On her first Spanish-language EP, 2021's
Revelacion,
Selena Gomez conjures a romantic atmosphere that balances chic studio-cool with warm vulnerability. It's a mature sound and one that builds nicely upon her genre-blending 2020 studio album
Rare, which found
Gomez pushing the stylistic boundaries of her mainstream aesthetic, experimenting with French disco, R&B, and some Latin-influenced rhythms. It was also one of her most intimate-sounding albums, revealing diary-like lyrics about personal feelings and desires. On
Revelacion, she remains just as artistically fearless, embracing her Latin roots and further pushing her sound in a sophisticated pop direction. While she has sung a little in Spanish in the past,
Gomez (whose father is Mexican and who is named after the iconic Tejano singer
Selena Quintanilla) had never made an album sung so largely in the language. Helping her bring the ideas to fruition here are a small cadre of producers, including
Albert Hype,
Jota Rosa,
Neon16, and
Tainy, among others. Together they craft a hypnotic blend of alternative R&B, Latin pop, and reggaeton, framing
Gomez's intimate vocals in textured synths, dense bass grooves, and clipped electronic beats.
Gomez has grown significantly as a performer since her early Disney years and
Revelacion further underlines that transformation. ~ Matt Collar
