We might only be one week into the 2020s, but the new decade has already gotten off to a bang with Rare, Selena Gomez’s first album in five years. The singer hasn’t exactly been quiet since her last record, dropping one-off singles like the “Psycho Killer”-sampling “Bad Liar” and teaming up with artist Petra Collins for “Fetish” in between, but Rare still feels like more of a statement of where the artist is at right now – still just 27 years old, but more grown up, emotionally, than five years ago. Since then, Gomez has obviously split with Justin Bieber, undergone a kidney transplant following a lupus diagnosis in 2017, and opened up more about her mental health struggles (hinted at in lyrics on songs like “Fun”: “You get me higher than the medication”), but despite such heavy subject matter, Rare is still full of dancey, upbeat pop bops like “Vulnerable” and stellar title track “Rare”.
This week has also given us new records from London indie-rock band The Big Moon, electronic pop artist Georgia, Chicago rapper Mick Jenkins, Desire Marea of FAKA, and nu-metal avatar Poppy. Take a listen below.
THE BIG MOON, WALKING LIKE WE DO
