“I dive into the future but I’m blinded by the sun. I am reborn in every moment, so who knows what I will become.” The opening words spoken by Selena Gomez make sure none will mistake what “Revival” is — a rebirth of the famed artist after a well-documented past few years.

A Focus on Musicality

On Friday, Gomez released her long anticipated “Revival.” Within hearing the first few seconds of the self-titled opening track I could tell this album would reveal a different Gomez. The title track shows Gomez is after something different this time around. Musicality is the focus, and well-developed songs that can stand on their own took precedence over creating hit singles. That is not to say “Revival” does not have its hits — “Good For You” featuring A$AP Rocky has been topping the charts since it premiered over the summer.

In this well-versed release from the former Disney star, Selena has created songs that liken themselves to successful artists of past and present. “Hands to Myself” has a chorus that instantly reminded me of Prince’s “Kiss” while “Survivors” has a subtle Lana Del Rey feel that can be found in “Young and Beautiful.”

However, like any good pop album, “Revival” contains songs I cannot picture outside of the club scene. “Body Heat” is no doubt catchy, but seems it would better coincide with Gomez’s past albums rather than her current one which shows a new level of depth to the artist.

A Cohesive Story

For the most part I genuinely enjoy Gomez’s album that dropped this past Friday. There are songs I can only assume are tied to her famous ex-boyfriend Justin Bieber and songs which showcased the vocal abilities of the 23-year-old pop artist. Gomez said she wanted to take a page out of best friend Taylor Swift’s book and create an album that told a cohesive story. With “Revival,” Gomez accomplished her goal.