In almost every interview around Revival, Gomez has claimed it’s a “fun” record the talking points are plentiful and conspicuously angst-free. Gomez has cited Christina Aguilera, specifically on Stripped, as an inspiration it’s tempting to imagine what a Latin crossover record from her, like Aguilera’s, might be like.) (Reversing the equation, Gomez handles the reggaeton-tinged “Body Heat” considerably better than her producers, who contribute a thudding outsider’s try. It’s a strength of her contemporary Charli XCX, who co-wrote Gomez’s single “Same Old Love” built on a rickety piano sample, backgrounded Italo synths and post-breakup feelings, it aims for spitfire and lands on vaguely pained. Where she falters most is what Revival is ostensibly about: bratty confidence. “Revival,” from the spoken-word intro to the tiptoeing synths and vocalise, is New Age in that way that’s increasingly crept into the charts. “Me & the Rhythm” is the sort of lite-disco that’s ruled the charts since 2013, but other songs are a little more au courant, like “Kill ‘Em With Kindness,” which stirs a tropical-house breeze not dissimilar from Bieber’s recent “What Do You Mean,” or “Hands to Myself,” whose stop-start sass recalls Ellie Goulding’s recent “ On My Mind.”Įven the less foregrounded singles are easy enough to categorize. Like Stars Dance, it serves nicely as a snapshot of mid-decade pop production trends and producers, with powerhouses Max Martin and Stargate making appearances, as well as frequent Disney collaborators Rock Mafia. The answer, it turns out, is pretty much what it’s always been-she’ll become whoever pop needs her to. Revival, Gomez’s second solo album without former backing band The Scene, addresses this question outright, on the title track: “Who knows what I’ll become?” she asks.
This makes for a reliable worker, but for a pop star it’s fairly low-key, resulting in a little bit of an identity crisis.
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Like many former TV stars, Gomez has a malleable, unshowy voice, the kind that can sound a little pop-rock or a little alt-R&B or a little Rihanna without ever settling on one. Indeed, Gomez has spent several albums now shedding her Disney trappings to a couple hits but relatively little fanfare. Gomez in particular comes across as hardworking and almost impervious to scandal even turns in Harmony Korine’s teensploitation film Spring Breakers and a well-publicized relationship with pubescent heartthrob turned tabloid scoundrel Justin Bieber have left her relatively unscathed. Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez, meanwhile, are lower-key but reliable hitmakers. Miley Cyrus became famous by running off the Hannah Montana moral-clause rails, then remained famous by finding whole new sets of rails to run off. Of the four, Ariana Grande is the most familiar personality: the Britney Spears teen coquette, with a bit more stage-kid showmanship from her days on drama-school sitcom Victorious. These things always seem to come in fours: first Britney, Christina, Mandy, Jessica now Ariana, Miley, Demi, Selena. Not only do they enter the major-label world with pre-existing, devoted fanbases, they’ve had the equivalent of several seasons of character development. Pop fandom is all about characters and storylines, so it makes sense that Disney and Nickelodeon alums do well.