Selena's "Hands To Myself" Deserves To Be A Hit

Once in a great while, a song comes along that's so well-crafted, so infectious, and so perfect, it knocks me flat on my butt. Selena Gomez's "Hands to Myself" is one of these songs. The track appears on Gomez's new album, Revival , and I think it could be her next big hit. (Revival's lead single, "Good For You," just recently became the the 23-year-old singer's first top-five single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.) Everything about "Hands to Myself" — from its flirtatious lyrics to its minimal, Prince-like production — is 100-percent spot-on. The tune is a collaboration between "Good For You" writers Justin Tranter and Julia Michaels, up-and-coming production duo Mattman & Robin, and the legendary Max Martin, so it's little wonder it turned out so well.

The concept behind "Hands to Myself" is simple: Gomez is really into this guy, and when they're together, she just can't seem to keep her hands off him. In the first verse, she sings: "Can't keep my hands to myself / No matter how hard I'm trying to / I want you all to myself / You're metaphorical gin and juice." Yes, these two are hot and heavy. (In the second verse, Gomez admits that she knows this guy is "no good," but it's not enough to keep her away.) By the time the song reaches its über-catchy chorus, you'll be absolutely hooked. Check out "Hands to Myself" below.

Part of the reason why "Hands to Myself" is so fantastic is that it's so unexpected. Gomez's collaborators could have followed current pop music trends and crafted a big sing-along chorus (like R. City's "Locked Away" or Taylor Swift's "Wildest Dreams," for instance), but they didn't. Instead, they decided to scale things back and put Gomez's sexy, whisper-like vocals front-and-center. And guess what? Her vocals make the song!

If you're one of those people who constantly dismisses Gomez because of her supposed vocal shortcomings, it's time to rethink your approach. She may not be able to belt like Christina Aguilera, but she's definitely learned how to use her voice to effectively communicate tone and mood, which is more than I can say for some of her peers. I suspect the former Disney star is going to change a lot of minds with Revival.

With any luck, Gomez will select "Hands to Myself" as her next single. I can't wait to watch it tear up the charts!

Revival is available on iTunes and Spotify now.

Image: Giphy