on Friday (January 10), and in an email to fans she wrote, "I hope you take this record that indicates so much to me and make it your own." Well, Sel, that's exactly what we're doing — by matching each new song with its corresponding mood and emotion.
specifics Gomez's personalized journey toward clarity and resilience, and no matter where you are on that road, she's got a relatable song for you. Below, visualize which flirty bop, weak ballad, or resilient anthem you need to listen to based on your current state of mind. Happy listening!
"Rare"
Listen to it once you're feeling: like you're one in a goddamn million
Key lyric: "I don't have it all, I'm not claiming to / Nevertheless I know that I'm special"
Sel herself
told MTV News that this slinky opener is all about finding "incredible freedom" within herself. She gets specific with images of burning toast and impatient nights, giving us a complete vision of what it's like to feel special — and moving on from someone who hasn't caught on yet.
"Dance Again"
Listen to it as soon as you're feeling: willing to dance your past away
Key lyric: "I kickstart rhythm / all of the trauma's in remission / No, I don't need permission"
This is Selena falling back in love with a body that's been to hell and back. "Feels so, feels so, feels so good to dance again" is a mantra we can all get behind.
"Look At Her Now"
Listen to it as soon as you're feeling: finally over a breakup
Key lyric: "Of course she was sad / However right now she's glad she dodged a bullet / Took several years to soak up the tears / Nevertheless look at her right now, watch her go"
Bouncing back from heartbreak has never sounded so good. On her second Rare single, Selena reassures us that she's doing A-OK post-split. And with lyrics told from a third-person perspective, it can basically narrate the story of anyone else on the rebound.
"Lose You To Love Me"
Listen to it any time you're feeling: like you're starting a new chapter of your life / like you require a reminder of why you broke up with someone in the initial place
Key lyric: "We'd routinely go into it blindly / I required to lose you to find me"
Selena kicked off her Rare era with this raw, pointed goodbye to a certain ex, and it also showed the world that she's become a stronger version of herself. In the event you, also, are looking for peace soon after ending a relationship or closing some painful chapter of your life, then this is the cathartic tune for you.
"Ring"
Listen to it once you're feeling: like a man-eating heartbreaker
Key lyric: "You're all in your feelings, baby, all into me / I'm one in a billion, baby, don't agree?"
you could just visualize Selena singing this in a smoky bar, with some schmuck "wrapped 'round [her] finger like a ring, ring, ring." Soon following the heaviness of "Lose You To Love Me," she's back on her bullshit on this flirty number, which any fellow single lady can surely identify with.
"Vulnerable"
Listen to it once you're feeling: ...Uh, vulnerable?
Key lyric: "If my love was like a flower, would you plant it? Would you grow it? / I'ma give you all my body, are you strong enough to hold it?"
On this warm disco tune — which has some lyrical parallels to Sheryl Crow's "Strong Enough" — Selena wonders what will happen if she exposes her true self to someone new. Ultimately, she decides it's worth the risk. That's our girl.
"People You Know"
Listen to it as soon as you're feeling: regretful / like you can't believe you wasted so much time on someone
Key lyric: "We used to be close, nevertheless people can go / From people you know to people you don't"
Forgetting regret is easier mentioned than done (sorry, Rent fans), which is why Selena is still mulling over someone she was once close to. Think of it as a cousin to Gotye's "Somebody That I Used To Know."
"Let Me Get Me"
Listen to it any time you're feeling: finally and totally content
Key lyric: "No self-sabotage, no letting my thoughts run / Me and the spiral are done"
With its faint Latin vibe and elated lyrics about "letting a little bit happy in for once," this one has similar energy to "Dance Again." Alternatively opposed to hitting the club, though, Selena simply wants to let her mind and body rest and revel in the newfound clarity. She's earned it, soon after all.
"Crowded Room" ft. 6lack
Listen to it any time you're feeling: flirty and into someone
Key lyric: "So won't you call me in the morning? / I think that you must call me morning / in the event you feel the same"
This vibey slow jam is for anyone who's met someone at a bar and wondered whether they'll be an one-night stand or something more. "Baby it's just me and you also, just us two, even in a crowded room," Sel sings in a fluttering falsetto, before 6lack pops in to swoon, "You make the full room feel slow-motion / You make me feel like I'm drowning in a potion." Oh, it's on.
"Kinda Crazy"
Listen to it as soon as you're feeling: over someone's bullshit
Key lyric: "I think you're kinda crazy / And not the good kind baby"
"Shady" dudes of the world, Selena's on to you. She streams Katy Perry's "Hot N Cold" on this funky bop about seeing right through someone who went from "sweet talk" to "hard candy." If you've previously been in a similar situation, take Sel's cue and don't let it damage you nevertheless certainly do put them on blast).
"Fun"
Listen to it as soon as you're feeling: single and prepared to mingle
Key lyric: "You might not be the one, uh-huh / Although you look like fun"
Fans of "Bad Liar" will love this Julia Michaels co-write, with its tight groove and quirky ad-libs. Happily single Selena sings to a potential fling who gets her dangerously however blissfully high, cooing, "My sort of trouble likes your trouble too."
"Cut You Off"
Listen to it as soon as you're feeling: like you require a fresh slate
Key lyric: "The truth is that I think I've had enough / Emotionally messin' with my health / How could I confuse that shit for love?"
If you've been feeling the need to, well, cut someone off, this is the inspiration you need. Come for the biting tell-offs, stay for that awesome guitar solo.
"A Sweeter Place" ft. Kid Cudi
Listen to it as soon as you're feeling: hopeful and optimistic
Key lyric: "I can't believe I can be loud / Holdin' hands with the darkness and knowin' my heart is allowed"
Prior to Rare's release, Selena spent a long time out of the limelight and "out in the wild," as she specifics here. With each other with Cudi — who optimistically professes, "We will find our way, we'll find the things we seek" — she searches for "a sweeter place" as well as a clearer headspace. We love that for her.