Revival (Selena Gomez album)
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''Revival'' is the second studio album by American singer
Selena Gomez Selena Marie Gomez ( ; born July 22, 1992) is an American singer, actress and producer. Gomez began her acting career on the children's television series ''Barney & Friends'' (2002–2004). As a teenager, she rose to prominence for starring a ...
. It was released on October 9, 2015, by
Interscope Records Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner ...
, her first album released through that label. Preparation for the album began in 2014, when Gomez left her previous label
Hollywood Records Hollywood Records is an American record label of the Disney Music Group. The label focuses in pop, rock, alternative, hip hop, and country genres, as well as specializing in mature recordings not suitable for the flagship Walt Disney Records ...
. The record was influenced by a range of artists, particularly
Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera (; ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Known for her four-octave vocal range and ability to sustain high notes, she has been referred to as the " Voice of ...
and her album ''
Stripped Stripped may refer to: Music * "Stripped" (song), by Depeche Mode, 1986 * ''Stripped'' (Christina Aguilera album) or the title song, 2002 * ''Stripped'' (Daniel Ash album), 2014 * ''Stripped'' (Macy Gray album), 2016 * ''Stripped'' (Pretty Ma ...
'' (2002). Gomez co-wrote twelve of its sixteen tracks. The album reflects her journey since 2013, including the media scrutiny surrounding her personal life. As
executive producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights ...
s, Gomez,
Danny D D Mob (or D-Mob), also known as Dancin' Danny D or simply Danny D, is a British music producer and remixer. His most notable track was " C'mon and Get My Love" with Cathy Dennis on the vocals, which peaked at number 10 on the U.S. Hot 100 cha ...
and Tim Blacksmith collaborated with
Hit-Boy Chauncey Alexander Hollis Jr. (born May 21, 1987), better known by his stage name Hit-Boy, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, and songwriter. In May 2011, he had signed a two-year deal with Kanye West's GOOD Music production branch. ...
,
Rock Mafia Rock Mafia is an American record production team, consisting of Tim James and Antonina Armato who have been active since the early 2000s. They have written and produced 38 top ten singles, and have sold over 50 million records worldwide. They hav ...
, and
Stargate ''Stargate'' (often stylized in all caps) is a military science fiction media franchise based on the film directed by Roland Emmerich, which he co-wrote with producer Dean Devlin. The franchise is based on the idea of an alien Einstein–Rosen ...
to achieve Gomez's new desired sound. ''Revival'' is primarily a
dance-pop Dance-pop is a popular music subgenre that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit radio. Developing from a ...
and
electropop Electropop is a hybrid music genre combining elements of electronic and pop genres. Writer Hollin Jones has described it as a variant of synth-pop with heavy emphasis on its electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a r ...
record, connected by a
tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...
beach A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc s ...
sound, with lyrical themes revolving around love and confidence. Upon its release, ''Revival'' received positive reviews from music critics, many of whom praised its production, lyrical content, and sultry sound. The album was included in several year-end best music lists by publications. ''Revival'' debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200, marking Gomez's second consecutive number-one album in the United States, following ''
Stars Dance ''Stars Dance'' is the first solo studio album by American singer Selena Gomez. It was released on July 19, 2013, by Hollywood Records. Gomez began planning the project in 2012, at which time she announced that her band Selena Gomez & the Scen ...
'' (2013). Elsewhere, the album also charted within the top ten of twenty territories, including Canada, Brazil, France, Mexico and Australia. It was certified
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by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...
(RIAA), denoting one million
album-equivalent unit The album-equivalent unit, or album equivalent, is a measurement unit in music industry to define the consumption of music that equals the purchase of one album copy. This consumption includes streaming and song downloads in addition to traditio ...
s (including albums sales, streaming and track-equivalent units) sold in the United States. With its singles " Good for You" (featuring rapper
ASAP Rocky Rakim Athelaston Mayers (born October 3, 1988), known professionally as ASAP Rocky ( ; stylized as A$AP Rocky), is an American rapper, music producer and record executive. Born and raised in Harlem, he embarked on his musical career as a membe ...
) and "
Same Old Love "Same Old Love" is a song recorded by American singer Selena Gomez, who included it on and released it from her second studio album '' Revival'' (2015). The song was written by Charli XCX, Ross Golan, and its producers Stargate and Benny Blan ...
" both reaching number five and "
Hands to Myself "Hands to Myself" is a song recorded by American singer Selena Gomez for her second studio album, '' Revival'' (2015). It was released on January 20, 2016, as the record's third single by Interscope Records. The track was written by Gomez, J ...
" charting at number seven on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, ''Revival'' is further distinguished as Gomez's first record to house multiple top ten singles in the United States; all of which became her first three number-one singles on the
Mainstream Top 40 Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/ CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played on a panel of Top 40 radio stations in the U ...
chart. To promote the album, Gomez performed the songs in several televised appearances, including ''
The Today Show ''Today'' (also called ''The Today Show'' or informally, ''NBC News Today'') is an American news and talk morning television show that airs weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on NBC. The program debuted on January 14, 1952. It ...
'', the
2015 American Music Awards The 43rd Annual American Music Awards was held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California on November 22, 2015. It was broadcast on ABC and hosted by Jennifer Lopez. With three awards, Taylor Swift was the big winner of the night. Jared L ...
and the
Victoria's Secret Fashion Show The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show was an annual promotional event sponsored by and featuring Victoria's Secret, a brand of lingerie. From 1995 to 2018, Victoria's Secret used the show to market its goods in high-profile settings. Models unde ...
. Furthermore, Gomez embarked on a concert tour, titled
Revival Tour The Revival Tour was the second solo concert tour by American singer Selena Gomez, in support of her second solo studio album '' Revival'' (2015). The tour began in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on May 6, 2016, and concluded ...
in May 2016, which visited North America, Asia and Oceania, before it was canceled in August 2016 following Gomez facing health issues stemming from her
lupus Lupus, technically known as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), is an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue in many parts of the body. Symptoms vary among people and may be mild to severe. Commo ...
diagnosis.


Background

In July 2013, Gomez released her debut solo album, ''
Stars Dance ''Stars Dance'' is the first solo studio album by American singer Selena Gomez. It was released on July 19, 2013, by Hollywood Records. Gomez began planning the project in 2012, at which time she announced that her band Selena Gomez & the Scen ...
.'' The album was well received commercially, debuting at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200. Gomez embarked on the Stars Dance Tour later that year, which was set to cross several continents, including dates in Asia and Oceania. These concerts would not materialize as Gomez canceled the remainder of the tour in late 2013, citing personal reasons: "It has become clear to me and those close to me that after many years of putting my work first, I need to spend some time on myself in order to be the best person I can be." Gomez entered a rehab treatment facility for her
lupus Lupus, technically known as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), is an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue in many parts of the body. Symptoms vary among people and may be mild to severe. Commo ...
diagnosis in May 2014. Publications began to speculate her intent in fulfilling contractual obligations by releasing a final compilation album for her longtime label,
Hollywood Records Hollywood Records is an American record label of the Disney Music Group. The label focuses in pop, rock, alternative, hip hop, and country genres, as well as specializing in mature recordings not suitable for the flagship Walt Disney Records ...
. Later reports published in September suggested that she had secured a new recording contract with
Interscope Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner Mu ...
chairman
John Janick John Janick is an American record executive. He is the chairman and CEO of Interscope Geffen A&M Records. Janick has been named to Billboard’s Power 100 list every year since 2014 and was named Variety's Hitmakers Executive of the year in 2018 ...
. At that time, Gomez had already sold around 2.8 million albums and 18.1 million singles in the United States, including three studio albums with her band
Selena Gomez & the Scene Selena Gomez & the Scene was an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 2008, its last lineup consisted of vocalist Selena Gomez, drummer Greg Garman, bassist Joey Clement, keyboardist Dane Forrest, and guitarist Drew Ta ...
. In November 2014, Gomez captioned an Instagram post with: "As I have a last listen, I thought a lot about my year. I thought a lot about my voice. And after a year of holding on. I think it's time to start sharing." She later released her compilation album '' For You'', representing her final project with Hollywood Records as Gomez officially announced her change in labels the following month. After performing its lead single "The Heart Wants What it Wants" at the 2014 American Music Awards, Gomez revealed that she had begun work on her next studio album. She cited the single as a reference point, stating, "It's exciting for me to start off with something like t And then start leading into writing about all the other things that are going on in my life and have gone on in the past year or so. Even if it's things that people may not necessarily know about. So I'm excited to kind of put more of my heart and soul into the next chapter of music." The same month, Gomez commented that she had been recording new music, and suggested a possible partnership with producer and
disc jockey A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobil ...
Zedd Anton Zaslavski (russian: Антон Заславский; born 2 September 1989), known professionally as Zedd (), is a Russian-born German DJ, record producer, and songwriter. Zedd grew up and began his musical journey in Kaiserslautern, G ...
, On February 23, 2015, a collaboration between Gomez and Zedd titled " I Want You to Know" was released.


Development

Gomez discussed that her new material would reflect upon the "journey" she experienced since 2013, with Christina Garibaldi from
MTV News MTV News is the news production division of MTV. The service is available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network. In February 2016, MTV Networks confirmed it would refresh the MTV News brand in 2016, to compete with the likes ...
assuming her comments were referencing her former relationship with
Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Bieber is recognized for his genre-melding musicianship and has played an influential role in modern-day popular music. He was discovered by American record executive Scooter ...
, and a period spent in rehab in 2014, among other subjects. In an interview with
Ryan Seacrest Ryan John Seacrest (born December 24, 1974) is an American media personality and producer. He is the co-host of '' Live with Kelly and Ryan'', as well as the host of multiple media shows including ''American Idol'', ''American Top 40'', and ' ...
in June, Gomez stated, it is about her "new-found confidence". Her voice coach also commented that the album was going to be "more adult, more feminine and more about Selena's experiences." Gomez stated that ''Revival'' offers insight into her perception of various experiences, further elaborating on its themes of kindness, having faith, heartbreak, the "passion of a relationship" as well as "being erown person". As the album's executive producer, she "wanted to know that every single song meant the world to me, whether I wrote it or not. For me, I had to discover what was going to separate me. I know that I'm not the world's greatest singer, but I do know that I have a unique tone. And I'm an actress—I love being able to translate everything I'm feeling inside through my voice and through the songs. ..This whole record is extremely intimate." In an interview with ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular ...
'', Gomez stated that she was influenced by a wide range of artists growing up, from
Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...
and
NSYNC NSYNC (, ; also stylized as *NSYNC or 'N Sync) was an American boy band formed by Chris Kirkpatrick in Orlando, Florida, in 1995 and launched in Germany by BMG Ariola Munich. Their 'N Sync (album), self-titled debut album was successfully rele ...
. She commented that her main influence for the record was
Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera (; ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Known for her four-octave vocal range and ability to sustain high notes, she has been referred to as the " Voice of ...
, specifically her 2002 release ''
Stripped Stripped may refer to: Music * "Stripped" (song), by Depeche Mode, 1986 * ''Stripped'' (Christina Aguilera album) or the title song, 2002 * ''Stripped'' (Daniel Ash album), 2014 * ''Stripped'' (Macy Gray album), 2016 * ''Stripped'' (Pretty Ma ...
'', which she cites as an exemplar of a "complete" album and inspired her own decision to tell a story through ''Revival''. Gomez further commented on her life in the media: "Now, I'm in the place of my life where I released an album at 16—nobody's going to relate o that They're going to be like, 'Great, what are you singing about?' Because of how much my life was exposed, I almost had to utilize that for this record. People can't say, 'You don't know what you're talking about. You haven't been through this.' It's like, you’ve all grown up with me at this point!"


Recording

Gomez first hinted at a collaboration with Australian singer Sia through a November 2014 Instagram post, and Sia later stated that she had composed some material for her. Gomez began to record songs for ''Revival'' in December 2014, revealing collaborations with producers Dreamlab and Ruffian and production team
Stargate ''Stargate'' (often stylized in all caps) is a military science fiction media franchise based on the film directed by Roland Emmerich, which he co-wrote with producer Dean Devlin. The franchise is based on the idea of an alien Einstein–Rosen ...
. She initially expected that the record would contain 15 "extremely exciting" songs. In January 2015, production duo
Rock Mafia Rock Mafia is an American record production team, consisting of Tim James and Antonina Armato who have been active since the early 2000s. They have written and produced 38 top ten singles, and have sold over 50 million records worldwide. They hav ...
announced they were working with Gomez on the album. She explained to MTV News that ''Revival'' was the most she'd ever gotten creatively involved in album, "Every single thing I'm even remotely singing about is something I've related to and something I'm hitting the nail on, and I had to pick what was going to represent the album and who I am as a whole." " Good for You" was one of the first tracks recorded, which was initially written by Nick Monson,
Julia Michaels Julia is usually a feminine given name. It is a Latinate feminine form of the name Julio and Julius. (For further details on etymology, see the Wiktionary entry "Julius".) The given name ''Julia'' had been in use throughout Late Antiquity (e.g ...
and Justin Tranter. In an interview with ''
Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally ...
'', Tranter revealed that their studio time was originally accommodated to "tweak" a different song, and the trio wrote "Good for You" in 45 minutes upon its completion. It was the third song she received since signing with her new label Interscope Records. Gomez exhausted herself prior to the recording session for "Good for You", as she had pressured herself into figuring out a sound and concept for the album. Gomez's vocals cracked due to this, and the song "took on this emotion hedidn't realize hecould tap into". Midway through the album's recording process, Gomez went on a trip to
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico Puerto Vallarta ( or simply Vallarta) is a Mexican beach resort city situated on the Pacific Ocean's Bahía de Banderas in the Mexican state of Jalisco. Puerto Vallarta is the second largest urban agglomeration in the state after the Guadalaj ...
with
Hit-Boy Chauncey Alexander Hollis Jr. (born May 21, 1987), better known by his stage name Hit-Boy, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, and songwriter. In May 2011, he had signed a two-year deal with Kanye West's GOOD Music production branch. ...
and a few members of his producing team, as well as Rock Mafia and songwriters Justin Tranter and Julia Michaels. According to her, "it was all of us in one house for five or six days. We would go out, listen to live music, and go back and create in this studio – in a closet, basically." During the creative process Gomez wanted "to get out of her head." "Body Heat" was the first song that Gomez recorded on the trip; at 5. A.M. after she heard
Mexican music The music of Mexico is very diverse and features a wide range of musical genres and performance styles. It has been influenced by a variety of cultures, most notably deriving from the culture of the Europeans, Indigenous, and Africans. It also ...
through the night. According to her, because the "live instruments, the beats, what you feel ... It kind of represents everything that I love about who I am." While working on the album, Gomez also enlisted frequent collaborators
Rock Mafia Rock Mafia is an American record production team, consisting of Tim James and Antonina Armato who have been active since the early 2000s. They have written and produced 38 top ten singles, and have sold over 50 million records worldwide. They hav ...
to help make her sound a reality. They assisted Gomez on the creation of six of its tracks, including "Revival" and "Kill Em with Kindness", the latter being one of the "most personal" tracks on ''Revival''. She told the producers that although the production was important, she wanted its focus to be the lyrics. According to Gomez, one of the main inspirations behind "Kill Em with Kindness" was the body-shaming she dealt with from the media, after photos surfaced online of her in a bikini during a trip to Mexico in April 2015. Many claimed she had gained weight, with some outlets going as far as to label her a "mess", and suggested Gomez was " going off the deep end". She commented: "I was getting a lot of hate for my body and ‘you're gaining weight,’ and so I was in Mexico and I was just feeling all of this stuff and I would be lying to you if I said it didn't kind of hurt my feelings, but I kind of channeled that into my music." Gomez called the experience "degrading", explaining that she had never been through such intense bullying before. Several songs were recorded at Casa Aramara Studios located in
Punta Mita Punta Mita is a private peninsula that is home to the Four Seasons Punta Mita, St. Regis Punta Mita, and 16 sub-communities. Punta Mita is located on the north end of Banderas Bay in the Mexican state of Nayarit, about north of Puerto Valla ...
. Speaking about her experience in Mexico, Gomez stated: Gomez also worked with recording team
Stargate ''Stargate'' (often stylized in all caps) is a military science fiction media franchise based on the film directed by Roland Emmerich, which he co-wrote with producer Dean Devlin. The franchise is based on the idea of an alien Einstein–Rosen ...
, who handled "Sober" and "Same Old Love", the latter of which was co-written by British singer
Charli XCX Charlotte Emma Aitchison (born 2 August 1992), known professionally as Charli XCX, is an English singer and songwriter. Born in Cambridge and raised in Start Hill, Essex, she began posting songs on Myspace in 2008, which led to her discovery ...
. XCX and Gomez weren't in the physical presence of each other during the session, though XCX's manager was present throughout. Gomez was drawn to the track and she believed "Same Old Love" represented her strained relationship with her father and how it reflected on her subsequent romantic relationships. The song's recording sessions took place at
Westlake Studios Westlake Recording Studios is a music recording studio in West Hollywood, California. History Westlake Recording Studios was founded in the early 1970s by the American audio engineer Tom Hidley under the name Westlake Audio. Hidley was experie ...
in
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, and Dreamlab Studios in
Studio City, California Studio City is a neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California, in the southeast San Fernando Valley, just west of the Cahuenga Pass. It is named after the studio lot that was established in the area by film producer Mack Sennett in 192 ...
. "Sober" was also developed during this time. According to Gomez, inspiration came after she and one of its writers,
Chloe Angelides Chloe Angelides (born May 21, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter and producer. She has written songs for numerous artists including "Zipper" for Jason Derulo for his album '' Talk Dirty'', "Jackie (B.M.F.)" for Ciara for her album '' Jacki ...
, discussed social awkwardness and how Gomez "would hang out with people and they would drink and they're so fun, then the next day it would be weird." Following the commercial success of "Good for You" as lead single treatment, Gomez decided to collaborate for an additional four days with Michaels and Tranter despite her label's instructions for the album to be mixed at the time. Before the sessions began, Gomez felt that she had already addressed her desired themes for ''Revival'', but wanted additional material that would be "fresh from a female perspective", which culminated in "
Hands to Myself "Hands to Myself" is a song recorded by American singer Selena Gomez for her second studio album, '' Revival'' (2015). It was released on January 20, 2016, as the record's third single by Interscope Records. The track was written by Gomez, J ...
". Recording took place at Wolf Cousins and
Maratone Studios Maratone is a music production company, and started by two music producers and songwriters, Max Martin and Tom Talomaa. Based in Stockholm, Sweden, it was started in January 2001 after the closing of Cheiron Studios. Maratone moved in at Cosmos S ...
in Stockholm, Sweden, and at Interscope Studios in
Santa Monica, California Santa Monica (; Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 U.S. Census population was 93,076. Santa Monica is a popular resort town, owing to ...
. In those four days, they also developed " Me & the Rhythm" which was the last song recorded for the album.


Composition


Music and lyrics

Musically, ''Revival'' is primarily a
dance-pop Dance-pop is a popular music subgenre that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit radio. Developing from a ...
and
electropop Electropop is a hybrid music genre combining elements of electronic and pop genres. Writer Hollin Jones has described it as a variant of synth-pop with heavy emphasis on its electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a r ...
record with R&B vibes, which has been also described as "a heady mix of electronic dance music pop". It has a "warm, tropical beach-pop sound", and as noted by
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...
's Tim Sendra, " tveers away from the
bubblegum Bubble gum or bubblegum is a type of chewing gum, designed to be inflated out of the mouth as a bubble. Bubble gum flavor While there is a bubble gum "flavor" – which various artificial flavorings including esters are mixed to obtain – it ...
nature of her early work or the genre-hopping aspects of other releases." As he continued, "the album sticks pretty close to a club bangers-and-ballads mix with a couple of R&B-inspired jams thrown in." Other critics also saw that the album has "midtempo pop", minimalist dance beats and smoldering R&B grooves. Steve Knopper of ''
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'' also highlighted that " e album is frequently dark and ominous, full of torch songs, with just enough stylish electronic dance music synths and upbeat melodies to enliven the mood." Mikael Wood of ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...
'' and Mike Wass of
Idolator An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry. Idolater or Idolator may also refer to: Books *''Os Idólatras'', 1968 Portuguese novel by Maria Judite de Carvalho Music * Idolator (website), an American music blog * ''Idolator'' (album), third album ...
both compared it to the works of
Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...
, with Wood comparing to her 2015 record, '' Unbreakable'' in terms of sound, and Wass to her breakthrough album, ''
Control Control may refer to: Basic meanings Economics and business * Control (management), an element of management * Control, an element of management accounting * Comptroller (or controller), a senior financial officer in an organization * Controlli ...
'' (1986) in terms of its empowering themes.


Songs and lyrical content

The album's opening track "Revival" was considered "an experimental electro-adventure" with an "uplifting chorus." Lyrically, the song deals with themes of
self-care Self-care has been defined as the process of establishing behaviors to ensure holistic well-being of oneself, to promote health, and to actively management of illness when it occurs. Individuals engage in some form of self-care daily with food ...
, embracing one's inner power and self-restoration. It begins with a spoken-word introduction, where she says: "I'm reborn in every moment, so who knows what I'll become?," before singing "It's my time to butterfly," where "the word '
butterfly Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The group compris ...
' serv sas both a
state of being In linguistics, a copula (plural: copulas or copulae; abbreviated ) is a word or phrase that links the subject of a sentence to a subject complement, such as the word ''is'' in the sentence "The sky is blue" or the phrase ''was not being'' i ...
and an
intransitive verb In grammar, an intransitive verb is a verb whose context does not entail a direct object. That lack of transitivity distinguishes intransitive verbs from transitive verbs, which entail one or more objects. Additionally, intransitive verbs are ...
." Gomez also explained that the song gathers everything she was feeling in the two years leading up to the album's release and the need she felt to be heard. The lines, 'I'll admit it's been painful, but I'll be honest and grateful,' is one of her favorites because "ultimately it led me and pushed me to be where I am today. Nothing has been handed to me. I've had to strive for it, and really put my all in it." The second track "Kill Em with Kindness" is described as a dance, club-banger with a "
tropical house Tropical house, also known as trop house, is a subgenre of house music, and a derivation of tropical music, with elements of dancehall and Balearic house. Artists of the genre are often featured at various summer festivals such as Tomorrowland. ...
breeze" and "added bells and whistles". The song offers positive advice for dealing with critics: instead of raising the proverbial middle finger, it suggests to take the high road and kill them with kindness. For Gomez, " 's kind of my
motto A motto (derived from the Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of an individual, family, social group, or organisation. M ...
for life. It's so much easier to be mean. It's so easy to just kind of give yourself that, but it's so hard to walk away from a situation, turn your cheek the other way, and be the bigger person." "Same Old Love", an electropop and
synthpop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s a ...
track is built on a "rickety" piano sample and backgrounded Italo synths, starting off with a "whimsical ‘60s feel, but morph nginto a punchy bass dance track," In terms of lyrics, "Same Old Love" is about how people perceive love, and how everyone has a cycle, whether it's friendship, family, a relationship. She further explained it: "People get uncomfortable with change, and they compromise, and I think this song is representing the angst, and the pain, and a little bit of the anger that it comes with." "Hands to Myself" is a dance-pop and synthpop number, and has influences of American recording artist
Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. ...
. It begins stripped-down with a minimal backdrop and a sparse, thumping beat. This comprises drums, bass, lightly clicking percussion and hand claps. "Hands to Myself" is a flirty and sassy song about
seduction Seduction has multiple meanings. Platonically, it can mean "to persuade to disobedience or disloyalty", or "to lead astray, usually by persuasion or false promises". Strategies of seduction include conversation and sexual scripts, paralingual ...
, "Sober" brings ‘80s "slamming" synthesizers to the fore and "girlie yelps", which lyrically regards social awkwardness and how a significant other doesn't know how to love unless alcohol is involved and the recognition that the boundaries in a relationship aren't so great. "Good for You" is an electro- R&B song, with pendulum-swing rhythm, swirling keyboard atmospherics and affirming
ASAP Rocky Rakim Athelaston Mayers (born October 3, 1988), known professionally as ASAP Rocky ( ; stylized as A$AP Rocky), is an American rapper, music producer and record executive. Born and raised in Harlem, he embarked on his musical career as a membe ...
rap; it also has Gomez "exploring her lower range and playing up the smokier edges of her speaking voice." The lyrics to "Good for You" explore confidence, embracing one's sexuality and feeling comfortable in your own skin. "Camouflage" is a piano-driven ballad, that addresses the end of a relationship, and even though she has 'so much shit' to say, she doesn't know how since the person that she was with is no longer recognizable." "Me & the Rhythm" is a dance,
disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric p ...
, R&B and "breathy" synthpop song, with an "icy"
Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and S ...
n arrangement, while the
trance Trance is a state of semi-consciousness in which a person is not self-aware and is either altogether unresponsive to external stimuli (but nevertheless capable of pursuing and realizing an aim) or is selectively responsive in following the dir ...
-inspired The song talks about losing yourself on the dance floor, while being free within that moment, being free within yourself. while "Outta My Hands (Loco)" was compared to her earlier albums, ''
Stars Dance ''Stars Dance'' is the first solo studio album by American singer Selena Gomez. It was released on July 19, 2013, by Hollywood Records. Gomez began planning the project in 2012, at which time she announced that her band Selena Gomez & the Scen ...
'' (2013) and '' When the Sun Goes Down'' (2011). "Survivors" mixes EDM, futuristic R&B and house revivalism. "Survivors", as emphasized by Gomez, talks about "surviving every day, in our circumstances ..and bringing each other up instead of tearing each other down, ’cause we're all just surviving." She completed: "'Survivors' is a community thing ... What's mine is yours. It's us. It's ours together." "Body Heat" brings
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...
fusion with
saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of Single-reed instrument, single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed (mouthpi ...
, horns and
brass Brass is an alloy of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other wi ...
, and was inspired by
Mexican culture Mexican culture is primarily influenced by its Indigenous inhabitants and the culture of Spain. Mexican culture is described as the 'child' of both western and native American civilizations. Other minor influences include those from other regi ...
, its lyrics regards sex, while "Rise" is "an empowerment anthem encouraging perseverance and determination in tough moments." On the other hand, "Rise" contains a
gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...
chorus, whooping and a spoken-word prayer. "Me & My Girls" was considered a "party-jam", with a "
Robert Rodriguez Robert Anthony Rodriguez (; born June 20, 1968) is an American filmmaker, composer, and visual effects supervisor. He shoots, edits, produces, and scores many of his films in Mexico and in his home state of Texas. Rodriguez directed the 1992 ac ...
inspired sound," the song incorporates themes of
female empowerment Women's empowerment (or female empowerment) may be defined in several ways, including accepting women's viewpoints, making an effort to seek them and raising the status of women through education, awareness, literacy, and training.Kabeer, Nai ...
. "Nobody" has syncopated beats, finger snaps, it also contains a synth flute and
trip hop Trip hop (sometimes used synonymously with " downtempo") is a musical genre that originated in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom, especially Bristol. It has been described as a psychedelic fusion of hip hop and electronica with slow tem ...
beats, its lyrics and finds the singer paying tribute to her lover, and as she claimed, it was written about her faith and connection with God, "Perfect" is about "feeling downright obsessive as she wrestles with her man moving on to the next one," and Gomez admitted that the song is "very, very personal song, and it was extremely accurate. ..In a way, it's a little sad. It's beautiful too." Musically, the song is a modern R&B performance that has a "dreamy, harp-smattered production." The last track from deluxe version of ''Revival'' is "Cologne", the song has a "mellow, midtempo" vibe. and talks about "constantly having a certain someone on her mind, and loving herself when they are not around."


Singles

" Good for You" was released as the album's lead single on June 22, 2015. Gomez created anticipation for the release of the single by posting several teasers of the song on Instagram. The song was released to warm critical reception. It debuted at number nine on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming her third top 10 song on the chart and her highest charting debut. "Good for You" has reached number five on the chart, becoming her highest-charting single at the time. It sold 179,000 downloads in its first week, marking the first time Gomez topped the
Digital Songs The Digital Songs or Digital Song Sales chart (previously named Hot Digital Songs) ranks the best-selling digital songs in the United States, as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published by '' Billboard'' magazine. Although it originally star ...
chart, and becoming her highest first-week sales of any of her songs. The song's video was released on June 26, 2015. In conclusion, the song also topped the US
Mainstream Top 40 Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/ CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played on a panel of Top 40 radio stations in the U ...
chart in September 2015, reached the top-ten in five countries and top-twenty in other four. In early August, ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...
'' confirmed "
Same Old Love "Same Old Love" is a song recorded by American singer Selena Gomez, who included it on and released it from her second studio album '' Revival'' (2015). The song was written by Charli XCX, Ross Golan, and its producers Stargate and Benny Blan ...
" as the second single from the album. On August 5, 2015, Gomez was at the first day of iHeartMedia's Music Summit where she played the song. The song was made available for digital download with the pre-order of the album on September 10. The music video was shot in downtown
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...
on August 15 and part of it was shot at the Revival event. Fans from the event appeared at the end of the video. The music video was released to
Apple Music Apple Music is a music, audio and video streaming service developed by Apple Inc. Users select music to stream to their device on-demand, or they can listen to existing playlists. The service also includes the Internet radio stations Appl ...
on September 22, and to
Vevo Vevo ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized as VEVO until 2013) is an American multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available as an app on selected smart TVs, ...
on October 7, 2015. The song has peaked on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at number five, thus tying with "Good for You" to become her highest-charting single, and has become her second number one on the
Mainstream Top 40 Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/ CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played on a panel of Top 40 radio stations in the U ...
chart. Elsewhere, it reached the top-ten in Canada and top-forty in five countries. In early October, during an interview with ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'', Gomez admitted her desire to release "Sober" as a single from ''Revival'' "at some point". On October 2, Gomez released " Me & the Rhythm" as a promotional single. It reached number fifty-seven on the
Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music industry record chart in Canada for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine. The Canadian Hot 100 was launched on the issue dated March 31, 2007, and is currently the standard record ...
. "
Hands to Myself "Hands to Myself" is a song recorded by American singer Selena Gomez for her second studio album, '' Revival'' (2015). It was released on January 20, 2016, as the record's third single by Interscope Records. The track was written by Gomez, J ...
" was serviced to
contemporary hit radio Contemporary hit radio (also known as CHR, contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format that is common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by ...
as the third single from ''Revival'' in the US on January 26, 2016. The music video premiered as an
Apple Music Apple Music is a music, audio and video streaming service developed by Apple Inc. Users select music to stream to their device on-demand, or they can listen to existing playlists. The service also includes the Internet radio stations Appl ...
exclusive on December 21, 2015, and was released on Vevo on January 20, 2016. The song has reached number 7 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. Internationally, it has reached number five in New Zealand and number nine in Slovakia, as well as the top 40 in several other countries, such as Australia and Czech Republic. In March 2016, Gomez confirmed "
Kill Em with Kindness "Kill Em with Kindness" is a song recorded by American singer Selena Gomez. It was serviced to contemporary hit radio on May 3, 2016, through Interscope Records as the fourth and final single from her second studio album ''Revival (Selena Gomez ...
" as the fourth and final single from the album. It peaked at number 39 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The song's accompanying music video was released on June 6, 2016. It was sent to contemporary hit radio on May 3, 2016.


Release and artwork

In July 2015, Gomez announced that her record would be named ''Revival'' and was scheduled to be released on October 9. Its track listing and black-and-white deluxe edition cover were revealed in September, the latter of which depicts Gomez dressed in high-waisted black shorts with her hair and arms crossed over covering her breasts. Gomez felt that the cover gave "a little
Linda Ronstadt Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is a retired American singer who performed and recorded in diverse genres including rock, country, light opera, the Great American Songbook, and Latin. She has earned 11 Grammy Awards, three American ...
’70s vibe," and described the picture as "a beautiful representation of where I am." Christina Garibaldi from
MTV News MTV News is the news production division of MTV. The service is available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network. In February 2016, MTV Networks confirmed it would refresh the MTV News brand in 2016, to compete with the likes ...
highlighted similarities to the visuals for ''
Stripped Stripped may refer to: Music * "Stripped" (song), by Depeche Mode, 1986 * ''Stripped'' (Christina Aguilera album) or the title song, 2002 * ''Stripped'' (Daniel Ash album), 2014 * ''Stripped'' (Macy Gray album), 2016 * ''Stripped'' (Pretty Ma ...
'' by Christina Aguilera (2002), a record which Gomez specified as a source of inspiration during the recording process. The original standard edition cover depicts Gomez in a sequined red dress; it's currently used by
online music store A digital music store is a business that sells digital audio files of music recordings over the Internet. Customers gain ownership of a license to use the files, in contrast to a music streaming service, where they listen to recordings without ...
s, although it was replaced by the deluxe edition cover for physical pressings released after November 30. Gomez later denounced the deluxe cover photo.


Promotion

Gomez held an invitation-only "Revival Event" at the
Palace Theatre Palace Theatre, or Palace Theater, is the name of many theatres in different countries, including: Australia * Palace Theatre, Melbourne, Victoria *Palace Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales Canada *Palace Theatre, housed in the Robillard Block, M ...
in Los Angeles for 800 fans on September 16. It was advertised as an advanced screening of her music video for "Same Old Love," although Gomez delivered a previously-unannounced performance of the song to the audience before revealing that they would be included in the final clip. On October 2, Gomez confirmed that she would embark on the
Revival Tour The Revival Tour was the second solo concert tour by American singer Selena Gomez, in support of her second solo studio album '' Revival'' (2015). The tour began in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on May 6, 2016, and concluded ...
in May 2016; first-leg tour dates in the United States and Canada were announced on October 5. On October 7, snippets of the eleven songs from the standard edition of ''Revival'' were made available for preview. On September 25, 2015, Gomez made her live debut of " Good for You" on '' Alan Carr: Chatty Man'', where she also gave an interview. On the same day, she performed an acoustic version of the song, along with a cover of
Magic! Magic! (stylized in all uppercase) is a Canadian reggae fusion band based in Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of lead vocalist, guitarist/producer Nasri Atweh, guitarist/keyboardist Mark "Pelli" Pellizzer, and bassist Ben Spivak. Active ...
's " Rude" on BBC's Live Lounge. Three days later, she performed the song on '' Le Grand Journal''. On October 12, 2015, she went to ''
Today Today (archaically to-day) may refer to: * Day of the present, the time that is perceived directly, often called ''now'' * Current era, present * The current calendar date Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Today'' (1930 film), a 1930 ...
'' and performed "Good for You", "Same Old Love" and a medley of previous hit "Come & Get It" with " Me & the Rhythm". "
Same Old Love "Same Old Love" is a song recorded by American singer Selena Gomez, who included it on and released it from her second studio album '' Revival'' (2015). The song was written by Charli XCX, Ross Golan, and its producers Stargate and Benny Blan ...
" was also performed on ''
The Ellen DeGeneres Show ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' (often shortened to ''Ellen'' or ''The Ellen Show'') is an American daytime television variety comedy talk show that was created and hosted by its namesake Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it was pro ...
'', ''
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon that airs on NBC. The show premiered on February 17, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. It is the seventh incar ...
'',
2015 American Music Awards The 43rd Annual American Music Awards was held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California on November 22, 2015. It was broadcast on ABC and hosted by Jennifer Lopez. With three awards, Taylor Swift was the big winner of the night. Jared L ...
, and at the 2015
Billboard Women in Music ''Billboard'' Women in Music is an annual event held by ''Billboard''. Its main award is titled Woman of the Year, established to recognize "women in the music industry who have made significant contributions to the business and who, through thei ...
. During the 2015 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, she performed "
Hands to Myself "Hands to Myself" is a song recorded by American singer Selena Gomez for her second studio album, '' Revival'' (2015). It was released on January 20, 2016, as the record's third single by Interscope Records. The track was written by Gomez, J ...
" and "Me & My Girls". Gomez also made a set during the Jingle Ball Tour 2015, where she performed "Same Old Love", "Good for You", "
Love You Like a Love Song "Love You Like a Love Song" is a song by American band Selena Gomez & the Scene recorded for their third studio album '' When the Sun Goes Down'' (2011). It was released as the second single from the album internationally. The song was released ...
," "Hands to Myself" and, for the first time, "Kill Em with Kindness". Gomez was the musical guest on ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves ...
'' for the episode dated January 23, 2016, where she performed a medley of "Good for You" and "Same Old Love", as well as the full television debut of "Hands to Myself".


Critical reception

At
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an
average In ordinary language, an average is a single number taken as representative of a list of numbers, usually the sum of the numbers divided by how many numbers are in the list (the arithmetic mean). For example, the average of the numbers 2, 3, 4, 7 ...
score of 74, based on 9 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Writing for ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'', Brittany Spanos stated that "''Revival'' is an audacious name for a 23-year-old singer's second album, but from start to finish, Gomez earns it," noting that " is is the sound of a newly empowered pop artist growing into her strengths like never before." Sal Cinquemani of ''
Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yo ...
'' was very receptive, noting that " ng for song, 'Revival' rivals
Carly Rae Jepsen Carly Rae Jepsen (born November 21, 1985) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. After studying musical theatre for most of her school life and while in university, Jepsen garnered mainstream attention after placing third on the fifth season of ...
's '
Emotion Emotions are mental states brought on by neurophysiological changes, variously associated with thoughts, feelings, behavioral responses, and a degree of pleasure or displeasure. There is currently no scientific consensus on a definitio ...
' for breakout pop album of the year, but if it similarly falls short of greatness, it's due in large part to a lack of originality. ..And yet, all of those songs are standouts." James Reed from ''
Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Gl ...
'' opined that ''Revival'' is "a forthright album of pop songs that make it clear she is ready to be honest and even vulnerable in her music." Mike Wass of
Idolator An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry. Idolater or Idolator may also refer to: Books *''Os Idólatras'', 1968 Portuguese novel by Maria Judite de Carvalho Music * Idolator (website), an American music blog * ''Idolator'' (album), third album ...
agreed, calling it "an immaculately curated collection that showcases the 23-year-old's ability to genre-hop and experiment, while staying true to herself." Steve Knopper from ''
Newsday ''Newsday'' is an American daily newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI", and fo ...
'' applauded Gomez for sounding "appealingly desperate and hungry, and this quality transcends the most familiar-sounding material," adding: "Something in Selena Gomez's pop formula is nicely soft-spoken and mysterious." Mikael Wood from the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...
'' praised the album for being "surprisingly modest, from its midtempo pacing to its thoughtful introspection," acknowledging the fact that "Gomez is finding freedom in control,
kudos Kudos may refer to: Arts and media * ''Kudos'' (computer game), a life simulation game produced by Positech Games * Kudos (production company), a UK-based film and television production company * Kudos, a fictional currency used by the Dwellers ...
to her for getting there so quickly." Writing for ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'', Elysa Gardner noted that the album "is generally at its best when Gomez keeps her tone light and bright and her energy positive. ..At this rate, Gomez is bound to get at least a few skeptics off of Instagram and onto the dance floor." Tim Stack wrote for ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular ...
'' that " her fifth album Gomez goes for mood-setting, and the result is "a gripping batch of sultry pop jams that are more ' Netflix and chill,' less 'Let's hit the curb,'" claiming that it is "as fresh and forward-thinking as the music of indie darlings
Tove Lo Ebba Tove Elsa Nilsson (born 29 October 1987), known professionally as Tove Lo (), is a Swedish singer and songwriter. She has been called "Sweden's darkest pop export" by ''Rolling Stone.'' She is known for her raw, grunge-influenced take o ...
and FKA twigs." Christina Jaleru of ''
The Washington Times ''The Washington Times'' is an American conservative daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., that covers general interest topics with a particular emphasis on national politics. Its broadsheet daily edition is distributed throughou ...
'' was positive, commending it for "breez ngthrough to the finish line – the dance floor -with 11 nearly impeccable tracks that skip from the 1960s to the ‘80s to right this minute." While seeing some "generecism" on the album, Jia Tolentino of ''
Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally ...
'' highlighted that " its high points, 'Revival' is marked by this lush, sphinx-like readiness: as if, after a decade and a half of being nonstop front and center, Gomez has finally figured out what it means to center herself." Katherine St. Asaph of ''
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and event (philosophy), events that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various me ...
'' emphasized that " ere she falters most is what 'Revival' is ostensibly about: bratty confidence," noticing that " sically, though, Revival is most interesting when it's still in the cocoon." Tim Sendra from
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...
, however, gave the album a mixed review, writing that " 'Revival''makes for a solid pop album overall, but it's a little too formulaic and predictable to rate among her best work." Emily Mackay of ''
The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the ...
'' also gave a mixed review, perceiving that " e most surprising thing about ''Revival'' is its understatement, despite the hit-making co-writers."


Year-end lists

''Revival'' was featured on several year-end list of best albums. It was listed at number 43 on ''Rolling Stone'''s "50 Best Albums of 2015" list, with the editors commenting "If Gomez started the year as one of many bright young celebrity faces, she ended it as a pop star who demands to be taken seriously."


Commercial performance

In the United States, ''Revival'' debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200, earning 117,000
album-equivalent unit The album-equivalent unit, or album equivalent, is a measurement unit in music industry to define the consumption of music that equals the purchase of one album copy. This consumption includes streaming and song downloads in addition to traditio ...
s in its first week, of which 86,000 were pure album sales. It also gave her highest first week sales as of October 2015, surpassing her previous album. In its second week on the chart, ''Revival'' fell to number seven. As of January 2020, the album has sold over 435,000 copies in the US. The album was certified Platinum by the
RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...
, for combined album sales, on-demand audio, video streams and track-sale equivalent of 1,000,000 units. The album entered the New Zealand Albums Chart at number two, giving Gomez her second solo top ten album and highest-charting release. In Australia, the album debuted at number three, becoming her highest album on the chart and second to debut inside the top-ten. In Greece, the album debuted at number one, while in Brazil it reached number three, receiving a platinum certification in the latter for selling over 40,000 copies. The album also reached the top-ten in other 17 countries, including Canada, France, Ireland, Netherlands, and Sweden.


Track listing

Credits adapted from the album's
liner notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for cassettes. Origin Liner notes are des ...


Notes

* signifies a producer and vocal producer * signifies an additional producer * signifies a vocal producer * signifies an
executive producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights ...
* signifies a co-producer * signifies an additional vocal producer *
Selena Gomez Selena Marie Gomez ( ; born July 22, 1992) is an American singer, actress and producer. Gomez began her acting career on the children's television series ''Barney & Friends'' (2002–2004). As a teenager, she rose to prominence for starring a ...
is only credited as a writer by ASCAP and BMI, not on physical editions of the album. * "Me & My Girls" samples "Hot Tent Blues" by Late of the Pier


Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes *
Selena Gomez Selena Marie Gomez ( ; born July 22, 1992) is an American singer, actress and producer. Gomez began her acting career on the children's television series ''Barney & Friends'' (2002–2004). As a teenager, she rose to prominence for starring a ...
lead vocals The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of the ...
(all tracks) *
Rock Mafia Rock Mafia is an American record production team, consisting of Tim James and Antonina Armato who have been active since the early 2000s. They have written and produced 38 top ten singles, and have sold over 50 million records worldwide. They hav ...
production (tracks 1, 2, 10–12, 15), mixing (tracks 1, 10–12, 15),
percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...
(tracks 1, 10, 12, 15), programming (tracks 2, 15),
instrumentation Instrumentation a collective term for measuring instruments that are used for indicating, measuring and recording physical quantities. The term has its origins in the art and science of scientific instrument-making. Instrumentation can refer to ...
(track 2), background vocals (tracks 10–12, 15),
guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...
(tracks 10, 12, 15), keyboards (tracks 11, 15) * Mattman & Robin – production, vocal production, programming, recording,
bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...
,
drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair of matching drumsticks ...
, percussion & synths (tracks 3, 8), guitar &
piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...
(track 3), tracking (track 8) * Steve Hammons –
engineering Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...
& mix engineering (tracks 1, 10–12, 15), percussion (tracks 10, 12, 15), recording (track 2), guitar (track 10), programming (track 15) * Rob Ellmore – engineering (tracks 4–7, 9, 14, 16), recording (tracks 4, 6, 16), tracking (track 16) * Hit Boy – production & programming (tracks 1, 10, 11), percussion (track 10) * Nigel Lundemo – programming (tracks 1, 11, 15), engineering (tracks 11, 15), percussion (track 11), keyboards (track 15) * Adam Comstock – engineering (tracks 1, 10–12, 15), recording (track 2), guitar (track 15) * Juan Carlos Torrado – recording assistance (tracks 3, 6, 8, 13), engineering assistance (tracks 6, 13), tracking assistance (track 8) *
Benny Blanco Benjamin Joseph Levin (born March 8, 1988), known professionally as Benny Blanco (stylized in all lowercase), is an American record producer. He is the recipient of the 2013 Hal David Starlight Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He is als ...
– production, programming & instrumentation (tracks 2, 4) *
Stargate ''Stargate'' (often stylized in all caps) is a military science fiction media franchise based on the film directed by Roland Emmerich, which he co-wrote with producer Dean Devlin. The franchise is based on the idea of an alien Einstein–Rosen ...
– production (tracks 4, 5, 16), programming & instrumentation (track 4), vocal production (track 16) * Dreamlab – vocal production (tracks 5–7, 9, 14, 16) *
Leah Haywood Leah Jacqueline Cooney, known professionally as Haywood (formerly Leah Haywood), is an Australian record producer, songwriter and singer. Born in New Zealand, she grew up in Perth, Western Australia, and recorded a top 40 album, ''Leah'', re ...
– background vocals (tracks 5–7, 9, 16) *
Tony Maserati Tony Maserati is an American record producer and audio engineer specializing in mixing. He was involved in the development of the New York R&B and hip-hop scene in the 1990s, working with Mary J. Blige, Notorious B.I.G., Puff Daddy, and Queen ...
– mixing (tracks 6, 7, 9, 13, 14) * Tyler Scott – mixing assistance (tracks 6, 7, 9, 13, 14) *
Max Martin Karl Martin Sandberg (; born 26 February 1971),Max Martin
allmusic.com
known profess ...
– programming, vocal production, percussion & synths (track 3) *
Julia Michaels Julia is usually a feminine given name. It is a Latinate feminine form of the name Julio and Julius. (For further details on etymology, see the Wiktionary entry "Julius".) The given name ''Julia'' had been in use throughout Late Antiquity (e.g ...
– background vocals (tracks 3, 8, 13), vocal production (track 13) * Hector Delgado – co-production, vocal production, mixing & recording (track 6) * Nick Monson – production (tracks 6, 13), programming & instrumentation (track 13) * Christopher Braide – production, programming, instrumentation &
grand piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...
(track 7) * Miles Walker – engineering, recording, vocal production & tracking (track 16) * Dubkiller – programming (tracks 1, 15), additional production (track 1) * Danny Parra – engineering (tracks 1, 10), percussion (track 10) *
Serban Ghenea Șerban Ghenea (born October 13, 1969) is a Grammy award-winning Romanian-Canadian audio engineer and mixer. Early life and education Ghenea was born in Bucharest, Romania in 1969. In 1976 he moved to Montreal with his family. He later attended ...
– mixing (tracks 2, 3, 8) * John Hanes – mix engineering (tracks 2, 3, 8) * Benjamin Rice – engineering, recording & additional vocal production (track 13) *
Felix Snow Felix may refer to: * Felix (name), people and fictional characters with the name Places * Arabia Felix is the ancient Latin name of Yemen * Felix, Spain, a municipality of the province Almería, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, ...
– production, programming & instrumentation (track 14) * Hazebanga – programming (tracks 1, 10) * Zvi Edelman – production coordination (tracks 2, 4) * Seif Hussain – production coordination (tracks 2, 4) * Andrew Luftman – production coordination (tracks 2, 4) * Astrid Taylor – production coordination (tracks 2, 4) * Chris Sclafani – engineering & recording (track 4) * Simon French – engineering assistance & recording assistance (track 4) * Blake Mares – engineering assistance & recording assistance (track 4) * Tim Blacksmith – executive production (tracks 4, 5) * Danny D – executive production (tracks 4, 5) * Mikkel Eriksen – recording & instruments (track 5) *
Phil Tan Phil Tan is a Malaysian-American music and audio engineer. Early life and education Tan was born in Malaysia. He attended Full Sail University in Florida in the U.S., where he attained a degree in Recording Arts in 1990. Afterwards he moved to Atl ...
– mixing (tracks 5, 16) * Daniela Rivera – additional mix engineering assistance (tracks 5, 16) *
A$AP Rocky Rakim Athelaston Mayers (born October 3, 1988), known professionally as ASAP Rocky ( ; stylized as A$AP Rocky), is an American rapper, music producer and record executive. Born and raised in Harlem, he embarked on his musical career as a membe ...
– vocals & co-production (track 6) * J.B. Saboia – mixing assistance & recording assistance (track 6) * Steve Mac – production & keyboards (track 9) * Chris Laws – engineering & drums (track 9) * Shane Stevens – vocal production & background vocals (track 13) *
Jamie Muhoberac Benjamin Edward "Jamie" Muhoberac is an American session keyboardist with numerous credits. He is best known for his work with Seal and Was (Not Was). Biography Muhoberac has worked with acts including The All-American Rejects, Fleetwood Mac, B ...
– keyboards (track 1) * R3drum – additional production (track 2) * Phil Seaford – mix engineering assistance (track 2) *
Mark "Spike" Stent Mark "Spike" Stent (born 3 August 1965) is an English record producer and mixing engineer who has worked with many international artists including Madonna, Marshmello, U2, Beyoncé, Björk, Depeche Mode, Echo & The Bunnymen, Grimes, Ed Sheeran ...
– mixing (track 4) * Matty Green – mixing assistance (track 4) * Geoff Swan – mixing assistance (track 4) * Mike Anderson – recording (track 5) * Tor Hermansen – instruments (track 5) * Nolan Lambroza – production (track 6) * Will Sandalls – engineering (track 7) *
Ross Golan Ross Golan (born April 8, 1980) is a multi-award-winning, multi-platinum selling, American songwriter, record producer and playwright. Life and career Early career Golan graduated from Deerfield High School (Illinois) of Deerfield, Illinois in ...
– background vocals (track 9) * Dan Pursey – engineering assistance (track 9) * Brandon "Casanova" Hodge – guitar (track 10) * João Pedro Mourão – guitar (track 10) * Jimmy Messer – guitar (track 12) *
Tim Pierce Tim Pierce (born 1959 in Albuquerque) is an American session guitarist. He has worked for artists such as Joe Cocker, Crowded House, Goo Goo Dolls, Michael Jackson, Beth Hart, Roger Waters, Alice Cooper, Johnny Hallyday, Phil Collins, and the ...
– guitar (track 12) *
Rami Jaffee Rami Jaffee (born March 11, 1969) is an American musician. He is best known as the keyboardist for the rock band Foo Fighters, whom he initially joined in a touring and session capacity in 2005. Jaffee has contributed to six of the band's studi ...
– keyboards (track 12) * Serafin Aguilar –
trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...
(track 12) * David Urquidi
saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of Single-reed instrument, single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed (mouthpi ...
(track 12) * Frank Dukes – additional production (track 15) * Donkey Boy – production (track 16) ; Credits *
Selena Gomez Selena Marie Gomez ( ; born July 22, 1992) is an American singer, actress and producer. Gomez began her acting career on the children's television series ''Barney & Friends'' (2002–2004). As a teenager, she rose to prominence for starring a ...
– executive production * Aaron Bay-Schuck – Interscope A&R direction * Lexi Opper – Interscope A&R coordination * Marta Navas – Interscope A&R administration * Matt LaMotte – Interscope marketing * Gary Kelly – Interscope sales * Chris Mortimer – Interscope digital marketing * Hillary Siskind – Interscope publicity * Michelle An – Interscope video * Stephanie Hsu – Interscope creative * Tracy Kies – Interscope business affairs * Brian Roettinger – art direction & design * Ryan Butler – graphic design * Taylor Giali – art direction assistance & design assistance * Renata Raksha – photography *
Chris Gehringer Chris Gehringer (born May 27, 1962) is an American mastering engineer, known for having mastered recordings such as Gwen Stefani's '' Love. Angel. Music. Baby.'' (2004), Rihanna's '' Loud'' (2010), Lady Gaga's '' Born This Way'' (2011) and Drake' ...
mastering * Aleen Keshishian – management * Zack Morgenroth – management * Sara Newkirk Simon – agent * John Marx – agent * British Reece – publicist * Ziffren Brittenham – legal


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


Release history


Notes


References

{{Authority control 2015 albums Selena Gomez albums Albums produced by Rock Mafia Albums produced by Stargate Albums produced by Steve Mac Albums produced by Mattman & Robin Albums produced by Benny Blanco Albums produced by Hit-Boy Albums produced by Dreamlab Albums produced by Frank Dukes Albums recorded at Westlake Recording Studios Interscope Records albums