Decoding The LyricsBreaking Down All the Hidden Messages Found In Selena Gomez’s Album ‘Rare’

“Rare”

Opening with the album’s title track, Selena seems to sing about not being appreciated as “special” in her relationship. The first of many songs about independence and self-love, “Rare” takes listeners through a journey as Selena realizes that she can find someone better who will make her feel wanted and loved.

“It feels like you don’t care / Why don’t you recognize I’m so rare? / Always there / You don’t do the same for me, that’s not fair / I don’t have it all / I’m not claiming to / But I know that I’m special (So special), yeah / And I’ll bet there’s somebody else out there / To tell me I’m rare / To make me feel rare.”

As fans know, during an Instagram Live from August 2018, the songstress told fans that this was her favorite song.

“My favorite song is ‘Rare.’ It’s beautiful,” she told viewers at the time.

“Dance Again”

Selena has totally found happiness, which listeners can hear in this upbeat tune. She sings about being in tune with her emotions and how after everything she’s been through, it finally “feels so good to dance again.”

Fans have also speculated that this track is an ode to her past albums. The lyrics “dance again” — which are repeated throughout this song — also appeared in her 2013 song “Love Will Remember.”

“Look At Her Now”

The second single off the album, “Look At Her Now” seems to recount the moment in Selena’s life when she decided to get over her ex after he moves on with another girl. Fans have speculated that this track is about Justin Bieber and how Selena has grown to realize that she’s better without him.

“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,” she sings on the track.

“Lose You To Love Me”

This super emotional track was the first song Selena released, introducing fans into her new musical era. Immediately after it was released, fans speculated that this song was about her tumultuous, on and off relationship with ex-boyfriend Justin.

In the song, Selena says goodbye to a toxic past relationship so she can learn to love herself.

“We’d always go into it blindly / I needed to lose you to find me / This dancing was killing me softly / I needed to hate you to love me, yeah,” she sings.

“Ring”

A departure from her usual upbeat pop songs, this track shows a different side of Selena and has a darker tone. She sings about having the guys she dates wrapped around her finger “like a ring” and is sure to acknowledge her self worth in the song by telling listeners that she’s “one in a billion.”

“Vulnerable”

Selena has finally made peace with her past relationship and this song shows it. She seems to sing about being nervous to open herself up to the same person multiple times because it failed many times before.

“If I show you all my demons, and we dive into the deep end / Would we crash and burn like every time before? / I’ll stay vulnerable.”

Fans speculate that this song is also about Justin, especially because the two broke up and got back together multiple times throughout their almost eight year relationship.

“People You Know”

In this catchy tune, Selena gets real about what happens when relationships are over. She sings about how people can go from knowing everything about you to knowing nothing about you after a breakup.

“We used to be close, but people can go / From people you know to people you don’t / And what hurts the most is people can go / From people you know to people you don’t.”

“Let Me Get Me”

Referring back to the album’s earlier song, “Dance Again,” Selena is singing about her independence and tells listeners that she’s “tryna let a little happy in for once.” A turning point on the record, this track marks the point where the songstress has found herself and has become comfortable in her own mind.

“Crowded Room”

The first collaboration on Rare, this track features 6lack. One of the slower and more sultry songs on the album, this tune is all about love at first sight. Selena sings about being in a “crowded room” and seeing someone that makes her feel like they’re the only two people there.

Some fans have speculated that this song is about her brief fling with The Weeknd since the pair seemed to have an instant connection upon meeting.

“Kinda Crazy”

This track is Selena calling out a “super shady” boy who started out sweet, but it turns out is “kinda crazy.”

Fans have speculated that this track is in response to Charlie Puth‘s song “Attention.” In February 2018, the singer revealed in an interview to Billboard that he had a very short fling with Selena which seemingly inspired the song because Charlie wasn’t the “only person on her mind” at the time. Previous to that, in May 2017, Charlie opened up about the song’s meaning and seemingly said Selena was “crazy.” He also called her out for “not putting out” after she friendzoned him.

The “Kinda Crazy” lyrics that read, “Hey, you’re the one who started talkin’ to me / Made the move, asked me to be your babe / And now you’re treatin’ me like I’m insane / You’re insane,” are seemingly in response to Charlie’s explanation of “Attention.”

“Fun”

In this catchy tune, Selena seems to be singing about a casual fling. She says the boy looks “like fun” and “may not be the one,” but that doesn’t stop her from wanting to pursue something with him.

“Cut You Off”

Another song that seems to be directed at a previous boyfriend, “Cut You Off” is all about moving on. Throughout the track she reveals the feeling of wanting to “chop all the extra weight,” which seems to be referring to a person in her life who treated her without any love.

Fans have also said that her “fourteen-hundred-sixty days” reference is directed at Justin since it seems to be the exact number of days the couple was actually together.

“A Sweeter Place”

The album’s final track is the second collaboration, featuring Kid Cudi. Now that she’s officially in a better place in her life, Selena sings this song about trying to keep her “worries all away.” These meaningful lyrics reference Selena’s Lupus diagnosis and mental health struggles to tell listeners that she’s accepted her past and is ready to arrive at “a sweeter place.”