Album Review: Rare | Selena Gomez

This is Album #1/20 that I listened to for my 2020 challenge. My initial goal was to listen to each album at least 5 times, but now I am going to try and aim for at least 8 listens. I listened to this album 8 times.

Here are some quick stats about Rare by Selena Gomez:

• Album #3 (solo); Album #6 (if you include Selena Gomez & the Scene)

• Released January 10, 2020 (Last album release 2015)

• Album length: 41:53, 13 tracks

• Peaked at #1 on US Billboard 200 (7 weeks on chart so far)

• Genre: Pop

• Metacritic score: 76/100

I definitely had a good time listening to this album. I don't think I was expecting to like this album as much as I did.

Here is the track list. Songs with a star next to them are my favorites on the album. Bolded songs are songs that I didn't like. Unformatted songs are songs that I thought were okay/fine.

1. Rare**

2. Dance Again

3. Look At Her Now*

4. Lose You To Love Me*

5. Ring

6. Vulnerable*

7. People You Know

8. Let Me Get Me

9. Crowded Room (feat. 6lack)

10. Kinda Crazy

11. Fun

12. Cut You Off

13. A Sweeter Place (feat. Kid Cudi)

"Rare" was my favorite song by far. I have added that to my personal playlist. I will definitely continue listening to that song in the future. "Ring" got to be a little annoying to me. The "okay" songs were very basic to me. There wasn't really anything special about them. And "Let Me Get Me" was annoying because it was even more basic than all the others. The two songs that I don't like aren't terrible, they're just a little too generic to me.

Selena seems like a sweet girl and I'm not trying to be too harsh with her. But, my problem that I have (and that I have had for awhile) with her is that I don't understand why she keeps being given all these hit songs. I like her songs, but I think they would be better suited being performed by a better singer and dancer. This is why I didn't really have too much hope for this album. She's not a really strong singer/performer, and she also seems to have very little input on creative decisions such as the song writing process. She is listed as a writer for every song on the album, but it is along with 3-5 other writers. As I've said in the past, when there's that many writers in the room, I don't really give the main artist much credit.

Overall I did enjoy the album. The only particularly negative thing that I would say about it is that it was a little basic. I would like to see more risks being taken and more originality and creativity.

My rating system is based off of how much I enjoyed the album. A 5/10 means I thought it was okay. I would give this album a 6/10. I will probably go back occasionally and listen to it in the future. I will at least continue listening to a few of the songs.

Have you listened to this album? I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.