Selena Gomez ditched her band The Scene to go solo, and so far the former Disney star has been doing very well on her own with a devoted fanbase and catchy singles. Gomez's single "Come & Get It" off of her forthcoming album, "Stars Dance," peaked at #6 on Billboard's Hot 100, and now fans are excitedly scrambling to hear the rest of the tracks that leaked last night.
Gomez worked with a number of hit producers for her solo debut, including production team The Cataracs, Norwegian team Stargate (Beyonce, Rihanna, Ne-Yo) and Rock Mafia (Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato), whom she worked with on previous albums under the band name Selena Gomez & The Scene.
"This is the first year I haven't put out music," Gomez told E! Online after taking time off from music to film "Spring Breakers". "I miss it. I want to be able to write about things I've never talked about before and tell a story with this album, because I've never actually had time to go in and do that."
In "Stars Dance," Gomez's soft voice takes center stage over sexy synth-beats, icy choruses and wallowing melodies. The album features 11 tracks, including 13 available for pre-order on iTunes and 15 exclusively from Target's bonus track edition. The album officially hits stores July 23.
In "Sad Serenade," Gomez reminisces over her relationship with Justin Bieber that, very publically, ended in heartbreak. The song's pumping chorus fits Gomez's bittersweet vocals, which range from gentle to tense and pleading, while "Undercover" features a seductive breakdown and the lyrics: "You're a sexy machine/You're a Hollywood dream/And you got me feeling like a Homecoming queen," Gomez's vocals reaching breathy highs before the song builds and breaks over a hypnotizing club beat.
But perhaps the most memorable track is the smash opener "Birthday," a candy-coated, clap-happy club anthem with plenty of girl power and sex appeal, much like a bubbegum version of Rihanna's "Cockiness (Love It)," featuring moans mixed in with bubbly lyrics ("Jazz it up!/So yummy!") that feels fitting after Gomez's salacious role in "Spring Breakers."
Other notable tracks include "Forget Forever," a soaring, up-tempo love song, and bittersweet break-up anthem "Love Will Remember," a track with strong emotional undertones unheard of on any of Gomez's previous musical efforts.
UPDATE: Some of the leaked songs have been taken off of Tumblr. Selena Gomez has posted most of the new songs on her official Youtube.
"Stars Dance" Full Track-List
1. Birthday
2. Slow Down
3. Stars Dance
4. Like a Champion
5. Come & Get It
6. Forget Forever
7. Save The Day
8. B.E.AT.
9. Write Your Name
10. Undercover
11. Love Will Remember
12. Sad Serenade*
iTunes Bonus Tracks
12. Nobody Does It Like You
13. Music Feels Better
Target Bonus Tracks
14. Lover in Me
15. I Like It That Way
* = not included in the iTunes version
