Pop singer Selena Gomez’s "Revival" proves that break up songs don’t only work for Taylor Swift.
The pop singer’s new album chronicles her journey of healing after her break up with Justin Bieber. Unlike Swift, who doesn’t reveal who her songs are about, Gomez is practically shouting the Biebz’s name from the rooftops -- though she really isn’t. But everyone knows.
What sets apart Gomez’s album from a depressing blog post about an ended relationship is that it’s not annoyingly sad or whiny. She’s taking the break up and crushing it with her vocal prowess and energetic beats.
This is apparent right off the bat with her opening song “Revival.” It starts with Gomez reciting a short poem that can pass as a beginning to a sad spoken word, saying “I dive into the future, but I’m blinded by the sun. I’m reborn in every moment, so who knows what I’ll become?” You start feeling bad for her, but then the beat starts up and you suddenly feel her personal awakening. You start to root for her. You may even want to start applauding for her.
But of course, break ups are hard. You can’t talk about a break- up with a dance track playing in the background. You can’t have a break- up album without having at least one slow song. “Camouflage” was that song on the album. But the song doesn’t carry the same sadness a drunk, crying girl at a bar has that makes you want to roll your eyes to the back of your head. Instead, it carries the sadness that you just can’t help but comfort and have it cry on your shoulder.
The rest of her album carries on with more upbeat sounds, but in different styles. You have the lights-off-dance-club hit “Good For You” to the solo-dance-party-in-the-shower “Me & The Rhythm.” Gomez is clearly showing that her singing is versatile, and she’s doing a good job at it.
The album doesn’t come without any duds. “Body Heat” sounds like Gomez is trying a little too hard to produce a steamy club banger. But the results are shallow, and quite frankly, it’s been done before. Measured up to the other songs on the album, we know that Gomez can go deeper with the lyrics, but this song just doesn’t do it.
“Rise” attempts to be an empowering ballad that encourages listeners to come up from whatever they’re going through and become better. However, the song is too short to elicit any sort of encouragement and should’ve been cut out.
These two songs are just a small dink in what can be seen as a beautiful piece of work. And not only is this a re-awakening for her after her break- up, but it also signifies a change from her earlier work. It’s like a coming of age story. The days of being a wizard on the Disney Channel are long gone, and a new pop princess took her place. She’s grown up with one public break up under her belt, practically dragging her down to the ground. But now she has awaken and risen, and the only direction she has left to go is up.
