worst feelings in the world, and Selena wraps all of that emotion into one no B.S. anthem.
- “Rare”
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Although the lyrics are simplistic and might not be as diverse as others on the record, the message (once again) speaks for itself. For anyone going through a breakup, or period of time that you might be feeling less than, this song will remind you of all that you are worth! It makes perfect sense that she would name her album after a word that speaks so much volume to the person she sees herself as today.
- “Vulnerable”
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After all Selena has gone through with previous relationships and heartbreak, vulnerable feels like a song that explains best where she is at today. Focusing on strength and taking leaps of faith, this song is particularly inspirational in that Selena takes ownership of how she tends to put herself in the position to be hurt in relationships. Despite giving others that kind of power, she concludes that she would not trade that for being less attached to her heart. I feel as though this song is the most transparent in that it puts her feelings on the table, like a diary for all to see.
Although this album is by no means a masterpiece, it excels in resonating with listeners and encourages them to choose self-love above all.