This has been a huge year for pop music and it now has a new addition. As a follow up to her 2014 compilation album For You, former Disney Channel star, Selena Gomez, released her second studio album, Revival on October 9.  

While her previous record includes her biggest hits from the past, including songs featuring her band, Selena Gomez and The Scene (which is currently on hiatus), her new album is paving its own way. Revival is different from her past albums, but still has the “signature Selena” style to it. It is a significant pop album, but it also reveals a new, vulnerable side to Selena.

Before jumping into the music industry, Selena began her career as an entertainer at a young age. She guest starred on Disney Channel shows such as Hannah Montana and The Suite Life of Zack and Cody before landing a lead role on Wizards of Waverly Place in 2007. After getting her big break as an actress, she scored a record deal with Disney, and thus, “Selena Gomez and The Scene” was born. In 2010, she entered the film industry and starred in films such as Ramona and Beezus and Hotel Transylvania. By 2012, Wizards of Waverly Place ended along with Selena’s Disney contract, allowing her solo career to finally take off.

Selena’s former relationship with fellow celebrity, Justin Bieber, is a constant theme throughout the album. Their relationship was an on-and-off emotional rollercoaster for four years. After the breakup, the mass media began commenting on her appearance and calling her rude names. She was still being brutalized by the media in 2013, when Selena was forced to cancel her Australian and Asian tour due to health problems. At the time, she was undergoing chemotherapy following a diagnosis of Lupus. This did not stop the media, especially Bieber’s fans, the “Beliebers”, from attacking her.

Revival is her second solo album with Interscope Records after the end of her contract with Disney. It’s an amazing album with confessional, catchy, and provocative lyrics and sound. This record is poised to transform Gomez from a child star to an adult pop star meant to be taken seriously.

Her songs have a very personal tone, dealing with several of her own relationships. “Same Old Love” refers to falling in love the same way repeatedly, while “Good For You” is a song about wanting to catch someone’s attention, but not knowing how to. The premise of “Kill ‘Em With Kindness” is looking beyond the people who aren’t accepting, and not to let harsh words be discouraging. Although these are just a few examples, all of the songs have similar messages.

Selena is an overall fantastic role model who encourages the importance self worth with this album. With its catchy lyrics’ empowering messages, Revival is a great pick-me-up.

The album begins with the title track, Revival, in which Selena says “I dive into the future, but I’m blinded by the sun. I’m reborn in every moment, so who knows what I’ll become.”

This album is appealing to all pop-lovers and has earned itself a four-star rating.  From memorable lyrics to catchy rhythms and the strong messages behind it, this is absolutely an album worth buying.