Music & Concerts

New Selena Gomez effort ‘Rare’ catchy but lacking

Not quite the bold artistic statement needed to fully catapult singer to adult stardom

Published

5 years ago

January 20, 2020

Rare album review, gay news, Washington Blade — **Selena Gomez**’s new album ‘Rare’ is catchy and well produced but not quite the breakthrough it could have been. (Photo courtesy Interscope)

It’s a bit like taking the temperature of pop music of the new decade. The first major pop release of 2020, Selena Gomez is out with her third studio album entitled “Rare.” It’s a well-leveraged, solid composition. The album contains a number of good songs, even if it fails to take any serious risks.

On the pop music scene, Selena Gomez is in good company. Like Miley Cyrus and Demi Lovato, the former Disney Channel star (which hovers somewhere between a hurdle and an asset) has had a number of hits since the conclusion show “Wizards of Waverly Place” where she played the lead as Alex. With Disney Plus’s entry into the streaming world, Disney Channel stardom is likely to still give childhood celebrities like Gomez a boost.

But disentangling oneself from adolescent stardom and finding a more adult demographic is something many young artists struggle with. This is even true for performers performers like Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson from One Direction, who have spent several years seeking after a more adult demographic. But this is a well-worn path for artists like Gomez. Miley Cyrus began transitioning to an older target demographic with her 2009 “The Time of Our Lives,” which featured the endlessly played “Party in the U.S.A.” But it wasn’t until her the following album “Can’t Be Tamed” that the break felt complete.

The case of Gomez is slightly different, and she released several albums with her dance-pop band Selena Gomez & the Scene. “Love You Like A Love Song” is perhaps still their most popular. Shortly after the group disbanded in 2012, Gomez’s first solo album, “Stars Dance,” was released in 2013. And it was met by immediate commercial success, landing at the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200. And her 2015 follow-up album “Revival” quickly followed suit, with singles “Good for You (featuring A$AP Rocky)” and “Same Old Love,” making her something of a pop force to be reckoned with. And her 2016 duet with Charlie Puth “We Don’t Talk Anymore” has remained a fixture of radio play. But “Rare” is the singer’s first full album release in nearly five years.

“Rare” is the third and titular single released from the album, cut and balanced with an eye toward radio play. While there is nothing vocally extraordinary going on — Gomez has this in common with Cyrus and Lovato — the production value is high and everything feels very polished.

But the heart of an album is so rarely found in the singles, which are more often than not sort of one-offs. Songs like “Dance Again,” with its snappy baseline and dance rhythm, better capture of the aesthetic of the whole: a somewhat darkly colored, dance pop album with a glossy finish. “Kinda Crazy” pops in a mid-tempo groove and features very tasteful instrumentation: a touch of piano, a jazzy guitar riff that sets the tone and even horns. The singer’s breathy vocals hover just slightly above the mix. It’s one of the most nicely balanced pop songs in recent memory and a testament to the attention to detail that Gomez brings to her music. And it would be remiss not to mention “Cut You Off,” a delightful Saturday morning breakfast-bop and relentless earworm. Humorously, the chorus repeats over and over: “So I gotta get/you out my head now.”

The second single, “Look at Her Now,” is more evidence of the masterful production and how far it take one in today’s pop music scene. Artists like Kesha (whose new album drops at the end of the month) were pioneers in this regard. And phenomenal production covers myriad other sins. But “Look at Her Now” is the pop equivalent of a nursery rhyme when you peel back the smooth synth hooks: “Of course she was sad/but now she’s glad she dodged a bullet/took a few years to soak up the tears/but look at her now, watch her go.” And the chorus drones on the annoying “Mm-mm-mm, mm-mm-mm, mm-mm,” nearly as bad as Justin Bieber’s latest “Yummy.”

That leaves us with the lead single, “Lose You To Love Me,” which peaked at No. 1 on Billboard back in November. It stands apart from the rest of the album as a slower break-up anthem. It’s the only track to really showcase Gomez’s vocal power and it will ultimately make for an easy dance remix (or a dozen). Songs like it have guaranteed the commercial success of “Rare,” and in turn Gomez’s staying power. But I was hoping for a little something more from this album. It is a new decade, after all.

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Music & Concerts

Kylie brings ‘Tension’ tour to D.C.

Performance on Tuesday at Capital One Arena

Published

2 weeks ago

April 5, 2025

Tinashe Chingarande

Kylie Minogue visits D.C. on Tuesday.

Aussie pop icon Kylie Minogue brings her acclaimed “Tension” world tour to D.C. next Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Capital One Arena. Tickets are still available at Ticketmaster.

The show features songs spanning her long career, from 1987 debut single, “The Loco-Motion,” to “Padam, Padam” from her album, “Tension.”

Music & Concerts

Busy season for live music in D.C.

Erivo, Kylie, Sivan, and more headed our way this spring

Published

1 month ago

March 14, 2025

Joe Reberkenny

Cynthia Erivo plays WorldPride in D.C. on June 7. (Photo courtesy of World Pride)

One sure sign of spring’s arrival is the fresh wave of live music coming to Washington. With more than 10 venues and a diverse lineup of artists, the city offers no shortage of live performances for the new season.

In addition to this impressive list, don’t forget the many artists coming to town for WorldPride, May 17-June 8. In addition to headliner Cynthia Erivo performing on Saturday, June 7 at the two-day street festival and concert, many other performers will be in town. Jennifer Lopez, Troye Sivan, and RuPaul are among the featured performers at the WorldPride Music Festival at the RFK Festival Grounds, June 6-7. Visit WorldPrideDC.org for a list of other performers.

MARCH

Grammy and Emmy Award-winning Mary J. Blige will take the stage at Capital One Arena on March 26 for her For My Fans tour. Two days later, on March 28, J Balvin will also perform at Capital One Arena for his Back to the Rayo tour.

The Lincoln Theatre will host the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington for three performances—one on March 15 and two on March 16.

If dance parties are more your vibe, you’re in luck. DC9 is hosting a series of themed dance parties this month, starting with Poker Face: 2000s + Dance Party on March 14, the ever-popular Peach Pit ’90s dance party on March 15, H.O.T.S.: A Sapphic Dance Party on March 22, and RageRiot!—a burlesque and drag revue featuring a lineup of local drag kings, queens, and everything in between on March 29.

APRIL

Australian queen of pop Kylie Minogue will bring her Tension tour to Capital One Arena on April 8, with British dance artist Romy as her special guest.

Indie singer-songwriter mxmtoon will stop in D.C. for their Liminal Space tour on April 4 at the 9:30 club, followed by indie rock band Gossip on April 5. The 9:30 club will also host two dance parties in April: Gimme Gimme Disco – a dance party inspired by ABBA on April 11 and Broadway Rave on April 18.

The Atlantis will feature Brooklyn-based indie rock band Pom Pom Squad on April 2.

Comedy duo Two Dykes and a Mic will bring their Going Hog Wild tour to the Howard Theatre on April 19.

DC9 has two dance parties lined up this month: Bimbo Night on April 4, hosted by Baltimore’s “premier red-tattooed Filipina diva” Beth Amphetamine, and Aqua Girls: A QTBIPOC Dance Party on April 5, celebrating “queer transcendence through music, movement, and community.”

The Anthem will welcome a lineup of big names in April, starting with Alessia Cara on April 8. Lucy Dacus will take the stage on April 18 and 19 for her Forever Is a Feeling tour, while funky pop artist Remi Wolf will headline on April 27, joined by special guests Dana and Alden.

MAY

Indie-pop artist Miya Folick will bring her Erotica Veronica tour to The Atlantis on May 1, followed by multi-genre musician SASAMI on May 2. Pop artist Snow Wife will close out the month at The Atlantis on May 31 as part of an official WorldPride 2025 event.

Queer rock band Lambrini Girls will perform at the Howard Theatre on May 4, while rock trio L.A. Witch will take the stage at DC9 on May 12.

Union Stage will feature Rachel Platten on May 3 for her Set Me Free tour, followed by Femme Fatale: A Queer Dance Party later that night.

The popular DJ festival Project Glow will return to RFK Stadium grounds on May 31 and June 1.

JUNE

Pride month kicks off with “RuPaul’s Drag Race” star Trixie Mattel, who will perform at Echostage on June 3 as part of a series of official WorldPride 2025 events.

Queer icons Grace Jones & Janelle Monáe will take over The Anthem on June 5 for a WorldPride 2025 event performance.

Perfume Genius will bring his signature sound to the 9:30 club on June 7 as part of WorldPride 2025 festivities. Later in the month, Blondshell will hit the 9:30 club for her If You Asked for a Tour on June 24.

Music & Concerts

Pride concert to take place at Strathmore after Kennedy Center rescinds invitation

International Pride Orchestra ‘heartbroken’ event ‘would no longer be welcome’ at DC venue

Published

2 months ago

February 27, 2025

Jaylon Curry-Hagler

The Kennedy Center (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

The International Pride Orchestra has announced its Pride concert will take place at the Strathmore Music Center on June 5 after the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts disinvited the group.

Since President Donald Trump took over the Kennedy Center during his first month in office, LGBTQ events and performances have been banned with community allies withdrawing in solidarity.

The Kennedy Center has cancelled “A Peacock Among Pigeons: Celebrating 50 Years of Pride,” a May 21 concert that was to feature the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C. The International Pride Orchestra on Monday said its concert will now take place at the Strathmore.

“We were heartbroken when we learned that our concert would no longer be welcome at the Kennedy Center,” said International Pride Orchestra Founding Artistic Director Michael Roest in a statement released by the orchestra’s media page. “The Kennedy Center has long been a symbol of artistic excellence, inclusivity, and freedom of expression. However, we are profoundly grateful to the Strathmore Music Center for opening their doors to us. Their willingness to host our Pride Celebration Concert ensures that our message of love, pride, and resilience will be heard on the doorstep of the nation’s capital.”

The Pride concert is among the events that have faced uncertainty since the Trump-Vance administration took office on Jan. 20. Many, however, are fighting back and looking for ways to push back against the bans and cancellations.

“We aim to create a powerful and positive representation of the queer community through music,” said Roest. “We want to show the world who we are, celebrate our queer identities, and amplify the work of organizations that support the LGBTQ+ community.”

WorldPride is scheduled to take place in D.C. from May 17-June 8.