Selena Gomez Rare lyrics: All the references to Justin Bieber, her health and love
10 January 2020, 15:26
Selena Gomez opens up about the past four years of her life in her Rare lyrics.
Selena Gomez is back and she gets candid about everything from Justin Bieber to her health on her brand new album Rare.
Ever since Revival came out in 2015, people have been eager to hear what Selena Gomez would release next. Over the past four years, Selena has dominated radio and the charts with hit collaborations ('Taki Taki') and one-off singles ('Bad Liar') but it wasn't until October last year that she finally started the campaign for her new album Rare with 'Lose You to Love Me'.
READ MORE: Selena Gomez opens up about abuse she experienced in a past relationship
Now the full project is here and, just like 'Lose You to Love Me', every song is filled with unflinchingly honest lyrics about her life since Revival came out. With that in mind, we've gone through Rare and picked some of the standout lyrics from it.
1) What are Selena Gomez' 'Rare' lyrics about?
"I'm not gonna beg for you / I'm not gonna let you make me cry"
'Rare' is a song about knowing your worth and ending a relationship in which you're underappreciated. It's about realising that you are "rare". It was no doubt inspired by someone very specific (we'll let you guess who) but it's a sentiment which anyone can relate to.
Selena Gomez - Rare (Official Lyrics)
2) What are Selena Gomez' 'Dance Again' lyrics about?
"Happiness ain't something you sit back and you wait for"
'Dance Again' is a banger about taking control of your life and actively finding happiness again after wallowing in pain. In it, Selena references her well-documented depression singing: "I kickstart the rhythm / All the trauma's in remission" and she sounds genuinely happy.
Selena Gomez - Dance Again (Official Lyrics)
3) What are Selena Gomez' 'Look At Her Now' lyrics about?
"It was her first real lover / His too 'til he had another"
'Look At Her Now' sees Selena Gomez open up about how far she's come since leaving a toxic relationship behind. She sings about being cheated on, making mistakes and coming out stronger on the other side. "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".
Selena Gomez - Look At Her Now (Official Lyrics)
4) What are Selena Gomez' 'Lose You to Love Me' lyrics about?
"In two months you replaced us / Like it was easy"
'Lose You to Love Me' is a ballad which almost acts as a part one to 'Look At Her Now'. It's about realising that you need to end a relationship in order to learn how to love yourself. "In two months you replaced us / Like it was easy" appears to be a direct reference to Justin getting engaged to Hailey Baldwin two months after he and Selena ended their eight-year on-and-off-again relationship.
Selena Gomez - Lose You To Love Me (Official Lyrics)
5) What are Selena Gomez' 'Ring' lyrics about?
"Yeah, I received your message, all twenty-three"
'Ring' is a song about knowing a man is infatuated with you and enjoying it. After the more vulnerable moments at the start of the album, it's fun to Selena letting loose and being playful. It's unclear if it's inspired by someone specifically or not.
Selena Gomez - Ring (Official Lyrics)
6) What are Selena Gomez' 'Vulnerable' lyrics about?
"Give you the chance, I know that you could take advantage once you got it"
In 'Vulnerable', Selena opens up about how she's been burned in relationships before and is wary of letting her guard down with new romantic interests. However, she ultimately decides that she'd rather risk it all and be vulnerable.
Selena Gomez - Vulnerable (Official Lyrics)
7) What are Selena Gomez' 'People You Know' lyrics about?
"So many wasted / Nights with you / I still could taste it / I hate it"
'People You Know' sees Selena get frank about how you can completely lose touch with people you were once close with. The verse lyrics reference a relationship, Selena regrets. "So many wasted / Nights with you" appears to be a double entendre about Selena literally wasting her time with someone and spending many nights drunk with them.
Selena Gomez - People You Know (Official Lyrics)
8) What are Selena Gomez' 'Let Me Get Me' lyrics about?
"I need to let my mind rest / While my body reflects"
In 'Let Me Get Me', Selena addresses her anxiety head-on. She sings about trying to overcome it by going out and having fun. Lyrics like: "No self-sabotage, no letting my thoughts run / Me and the spiral are done" will no doubt resonate with anyone else who suffers from the nervous disorder.
Selena Gomez - Let Me Get Me (Official Lyrics)
9) What are Selena Gomez' 'Crowded Room' lyrics about?
"So won't you call me in the morning? / I think that you should call me in the morning"
'Crowded Room' is about instantly falling for someone, so much so that, when you're with them, it feels like no-one else is in the room. Selena sings "Even in a crowded room / Baby, it's just me and you" and 6LACK returns the favour on his own verse.
Selena Gomez - Crowded Room (Official Lyrics) ft. 6LACK
10) What are Selena Gomez' 'Kinda Crazy' lyrics about?
"I think you're kind of crazy / And not the good kind, baby"
In 'Kinda Crazy', Selena sings about dating someone and slowly but surely finding out that they're "kinda crazy". She makes digs about them being "shady" and "dodging phone calls". She also references being gaslit by them: "And now you're treatin' me like I'm insane / You're insane". Sound familiar?
Selena Gomez - Kinda Crazy (Official Lyrics)
11) What are Selena Gomez' 'Fun' lyrics about?
"You get me higher than my medication"
'Fun' is a song about seeing someone who isn't right for you but you do it because it's fun. In it, Selena makes multiple tongue and cheek references to her mental health. "This is just what the doctor ordered (Yeah) / Put a gold star on my disorder".
Selena Gomez - Fun (Official Lyrics)
12) What are Selena Gomez' 'Cut You Off' lyrics about?
"Professionally messin' with my trust / How could I confuse that shit for love?"
'Cut You Off' is literally about Selena cutting a man out of her life. After all of the heartbreak and trauma, she seems pretty nonplussed about letting him go. "When I'm without you / I don't overthink it, I just carry on". 'Cut You Off' co-writer Liza Owen revealed on Instagram that the song is about an "asshole boy who shall not be named".
Selena Gomez - Cut You Off (Official Lyrics)
13) What Selena Gomez' 'A Sweeter Place' lyrics about?
"Learnin' to breathe / Up in the clouds, far from the crowds / I can't believe I can be loud"
In 'A Sweeter Place', Selena sings about wanting to escape the public eye and find a private place. "Is there a place where I can hide away? / Red lips, french kiss my worries all away". Kid Cudi joins her adding: "This is just for me and I am cuttin' ties, goodbye".
Selena Gomez - A Sweeter Place (Official Lyrics) ft. Kid Cudi
