It's been a rough go for Selena Gomez lately. She's been subject to all sorts of undue speculation and Internet bullying about her state of mind, her weight and even nonexistent substance abuse issues, and this week she was tasked with revealing the difficult news that she stepped out of the spotlight to receive chemotherapy treatments for Lupus.
So it's with no real surprise that today's release of her new album—make that her first in two years—is coming under the microscope in a big way. Revival has been much-anticipated by her fans who've been starving for new music, and by an industry who can't get enough of analyzing her every move. And this record sure provides a lot of material.
From the not-so-cryptic album title to lyrics like "What I've learned is so vital/ More than just survival/ This is my revival" and "You built me from a broken heart/ With bricks you made from broken parts," each song makes a statement. Sometimes that statement is that she's been through the ringer and came out the other side stronger, and sometimes that statement skews more towards a f--k-you-Justin-Bieber sentiment.
Of course the savvy listener will keep in mind the fact that exactly 37 other people besides Selena Gomez contributed to the making of Revival, with 26 of them receiving the title of "writer" on the album notes, and thus take most of the lyrics—and their apparent relevance to Bieber—with a mob-sized grain of salt. But isn't it fun to speculate?
But beyond the opportunities to play amateur psychologist, the album is also meant to provide entertainment. You know, music? The thing Selena makes her money on? And there's a resounding chorus out there in the public sphere that Revival is actually pretty darn good. And not I-could-dance-to-this-in-between-tequila-shots good, but I-can-listen-to-this-even-when-I'm-not-drunk good. And there's certainly no greater compliment for a pop star.
This is a way-grown-up Selena, and that's something that critics and fans alike can get on board with. Entertainment Weekly called Revival "as fresh and forward-thinking as the music of indie darlings Tove Lo and FKA twigs" and Boston Globe describes it as "a forthright album of pop songs that make it clear she is ready to be honest and even vulnerable in her music."
And then there's Twitter. No album can escape the court of public opinion, and in this case the ruling is overwhelmingly positive. Even non-Selenators decided to voice their high praise. Things are certainly looking up for Selena.