By Evan Orozco | Reporter
In 2016, Selena Gomez introduced a new song called Feel Me while on the Revival Tour. Though she never officially released the song, the track became an instant hit with her fans and they never shut up about it, at least I know I haven’t. On February 21, 2020, Gomez finally released the official song on all streaming platforms as a gift to her fans.
The surprise release came just a little over a month after the release of her third studio album Rare. While Rare was a commercial success, debuting number one on Billboard, a lot of fans were wondering why Feel Me was excluded from the album until it was added to the Bonus Track version. Gomez responded to a fan’s question of why it was not on the album, saying it was made from a time in her life that she has since moved forward from. Despite that, the song is still a hit among fans and is a strong track in Gomez’s arsenal of music. Sonically it belongs and fits well with the songs on Rare. However, lyrically it would seem to fit better on Revival as it holds a more yearning for love, while still knowing her worth.
Rare is the album that is filled with more songs of her standing up for herself, more than she did on Revival. From the Billboard Hot 100 number one Lose You to Love Me to my personal favorite, Ring most of the songs on Rare, the album shows her growth as a person with most of the songs being about self-love and knowing that she is, well Rare. This album also showed the songbird filling in her spot as a force in pop music and making her sound fit her strengths. A lot of people think that she can’t sing, and while she can’t belt like famous singers such as Ariana Grande and Brendan Urie, she can sing and knows her strengths making her music enjoyable to listen to. She is no longer trying to make music for people with large octave ranges, but making music that matches her voice power. The best example of Gomez knowing her strength and using it to make a great song is with the lead single Lose You to Love Me. Selena Gomez uses her voice, which holds a lot of emotion to carry a heartfelt ballad that ultimately earned her her first number one single.
“This album also showed the songbird filling in her spot as a force in pop music and making her sound fit her strengths.”
The main downfall of Rare, the album is the lack of other ballads that showcase Gomez’s strength as a vocalist who carries a lot of passion in her voice. At least one other ballad than her Billboard number one would've made a big difference to show another instance of her power as a woman in pop music today. Despite that this album does do a great job in cementing Gomez as a force to be reckoned with in the music industry.
Rare gets a 6.5/10.
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