Selena Gomez - Revival (2015) {Box Set, Deluxe Edition}

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Selena Gomez - Revival (2015) {Box Set, Deluxe Edition}

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Box Set includes Exclusive Mini Book, Photo Prints, Poster & Deluxe CD. Revival is the second solo studio album by American singer Selena Gomez. It was released on October 9, 2015, by Interscope and Polydor Records as a follow-up to Stars Dance (2013). It is her first album released under her new recording contract with the labels, after completing her contractual obligations with previous label, Hollywood Records, with the compilation album For You and the single "The Heart Wants What It Wants", in 2014. Gomez has cited artists such as Janet Jackson and Christina Aguilera as influences on the record, a pop and electronic dance music album with a tropical beach sound. Lyrically, the album discusses themes of love, heartbreak, and confidence. The album also features a guest appearance from American rapper ASAP Rocky and collaborations with producers such as Rock Mafia, Hit-Boy and Stargate.

Revival received generally positive reviews from critics, who appreciated its overall production and Gomez's vocals. The record debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 117,000 units, making it her second solo consecutive number-one album. Revival performed strongly on international record charts, becoming her fifth top-twenty entry in the United Kingdom, peaking at number eleven, and charting within the top-ten in eleven additional countries.

~ Wiki

During the short time since her last album, 2013's Stars Dance, and the release of Revival in 2015, Selena Gomez went through about a decade's worth of stuff. A label change (from Hollywood to Interscope), a very public breakup with longtime on-off boyfriend Justin Bieber, management issues, various rehab rumors, and even a few good things (a hit single, a charting collaboration with Zedd). Revival is something of a fresh start for Gomez, both musically and personally. Taking more control over the album, with more writing credits and production oversight, the sound veers away from the bubblegum nature of her early work or the genre-hopping aspects of other releases. Instead, the album sticks pretty close to a club bangers-and-ballads mix with a couple of R&B-inspired jams thrown in. Gomez sounds most at home on the uptempo dance tracks like "Kill 'Em with Kindness" or "Me & the Rhythm," where the smoothness of her voice fits in with the vacant abandon of the beat. She does a fine job on the tracks that slip outside the bounds of the formula, namely on the snappy, sassy Charli XCX-written "Same Old Love" or the steamy, tricked-out Latin beats and weird synthesizers in "Body Heat." These tracks show at her best, dialing up her personality to match the wit and imagination shown in the arrangements. The tracks that seem most personal and confessional don't always fare quite as well, with a turgid piano ballad ("Camouflage") weighing things down and the overdone "Sober." Both songs are guilty of a bit too much over-sharing – which would be OK if the melody and music were a little more interesting – but they really aren't. Another weak spot comes through when Gomez adopts an overly sexual persona, like on the tawdry "Good for You," or uses "adult language." When she does it feels like she's trying too hard to be grown-up. Instead of just writing about what's going on in her life or with her emotions and making it seem real, she pushes too hard and it comes off forced. It's too bad, because there is much to like about the album. There are a few songs as good as anything she's done, her voice is still very elastic and capable of singing just about anything convincingly, apart from the cartoonishly sexy stuff, and the production is pro all the way thanks to heavy hitters like Stargate, Max Martin, and Hit Boy. It makes for a solid pop album overall, but it's a little too formulaic and predictable to rate among her best work. A Deluxe Edition added three bonus tracks: "Me & My Girls," "Nobody," and "Perfect."

~ Tim Sendra, All Music

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Selena Gomez - Revival (2015) {Box Set, Deluxe Edition}

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Selena Gomez - Revival (2015) {Box Set, Deluxe Edition}

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Selena Gomez - Revival (2015) {Box Set, Deluxe Edition}

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