THE PATH TO Selena Gomez’s third album has been beset on all sides by hardship. Gomez has fought a battle with lupus that led to intensive therapy, kidney-transplant surgery, and cruel internet speculation about fluctuations in her weight. There were makeups and breakups with high-profile exes Justin Bieber and the Weeknd, whose Purpose and My Dear Melancholy albums both had songs that appeared to reference time spent with Gomez. (Imagine going through a split and having your ex release “Call Out My Name,” “Where Are Ü Now,” or “Love Yourself.”) The singer eventually checked in to rehab facilities to work through depression and anxiety. The trickle of singles released in this stretch—the Talking Heads flip “Bad Liar,” the Gucci Mane collaboration “Fetish,” the reggaeton hit “I Can’t Get Enough,” and the folk-pop jams “It Ain’t Me” and “Wolves”—suggested tantalizing new directions and then sped off as soon as they started to stick. It’s apparent now that she was trying to get to a place of stability before pulling the trigger on another full-album statement.
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