Rare by Selena Gomez // 5 Year Anniversary Album Review
In many regards, Rare was a fresh start for Selena Gomez, a new chapter for her as she was ready to leave her past hardships behind and rediscover herself in a way like never before. On this album, she sings about her newfound independence and spreads a message of self-love and self-empowerment to all who listen. It shines a spotlight on all of the qualities that are within us all that make us each special and rare. Selena's strength and vulnerability shines through in everything she does and so much of this album puts an emphasis on not letting the past define her, instead learning from the experiences. During the process of creating this album, Selena was struggling with major health issues and Rare is truly a testament to her endurance and strength in overcoming that battle. Every song is so positive and joyous, it really is some of her best work yet. Conceptually it is very cohesive in that regard as well.
This album was the follow up to Revival, which was released five years prior in 2015. In an interview with Apple Music, Selena talked about why it took her so long to release another album; "I didn't want to release anything that was mine because I didn't feel like it was the right timing. I learned a lot from the last album and I wanted to take what I've learned and turn it into something even better," she said. "I'm glad I did, because this year everything kind of just started pouring out of me. I started saying things in a way that I've never been able to articulate them before, so it was actually exactly when it needed to happen."
There is speculation that Rare was once going in a much different direction than what ultimately was released in 2020. In 2018, Selena released a few songs that at the time were assumed to have been the lead singles attached to her then-untitled upcoming record. "Bad Liar" and "Fetish" weren't too far off from the sounds introduced on Revival, but they did have much darker and more surrealistic alternative pop undertones than she's ever done before. "Fetish" in particular is one of my favorite songs she ever released because it really did represent a new sound and style that she never really explored prior, but it suited her voice perfectly. Those two songs ultimately didn't make it onto Rare when it was initially released, although they were added to deluxe editions later. She also released a few other collaborations and songs for soundtracks around that time that were early indicators of the direction she was headed for the rest of her future album.
The official lead single for Rare served as a final farewell to the relationship that shaped much of her early adulthood - knowing that she has to fully leave that heartache behind to be able to step into the next chapter of her life. When the music video premiered, Selena wrote, "This song was inspired by many things that have happened in my life since releasing my last album. I want people to feel hope and to know you will come out the other side stronger and a better version of yourself." It beautifully introduces the main theme of this album - self-discovery. "Lose You To Love Me" is very specific and diaristic in a way that I have never heard her be in her music before, aside from "The Heart Wants What It Wants". It's very clear as to who this song is about and she really owns that part of it, especially as it was so public and widely publicized. She isn't being vague or sugarcoating her feelings at all in this song. "I saw the signs and I ignored it, rose-colored glasses all distorted, set fire to my purpose and I let it burn" and "In two months, you replaced us like it was easy, made me think I deserved it, in the thick of healing", are two particularly bluntly honest lyrics that best describe what she was going through at this time in her life. This song was a massive success and even marked her very first time topping the Billboard Hot 100. She opened up more than she ever has before on this song and the overwhelmingly positive response she received from the listeners really matches that. "And now the chapter is closed and done," she sings in the final verse, "and now it's goodbye, it's goodbye for us".
Apart from the commonly recurring theme of self-love and empowerment, "Lose You To Love Me" is largely an outlier on Rare as it's the only heavy and melancholic ballad on the album. Selena showcased the more prominent sonic direction the rest of the album would be going in by surprise releasing another single the following day called "Look At Her Now". Lyrically, it still focuses on the same heartache she was dealing with at the time by telling a condensed version of their entire love story and what ultimately went wrong. "They fell in love one summer, a little too wild for each other, shiny 'til it wasn't, feels good 'til it doesn't," Selena sings in the opening lines of the song. "It was her first real lover, his too 'til he had another". She sings about the long time it took her to get over this relationship, but now knows that one day she will find love again, but only when she knows she really wants to. Much of this album shines a light on the notion that no matter what you feel is dragging you down in your life right now, you'll be able to come out on the other side of it stronger than ever. In the pre-chorus she sings, "Took a few years to soak up the tears, but look at her now".
From that point forward in the album, Rare is primarily made up of really fun and empowering dance music. She worked with her friends and frequent collaborators, Julia Michaels and Justin Tranter, throughout most of the album, as well as several other writers and producers. I love the inclusion of the house, disco and dance-pop elements throughout, as well as the songwriting being some of the best of her career. It is very light and catchy, but holds a lot of meaning pertaining to the lessons she has learned in her life.
The narrative surrounding much of the album is knowing your own self-worth and surrounding yourself with people who value you. The thesis of Rare comes on the title track, which opens the album. She repeatedly sings, "Why don't you recognize I'm so rare?" In an interview with Apple Music, Selena explained the message of "Rare", "I think it was such a perfect description of how I think girls, or women, are meant to feel. It’s even acknowledging: I don't have it all, but I do know that I'm worth something. I'm not gonna settle and I’m gonna wait, 'cause there is something out there that is gonna give me that feeling that i deserve and I want." Selena added in another interview with Billboard, "It's just one of those things where it's a confidence thing, but without being cocky." That newfound confidence really is so evident when listening to this entire album. It is so clear how comfortable she was when making this album, and how so much of herself was poured into the creation of it.
"Dance Again" in particular sounds like a celebration of that personal revelation. It's such a fun and feel-good song about just wanting to finally let loose and be yourself again. "I kickstart the rhythm, all the trauma's in remission," she sings in the first verse. "Let Me Get Me" also follows that same train of thought later in the album too with lyrics like, "I'm in dance floor therapy," and "Me and this spiral are done, burn this camouflage I've been wearing for months, tryna let a little happy in for once". Other highlights from Rare include some of the other infectious dance tracks like "Ring" and "Kinda Crazy" - both of which are quite different than any other songs she released prior and are filled with sassy, clever lyricism.
Amidst all of the lighter moments on the album, Rare also dives into some more personal and introspective topics throughout as well. Selena really opens up about her past struggles and some of the hardships she has faced. On "People You Know", she is trying to process the painful truth that someone you love can turn into a stranger overnight, which can be interpreted in so many different ways and can apply to so many different situations. "And what hurts the most is people can go from people you know to people you don't," Selena sings in the chorus.
On "Vulnerable", she opens up about meeting someone new and wanting them to love her for who she is, with all of her flaws and weaknesses. "If I show you all my demons and we dive into the deep end, would we crash and burn like every time before?" she sings in the chorus. Despite the heartache she has experienced in the past, much of Rare is made up of the hope that she will find love again and someone who will truly accept her for who she is - but until then, she is just going to keep being herself and not let anyone change her. "Vulnerable" represents that notion perfectly. The verses of the song are also made up of a series of questions like; "If I was the greatest thing to happen to you, would you know it?" and "If I hand you my emotions, would you even wanna take it?" In an interview with Billboard, Selena said the meaning of the song is, "If I can give you all of myself, are you able to take that, and take care of that? And if you’re not, then I’m still gonna be who I am. I’m just not gonna have you in my life, but I’m gonna continue to be who I am."
The album closes with "A Sweeter Place", which is such a beautiful and hopeful note to end on. It's truly one of the best songs she ever released, it is so gorgeous in every regard. It also features Kid Cudi, whose vocals and production add so much to this song. "We will find our way, we'll find the things we seek," Kid Cudi sings at the end of his verse, "You see, I'm mesmerized, this is just for me and I am cuttin' ties, goodbye". They sing about finding a paradise to escape away to and leave the rest of the world behind in search of clarity, fearlessness and self-discovery.
After all that she has been through during the five years between the release of Revival and Rare, she thankfully was able to come out on the other side of it and was able to create this beautiful album as a symbol of that long journey it took to get here. "You'll really wanna know where I've been all this time, so lemme tell ya," she sings in the first verse, "Got two feet on the ground and felt what real is like...learnin' to breathe up in the clouds, far from the crowds...holdin' hands with the darkness and knowin' my heart is allowed". All of her music is so full of hope, but "A Sweeter Place" most of all represents her continued strength to get through hard times and an inspiration to everyone who has followed her journey. "A Sweeter Place" feels like such a symbolic way to close this chapter as she steps into a new stage of life.
In the past five years since its release in 2020, Rare has went on to become a very important album for Selena - fully ushering in the next stage of her life and career. Her brand Rare Beauty was released in late 2020, which went on to become the most successful venture of her career thus far. The brand has a focus on inclusivity through their product range and highlighting our inner beauty. With the creation of Rare Beauty, she also put an emphasis on mental health awareness, which has been a cause close to Selena's heart for many years and inspired the creation of Rare Impact Fund. Selena's repeated use of the word "rare" throughout her branding and the message behind it is so beautiful and so important.
She has released a couple of singles in the years that followed Rare, along with a Spanish-language EP in 2021, but other than that it seems that Selena will be taking a step back indefinitely from her music career. She has definitely made the shift into only working on the other creative ventures she is more passionate about. At least for now, Rare will probably be the last full-length album Selena is going to be making anytime soon. Her music has been a very big part of my life for a long time, her work defined so much of my childhood and teen years - I will forever have a special place in my heart for her and her music. She has since taken more of a focus on building her beauty empire and her acting career - both of which I have absolutely loved seeing her shine in over the years. I'm so excited to see all that Selena will continue to accomplish in those fields and am anticipating for her to hopefully return to music one day!
Thanks for reading! I would love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below! If you're interested in reading more about Selena Gomez, check out my review of Rare Beauty's best selling products + many more reviews of her music are coming very soon.
Photo Credit: Selena Gomez, Interscope Records
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