SELENA GOMEZ & THE SCENE: WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN - ALBUM REVIEW

Selena Gomez really is coming into her own as a Pop Star. Despite considerable skepticism on my part, I finally gave her third Disc When the Sun Goes Down a whirl and even with my critical guard up, I found myself unable to resist the feel-good vibes the 19 year-old Disney star was emanating in this twelve-track collection of songs.

Current single Love You Like a Love Song cannot be denied. From the same team which brought us Miley Cyrus' See You Again (Rock Mafia), this track's throbbing bassline and a lovelorn moodiness are unforgettable. True to its lyrics, I too "keep hitting re-peat-peat-peat-peat-peat". The production trio also contribute the melancholy gem My Dilemma on the Disc. 

Toby Gad who has had a hand on tracks like Big Girls Don't Cry (Fergie) and If I Were a Boy (Beyonce), delivers us a bit of Electro-fun on La Roux-esque romp Bang Bang Bang. He also oversees a collaboration with UK talent Pixie Lott titled We Own the Night, which easily could be a track off a P!nk album. 

Self-loving first single Who Says fully utilizes Gomez's Band The Scene properly, taking flight with a Chorus that can make an area of screaming girls sing together in unison. Hit the Lights from Producer Dreamlab delivers some Kylie-esque goodness, showcasing Gomez convincingly as a Dance-Pop Diva.  She  gets a writing credit even on the Disc's title track When the Sun Goes Down, inspired undoubtedly by Ke$ha's TiK-ToK, summing up the album's listening experience: Summer Fun.

All stops are pulled for here and if you don't look carefully, you might not notice that Pop Goddesses Britney Spears and Katy Perry both have contributed material too. Spears and Electropop Master Greg Kurstin provide Whiplash, in which Gomez channels some serious Blondie complete with faux Brit accent. That's More Like It, co-penned by Perry, is sequenced later on the Disc and serves the role as Filler which happens to be fun.  Middle of Nowhere from Producer Sandy Vee which although not penned by Perry, is a cut from the same cloth of that one's Hot 'n' Cold.

I am thoroughly impressed with the execution of this effort from Gomez and unlike some of her Disney contemporaries' recent efforts, this album completely is cohesive. Gomez ably delivers vocally although not as impressively as Demi Lovato, but definitely has a bit to go before reaching her peak. Gomez definitely is headed the right direction to be a lasting power-player in the land of Pop. Grade: A-

Watch the Video for Love You Like a Love Song below: