Selena Gomez

Rare

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.