Revival
Selena Gomez
Interscope
Four stars
Selena Gomez's second solo venture, Revival, breezes through with 11 nearly impeccable tracks that skips from the 1960s to the 80s to right up to date – all without losing its ear for the dance floor.
On the modern tip, Gomez continues her foray into a heady mix of electronic dance music pop, accessorised with rapping from A$AP Rocky and writing credits from Charli XCX.
She showcases her pipes in the piano-accompanied Hands to Myself, before taking on a warmer timbre in the serious-yet-jubilant title track. Lead single Good for You, her biggest hit to date, is a subtle electro tune. But the song's flow suffers slightly with A$AP Rocky's bewildering (if trendy) interlude.
Same Old Love starts off with a whimsical 60s feel, before morphing into a punchy bass dance track. The Latin-infused Body Heat is clubtastic, but it's Survivors that trance-house fans will fall for. Kill Them With Kindness is another approachable dance track, while Sober brings 80s synthesisers to the fore.
Revival is the sound of an artist rejuvenated.
artslife@thenational.ae
