I can hear the cringe from 2 miles away that of ALL the albums I could choose, I chose Selena Gomez. To be clear, I grew up on Disney teens. My main staples were Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez, Bridgit Mendler, Suite Life of Zack and Cody...so it would be a lie if I tried to tell you I don't listen to "disney girl" music. Because I do. I listen to tons of it.
Nevertheless, some things stand out to me more and I always liked Selena Gomez. She's a bit of a quieter vocalist and at times has issues when she sings live. I do like to note in these cases, she has lupus and anxiety problems. It is a wonder she manages to tour at all considering her lupus was severe enough to cause her to get a kidney transplant. Some of her vocal performances are actually quite good. Of course, everyone makes a highlight reel of her very bad ones to imply she can't sing. She can sing. She does not have near the range of other artists, but I like what she does with her limited range.
The album we are looking at today is actually her debut album. When she started, she preferred the concept of being in a band, hence "the Scene". You may know probably...one song from it. "Naturally" managed to be a breakout hit for the group. A love song with a cool music video to go with it, it went from being strictly radio disney to played on hits radio.
But I want to look at the album as a whole. I don't think it is a bad album by any means. It certainly has a lot of lyrics and songs that have the "I'm not like other girls" conjecture to them. Or some teenage angst in feeling like if you were a different person, you'd have it easier. If you are used to her typical brand of dance-pop music she has gone on since her solo career, this album may surprise you. Many of the songs mix dance elements, pop/rock, and some of the punk/pop Avril Lavigne-esque vibe.
And the start of the album leaves you right in that strong pop/punk element with title track "Kiss & Tell". The song lyrically seems to reference someone abusing her confidentiality, and telling her secrets to other people to get prestige. It implies this person is not a true friend and the "dirty deeds" will catch up to her. I find the riffs on this one to be awesome.
"I Won't Apologize" goes in a different direction. It is more pop/rock. I think her vocals don't fit the music itself as much. The song appears to appeal to a boyfriend of sorts, where she won't apologize for being who she is.
"Falling Down" goes back to the pop/punk vibe. I love the way she sings the verses on this song. It is another song referencing someone using others to obtain fame and prestige. However, different from song one, it suggests perhaps when this person comes down, she will be around rather than those who leave.
"I Promise You" go backs to the pop/rock sound and comes to the first real love song on the album. I like the melody on this one a lot better than I did "I Won't Apologize". I feel like she stayed with the music better and the lyrics are more compelling.
"Crush" returns to pop/punk but falls flat compared to the first 2 songs with this kind of melody. It is a fun catchy tune nevertheless, realizing she maybe was not in love after all but it was just a crush.
Now we get to the main single of discussion, "Naturally", which follows more of the dance elements than her other songs did. The melody fits her seamlessly and a good love song at that. I do think Selena does a bit better when she focuses on writing about love and growth rather than the "not like other girls" theme that followed her first album.
"The Way I Loved You" is not the same one Taylor Swift did for Fearless, not to drop that bomb. The song actually follows more of a ballad format. I feel like this is where Selena has always shined the most, slower cuts. The lyrics here aren't as advanced as what you hear now, but it definitely shows her potential.
"More" makes me think she was trying an older pop/rock sound. The song isn't particularly "special" but it is very earwormy and I find it easy to get it stuck in my head. I personally enjoy it.
"As a Blonde" is honestly another just silly kind of teenage angst song, but I love it. She suggests she is gonna come back as a blonde since if you are a blonde you don't have to do all the things to be cool, beautiful, and popular that others do.
"I Don't Miss You at All" returns to some more of the dance elements, but I do not think they fit as well as they did with Naturally. This song melody wise sounds rushed and forced. It sounds more like she's trying to keep up with the music. It kills the authenticity of the song.
"Stop & Erase" seems to return to the early album themes of someone using them and karma coming back around as the joke will be on them. This sounds a lot better than the previous song as well!
I always feel the real intended album closer would be "I Got U", because the last song is actually a fill in single that was on a movie soundtrack. And "I Got U" sounds like it fits the album themes of love and friendship and their problems better. It seems a nice note to end on as well.
The real last song is "Tell Me Something I Don't Know", which isn't a bad song. It was actually the first Selena Gomez single we ever heard. It shuns those telling her she won't make it or won't amount to much in the industry.
Lyrics: 6/10 - There's no exceptional lyricism here, but I feel many of the themes are relatable and the lyrics fit into the melodies well usually.
Music: 7/10 - I adore some of the music to this album, as with simpler lyrics, this can really make the song. Other times, I feel like she gets either lost in the music or cannot keep up with it.
Overall: 6/10 - This album to me really showed Selena's potential to be the artist she is now. I think the song has some great earwormy tunes that you can enjoy if you are looking for a less serious listen.
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