Gomez has some of the best songs out there. This is a recipe for musical bliss when combined with first-rate production. Gomez’s career is so extensive and full of excellent songs that creating this list was the most difficult I’ve ever done.
“Hands to Myself”
The finest accomplishment of Gomez’s first capital-A album, “Revival,” her first since switching from Disney’s Hollywood Records to Interscope, and her first as a legitimate s*x icon, is “Hands to Myself.”
But unlike many former pop stars, Gomez doesn’t just use her sexuality and confidence as weapons; with the help of Max Martin’s sparkling production, “Hands to Myself” is a humorous power play that makes seduction seem fun and effortless.
Gomez’s “Hands to Myself” shows how her breathy whispers and swoons can be just as powerful. Her contradicting statement (“I mean I could, but why would I want to?”) seems like an immediate sugar rush after she spends two minutes manipulating her lover’s sense of control and playing with his sense of pride.
“Bad Liar”
In contrast to the Disney pop of her early career and the former Disney star all grown-up feelings of 2015’s “Revival,” Gomez’s “Bad Liar” nailed something completely original and mouthwateringly fascinating. The whole concept is that it’s minimal, shimmering, and strange.
“Lose You to Love Me”
The bare simplicity of “Lose You to Love Me” is what makes it beautiful. The song’s simple, basic arrangement highlights Gomez’s personal lyrics.