Selena Gomez is the queen of EDM collaborations. Her 2015 hit with Zedd, “I Want You to Know,” is a zipping, technicolor delight that features some of her most interesting vocals to date. “It Ain’t Me,” her song with Kygo that dropped earlier this year, is trippy, catchy, and stuffed with effects. And now she’s continuing her dance-floor reign with “Wolves,” a new, absolutely addictive collaboration with Marshmello.
The lyrics are pretty straightforward—Gomez laments about running with the wolves to reach some guy—but the production is what takes “Wolves” to another level. It’s a warm blend of Avicii’s 2012 smash “Wake Me Up,” Justin Bieber and Halsey’s collaboration “The Feeling,” and even a little bit of Gomez’s own song “Hands to Myself.” And her vocals are clear, crisp, and strong—a feat when the electronic production is this involved. (Her voice was sort of lost in the shuffle on both “I Want You to Know”and “It Ain’t Me,” but not here.)
Listen to “Wolves” for yourself, below. It sounds even better after the second spin.
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This is the fourth song Gomez has released this year. She ushered in her new era with “Bad Liar,” a retro-pop tune that samples “Psycho Killer” by the Talking Heads. “Fetish,” a hip-hop grind jam featuring a rap from Gucci Mane, followed shortly after. “Bad Liar,” “Fetish,” and “Wolves,” are all sonically and lyrically different, which makes it difficult to imagine what Gomez’s forthcoming album will sound like. There’s one common thread between them, though: They’re exactly the types of songs Gomez wants to release right now. It’s clear she’s experimenting and having fun with this new music; she’s not really thinking about the “pop package” of it all—that’s what it seems like, at least. And it’s exciting. Cheers to this period being her most electric and autonomous yet.
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