Entertainment

'Revival' Could Be Selena Gomez's Best Album Yet

by Alex Kritselis

On Friday, "Good For You" hit-maker Selena Gomez talked about her new album, Revival , with Power 106 radio show host J Cruz. Based on the 23-year-old singer's on-air comments, I think Revival could end up being her best album to date. Why? Well, for starters, Gomez left the Disney-owned Hollywood Records at the end of 2014 and signed a new contract with Interscope. During her aforementioned radio interview, she seemed to suggest that the move has given her a lot more creative freedom:

The past two years ... everybody's had a say in my life ... meaning the world, the perception, media. It was really frustrating. There's a song on my record called “Kill 'Em With Kindness,” so I've always done that. You know, I always ignore, I ignore, I ignore, and it just kind of got out of hand. And so, when I went into the new label, I was like, “I have to say something, and I need to say what I want to say. You guys need to help me figure out how I'm going to do that.”

Apparently, Interscope rose to the occasion. Gomez said she worked on Revival with a group of songwriters and producers she like she could trust, which in turn allowed her to record "the best songs" of her career. If that doesn’t get you excited about the LP, I don't know what will! Check out Gomez's recent Power 106 appearance below.

Here are four more reasons why Revival could be Gomez's best album to date:

She Has Something To Say — And The Freedom To Say It!

Gomez's Hollywood Records discography is... light on lyrical substance, to say the least (which may be due to factors that were outside of her control). Now, however, she seems to be free to sing about pretty much whatever she wants! Will there still be carefree party tracks about dancing all night long on Revival? Probably. Gomez knows her audience. But, if the two singles we've heard from the project so far — "Good For You" and "Same Old Love" — are any indication, I think fans can look forward to her opening up quite a bit emotionally. That's really exciting.

The Recording Process Helped Her "Explore" Who She Is

"I was crying in the studio, then I'd be happy in the studio ... So, it was such a time for me to explore who I am, and that was really important," Gomez explained to J Cruz. "It was almost like therapy, it was so exhausting."

When we're trying to figure out who we are (which, as far as I'm concerned, is an ongoing process), I think there's often a lot of conflict going on inside our heads. I suspect exploring these internal battles could result in some very interesting (and relatable) tunes.

She's Done Caring About What Other People Think

When J Cruz asked Gomez about the response to her decision to appear naked on the Revival album cover, she revealed she's dealt with "a lot of body shaming" in 2015. Fortunately, she's learned to stop caring about what other people think: "This is my time. I want to do it the way I want to do it. It looks like a Linda Ronstadt photo, it's a '70s photo. ... It's beautiful. I'm proud of that. ... I'm not going to let them get to me. I can do what I want."

Hear, hear! Again, feeling free to express herself however she sees fit can only mean good things for Gomez's music.

She Sounds Excited (And Confident) About The Music

You can hear the excitement in Gomez's voice whenever she speaks about Revival. In fact, before responding to J Cruz's question about the cover artwork, she remarked: "At the end of the day, this is not even going to be a subject once the album comes out. The music is going to take over, because that's how confident I am about it." Wow. I can't wait to listen to it.

Revival drops on Oct. 9, and you can pre-order the album on iTunes now. Get ready for a whole new Selena.

Images: Giphy (3)