Selena Gomez's "Revival" - Album Review

   ★ ★ ★ 1/2 out of 5

   Former Disney star Selena Gomez has been carving out a successful career in the pop music world since debuting "Falling Down" with her then three-piece band in 2009. Selena Gomez & The Scene would eventually achieve three top ten albums and five Top 40 singles, including the inescapable "Naturally" and "Love You Like A Love Song", until their announced hiatus in 2012.

   Gomez, however, wasted no time in gearing up for her own solo career, having already sent her debut Stars Dance to the top of the Billboard charts and racking up three Top 10 hits. It all leads up to the release of the artist's sophomore solo album Revival, a project that Gomez says marks a total reinvention in her personal and professional life.

   Preceded by the sultry "Good For You", her highest charting single to date, and the Charli XCX-sounding "Same Old Love", the 11-track effort finds Gomez expressing her feelings towards previous relationships and the naysayers in her life, over produced beats from the likes of Max Martin, Dave Aude, Rock Mafia and Benny Blanco. The new album is still "pop" in every sense, but showcases moments of maturity and growth for an artist who has been criticized for her abilities in the past.

   The album starts off with the self-help, synth-supported title track, complete with an encouraging spoken word introduction. "Revival" is a slow burner that unfortunately takes too long to pull itself out of the slump. The electronic production is a thrilling, energetic addition, but it is wasted on cheesy songwriting and an underwhelming vocal performance from the artist. Reinvention is commendable, however, this opener is a bit of a snooze.

   Every worthy pop song in 2015 comes with an infectious, radio-ready whistling hook ("Sparks" by Hilary Duff, "Ghost Town" by Adam Lambert) and the contagious "Kill Em With Kindness" understands that fact. As Gomez sheds light on countless problems with haters and critics, she chooses to remain a classy, understanding woman by taking the high road and moving on by living her own life. "We're running out of time, chasing our lies, everyday a small piece of you dies," she warns.

   Pop legend Max Martin makes an appearance on the hook-driven "Hands To Myself", a track that begins as somewhat of a non-event, but quickly picks up the tempo and becomes a single worthy, synth-supported effort. The track is a blend of different influences, it makes for an intriguing first listen as Gomez provides a strong and sultry vocal performance. While the track is far from perfection, it perfectly showcases the artistic growth many have mentioned.

   "Same Old Love" was a rather strange choice for the album's official second single. Written by dark pop queen Charli XCX, the gritty, jazz-leaning pop effort sounds as if Gomez is doing her best vocal impression of the track's creator, never truly making the uptempo offering her own. The production is easily the highlight, another effortless blend of influences, but when placed alongside the rest of the track list, it leaves people wondering why the decent effort was deemed single worthy.

   Gomez has stated she hopes to release "Sober" as a future single from the new album. Very smart idea. The mid-tempo ballad finds the artist falling in love at the wrong times and having awkward social interactions with the people around her. "You don't know how to love me when you're sober, when the bottle's done you pull me closer," she sings during the somber, relatable chorus that should not have any problem climbing the charts down the road.

   Produced by frequent collaborator Rock Mafia, "Good For You" is a simple, midtempo sultry pop release with influences from the R&B genre, a sense of Rihanna will immediately fall over the listener. Thanks to writer Justin Tranter, the mature nature of the songwriting becomes the highlight of the new release, as do Gomez's ever-improving vocal abilities. However, there seems to be something missing from her highest charting single and A$AP Rocky seems unnecessary.

   Every pop album needs a true power ballad, and it comes in the form of "Camouflage" for Revival. The piano-driven effort is a simple, emotional expression of Gomez's feelings towards a previous relationship, and even though it's a commendable try, the finished product doesn't make a strong enough impact to be remembered after the first listen. The artist's vocals are quite lovely, but the song falls flat due to the generic songwriting and weak overall premise.

   Promotional single "Me & The Rhythm" features a predominant glam/disco appeal, complete with cool guitar riffs and a smooth hook that transforms the track into the album's first true uptempo dance jam. Instead of dwelling on a previously unsatisfying relationship or just how well a man could please her in between the sheets, Gomez sings about needing nothing but the music coming through the speakers and successfully links her previous efforts to her future trajectory.

   "Survivors" is an inspiring, pop anthem with a repetitive, sing-along worthy chorus where Gomez sings of overcoming a broken heart as she starts over with a new flame. However, it still sounds as if she's not completely over an old lover. "My sweet devoted counterpart, we kept each other's shooting stars, however close, however far, whatever's mine is ours," she sings with mixed emotions. The song focuses more attention on dance production than lyrical content and vocals, but still finishes strong.

   The tempo and seductive nature is turned up on "Body Heat", a track with Latin flavor that sounds as if it was a leftover from a Jennifer Lopez album. Gomez sings of craving a suitor's attention and screaming as he puts it down on her. Very sexual and mature. With a club-ready beat, and the inclusion of intriguing, supporting brass instrumentals, the track comes off as a fun, carefree effort where the artist could express more adult ideas than she has in the past.

   The standard edition of the album closes out with "Rise", a sweet, encouraging number that acts as a follow-up to the opening track. With gospel influences heard on the hook and spoken word advice from Gomez towards the end, the overall message of overcoming obstacles may be enduring, but ultimately come off inauthentic and with a weak lasting impact. The shortest track on the new album is decent, however, not the right choice to wrap everything up.

   Upgraded to the deluxe edition of the album? "Me & My Girls" is a step up from the latter half of the standard edition. The female empowerment dance/pop anthem is pure fire and excitement, perfect for radio domination with its contagious chorus and sassy lyrical content. "Nobody" is the proper, emotional ballad that the standard edition desperately needed to showcase Gomez's ever-improvement vocals. The sincere sentiment is present on the heavyhearted, reflective effort. "Perfect" finds the artist obsessing over the thought of her former lover starting anew with a different woman. The vibe is a bit more serious and a sense of despair is heard in the vocals, creating a dark pop overall mood.

   Revival is a commendable overall effort, getting even higher praise when the impeccable deluxe editions tracks are added to the mix, but the standard edition still leaves a lot to be desired from a rising pop star. Selena Gomez is putting her maturity and "not a girl, not yet a woman" image at the forefront of her music career and it certainly pays off to a certain extent. The sultry pop jams allow her vocal performances to shine, making room for an entirely new audience, but they don't always come off as honest or sincere. While it's great to hear that Gomez has not lost her love for the dance/pop genre, influences that help create album highlights, the somewhat lack of a cohesive thought will leave critics wondering if Gomez even knows who she really wants to be as an artist. Good album, just not everything it could have been.

Tracks to Hear: "Kill Em With Kindness", "Sober", "Me & The Rhythm", "Me & My Girls" and "Nobody"