For all its heavy messaging, lightness actually feels like the album’s hallmark: an anti-weighted blanket of breathy vocals and zero-gravity synths that consistently float above pop’s sonic slipstream.
Rare proves that when she has strong songs and the producers get a little weird, she's just enough outside the mainstream to sound fresh.
Gomez re-enters public life with grace and clarity, two very rare finds indeed.
Rare is an album about liberation and finding your own path and Gomez sounds more confident and bold than she ever has.
Gomez is a force, an artist who continues to fight her bad odds, and is finally letting us get a little closer to the battle.
Selena Gomez’s third album is a smooth and confident pop record that delves deep—but not that deep—into heartbreak, resilience, and self-love.
Gomez’s return is filled with some great pop music, but falls short of what we suspect she’s capable of.
There is a lot to like about Rare. But it never quite gets out from beneath the shadow of half a decade of behemothic bangers.
Blips aside, ‘Rare’ is a beautifully confident return from one of pop’s most underrated stars, and a quietly defiant wrestling back of the narrative surrounding her.
Despite glimmers of authenticity throughout the album, it’s hard to discern who Gomez is, musically or otherwise.
God, I hope this doesn't get lost in the absolutely massive sea of bots.
What an absolute hypocritical trash can. Listen, I'm aware that Selena has gone through an incredibly difficult time, and I definitely feel for that. Plus, she seems like a genuinely sweet and down to earth person in interviews. But god, this album makes zero sense. 75% of the tracks are her talking about how she's not going to let anyone walk all over her and learn from her mistakes. And then, the other 25% is her ... read more
GREAT!
I only came for Cudi... but then I realized the rest of the record is pretty heat!
Selena Gomez, for those who are living under a rock... used to be your everyday teenage witch and had gone by "Alex Russo". She lived happily with her two parents and her siblings, and they would often catch up on mischief and go on wacky adventures all the time.
Until one day Disney decided that they should go ahead and have their own full-length film called "Wizards of Waverly Place ... read more
It's not bad, but sure it could have been a lot better. Lose You To Love me should have been the closing track and A Sweeter Place the opening one. Other than that, the first half is considerably more consistent and entertaining compared to the second half. Lyrically it's not out of this world but it's her most personal album to date
1. Rare (8.0/10)
2. Dance Again (8.0/10)
3. Look At Her Now (7.5/10)
4. Lose You To Love Me (10/10)
5. Ring (3.0/10)
6. Vulnerable (8.0/10)
7. People You Know (8.5/10)
8. Let Me Get Me (6.5/10)
9. Crowded Room (6.0/10)
10. Kinda Crazy (7.0/10)
11. Fun (5.5/10)
12. Cut You Off (6.0/10)
13. A Sweeter Place (5.5/10)
1 | Rare 3:40 | 74 |
2 | Dance Again 2:50 | 72 |
3 | Look At Her Now 2:42 | 66 |
4 | Lose You To Love Me 3:26 | 82 |
5 | Ring 2:28 | 70 |
6 | Vulnerable 3:12 | 76 |
7 | People You Know 3:14 | 68 |
8 | Let Me Get Me 3:09 | 59 |
9 | Crowded Room 3:06 with 6LACK | 73 |
10 | Kinda Crazy 3:32 | 63 |
11 | Fun 3:09 | 52 |
12 | Cut You Off 3:02 | 72 |
13 | A Sweeter Place 4:23 feat. Kid Cudi | 71 |
#5 | / | Idolator |
#5 | / | People |
#22 | / | Billboard |
#24 | / | Rolling Stone |
#30 | / | Uproxx |
#45 | / | The Guardian |