Rare Releases: Album reviews of Selena Gomez’s “Rare” and Mac Miller’s posthumous album, “Circles”

photos courtesy of Spotify

multimedia by Celia Condon

“Rare” by Selena Gomez

Since Selena Gomez’s “Revival” was released in 2015, the pop singer has been through more than most — a battle with an autoimmune disease, a risky kidney transplant and a public emotional breakup with Justin Bieber. Given the trials she’s faced these past few years, I joined the majority in assuming her newest album “Rare” would follow the same somber wavelength. Instead, Gomez graced us with surprisingly upbeat anthems of self-love and growth, along with aching personal ballads that leave listeners hopeful and optimistic.

“Rare’s” first single to be released, “Lose You To Love Me,” reflects on the way she lost herself in a toxic relationship and the strength it took to find her way back. The emotional ballad is arguably the saddest song in the album, as Gomez sings, “you tore me down and now it’s showing.” Through “Lose You To Love Me,” Gomez reclaimed the narrative of her off-and-on relationship with Justin Bieber — while also landing her first Billboard No. 1.

Gomez shows off her low, breathy singing voice in another highlight of the album, “Vulnerable.” She sings along with a delicate beat as she examines one of her strengths in a relationship — her vulnerability. She earnestly asks whether her partner can accept her realness, while proclaiming that if they can’t, she’ll still “stay vulnerable.”

The album takes a more upbeat turn with tracks like “Look At Her Now,” “Dance Again” and the title track, “Rare.” The latter is a beautiful, melodic proclamation of self-love in which she recognizes her individuality and realizes she deserves someone that values it — an inspiring reminder for those who mistakenly allow their self-worth to be determined by someone else. This song in particular shows the self confidence Gomez has gained as a result of her tribulations, with self affirmations like “I know that I’m special” and “I’m so rare.”

Gomez doesn’t try anything too innovative in terms of sound and style, but her raw authenticity that has drawn over 46 million monthly listeners on Spotify undoubtedly shines through in the album’s lyrics.

Though “Rare” mainly looks towards the future, at times the album feels like it’s more about her breakup and her past self rather than who she is now. While “Rare” could have been less Taylor-Swift-breakup-song-esque in some areas, Gomez succeeds in creating an intimate album that doesn’t dwell on the past, but celebrates the person she has become because of it.

“Circles” by Mac Miller

Dreamlike and contemplative, Mac Miller’s posthumous album “Circles” reflects on the rapper’s struggles with anxiety and depression while still remaining optimistic about his ability to prevail.

Though Miller passed away from an accidental drug overdose before the album was completed, “Circles” was finished by composer-producer Jon Brion, who Miller worked closely with prior to his death.

“Circles” seems more like the work of a singer-songwriter than rapper — a shift most likely spurred by Miller’s collaboration with Brion. “Hands” is the only full rap song, and Miller experiments in several songs with elements like lo-fi beat music, guitar strumming and indie rock drums. The album refuses to restrict itself to one distinct genre or sound, signifying Miller’s comfort with branching out from the expectations set by American rappers.

Tracks like “Blue World” further establish music as Miller’s form of therapy, as he gets lost in thoughts, singing “I’m here to make it all better / With a little music for you.” He seems to retreat in his mind in a dreamlike state, evoking an emotional response in the listener and illustrating Miller’s increased emotional clarity.

In “Complicated” and “Once a Day,” Miller continues to take listeners through his stream of consciousness as he works through his battle with depression and reminds himself to take life one day at a time. Over surprisingly upbeat lo-fi music in “Complicated,” he asks “Fore I start to think about the future / First can I please get through a day?”

Miller touches on the topic of relationships in “Woods,” where he sings “Hate love, heartbreak will have you bankrupt,” but proclaims love is worth the pain in the end. The evident pain in these lyrics seems reminiscent of Miller’s publicized relationship and breakup with singer Ariana Grande, as the song depicts a passionate love that just couldn’t logistically work.

“Circles” serves as a companion piece to Miller’s 2018 album “Swimming,” a bittersweet examination of working through depression and heartbreak. It seems Miller intended for “Swimming” to flow into “Circles,” as the album builds on similar themes. However, the tone in “Circles” presents itself in a more hopeful light than in “Swimming,” such as in “Good News,” where Miller sings, “Wake up to the moon, haven’t seen the sun in a while / But I heard that the sky’s still blue.”

Overall, “Circles” fittingly loops into “Swimming’s” narrative, while revealing Miller’s sophisticated style he was coming into around his untimely death. The listener is able to relate to and find refuge in the late artist’s headspace, where he was evidently optimistic about overcoming his demons.