By Isabel Vega
Correspondent
Selena Gomez has finally shared with fans her first ever Spanish musical record after working on it for over a decade. “Revelación” dropped Friday at midnight, and fans could not be more excited.
“This has been something I’ve wanted to do for 10 years … working on a Spanish project because I’m so proud of my heritage,” Gomez recently gushed in an interview with Zane Lowe. “I feel like it’s the perfect timing, just with all the division in the world. There's something about Latin music that globally makes people feel things.”
Because of the abundance of free time due to the pandemic, Gomez was finally able to sit down and figure out how to properly portray her Mexican heritage through music.
Gomez worked on the EP, “Revelación,” in her home studio during the months in lockdown. Working with a language coach to help Gomez brush up on her vocabulary, she thoughtfully created seven new and exuberant songs.
The music opposite to her 2020 album, “Rare,” a collection of dance-pop songs that pair electronic rivrabations and sophisticated lyrics, “Revelación” emulates the same confidence that resonated on her last successful album.
The opener, “De Una Vez (At Once),” is different from Gomez’s usual pop sound. Its indie and R&B style sets the stage for the rest of the EP. “De Una Vez” focuses on the positives of an emotional breakup. Gomez sings in Spanish, “Once and for all I am stronger on my own,” on top of a sultry beat. Just by listening to the first song, fans can appreciate an upbeat anthem surrounding confidence and self love.
The following track, “Buscando Amor, (Looking For Love)” illustrates Gomez going out to party with her closest friends. The song depicts the girls dancing and having absolutely no desire to search for romance.
The next track, “Baila Conmigo, (Dance With Me)” is a duet featuring Puerto Rican rapper Rauw Alejandro. The hip-hop, climatic song portrays two young lovers, completely infatuated with one another. Despite the language barrier, the lustful lyrics are evident. Gomez and Alejandro sing, “Baby, I don’t know if you speak much Spanish / If you understand when I say ‘my love’ / Making love without understanding each other is better.”
The fourth track, “Dámelo To (Give it to Me)” is another lustful beat, emulatating similar sounds and meaning to the star’s 2016 hit “Hands to Myself.” The song is another collaboration and features Myke Towers. In this sex anthem Gomez and Towers trade lines about being infatuated with one another. The lyrics themselves translate to “Nothing feels better / Than your name on my lips / I feel you and you aren't even touching me.” Gomez then ends the track with its title; singing, “dámelo to.”
Even though the sounds of Gomez are almost unrecognizable in her new EP, she shows some of her pop roots in “Vicio (Vice).” This track showcases some reggae-like rhythms and electronic beats, emulating a bit of Gomez's original sound. “Vicio” is a medium tempo bop in which Gomez sings about being in love and in lust with someone. The song almost acts as a sequel to 'Damélo To,' with it being another track focusing on sex. However, a lot more emotion is involved in the sultry track. “Vicio” translates to vice in English, signifying Gomez is addicted to her lover.
Track 6, “Adios (Goodbye)” is a rejection song, where Gomez calls out an ex-boyfriend who refuses to accept that she has moved on. The song sees Gomez reminding her ex that she has already said goodbye to him. In the chorus Gomez sings, “bye, this isn't for you the picture I posted, I wanted to tell you ‘Bye.’”
“Selfish Love,” is the EP's closing track and only bilingual song. Gomez teams up with DJ Snake once more since their 2019 hit, “Taki Taki.” The closer hits the closest to Gomez’s pure pop and dance sound that fans are so familiar with.
When “Revelación” was first announced, Gomez teased anticipating fans about its release, sharing a 10-year-old Tweet that read, “Can’t wait for y’all to hear the Spanish record, it’s sounding so cool.”
Gomez added the caption in 2011, “I think it will be worth the wait.”
