Selena Gomez & The Scene: Kiss & Tell - Album Review

Tell me something I don't know, no seriously tell me something I don't know, it just seems like all the big Disney stars are required to sing and act. However, would Selena Gomez make it above the regular Disney star like her best friend Demi Lovato or will she be just like all the other Disney stars?

Kiss & Tell is an album by Selena Gomez & The Scene slated to be released tomorrow that is the debuting album for the band which Gomez formed in late 2008. Now you guys may be wondering: who is Selena Gomez? Selena Gomez is a 17 year-old Disney actress who has starred in many Disney projects such as Princess Protection Program (a Disney Original Movie, co-starring with her best friend Demi Lovato), Wizards of Waverly Place (lead role as Alex Russo), and in the movie Another Cinderella Story (lead role as Mary Santiago). Gomez has also guest starred in Hannah Montana as Mikayla, in Suite Life of Zack and Cody as Gwen, The Suite Life on Deck as Alex Russo (in a cross-over episode) and in her best friend's Disney comedy show, Sonny with a Chance as herself. Gomez as evident is an accomplished actress, but can she sing as well?

Gomez stated that the album will include songs that were inspired by such artists by Avril Lavigne, Demi Lovato and Lady Gaga. If we can draw a parallel to her best friend, Demi Lovato's first album (my review can be found here), we can say that we shouldn't bet too much that Gomez's band will stick to the sound found in the album as artists tend to switch up their style after the first album.

Unfortunately, I don't really like most of a good chunk of Gomez's album because the tracks aren't that special and I actually think Gomez needs to focus her albums a bit as it seems to be jumping around in different sub-genres a lot. Sure it's a pop album but it jumps around between pop-rock, dance-pop, pop-punk and even electro-rock. Hopefully this is just the first album and that it gets resolved by the next album. Of course there are songs that I liked very much and these are:

I Won't Apologize - a great song about not changing who you are for someone else. This song gives a strong message to kids and a reminder to even young adults and adults alike. This song sounds much like songs that Demi Lovato would write and sing. It's a soft yet powerful song.

Falling Down - apparently, it's an obligation to ridicule Hollywood lifestyle in an artist's debut album. Is this becoming a trend or is Gomez copying her best friend Demi Lovato on this one? Unlike Lovato's song, this comes with nice use of synths and generally a great rock song. Unlike Lovato's song, this song doesn't necessarily ridicule Hollywood, but anyone who's been seen as superficial.

I Promise You - one of the soft love songs that just touches one's heart the way Gomez sings the song. Along with the song The Way I Loved You, these two songs would nearly be heart touching as Don't Forget in Lovato's debut album.

Naturally - one great dance song for all ages, it really makes you want to move, there's no way that anyone can sit still listening to this song.

The Way I Loved You - the softest song on the track, gives you the reminiscent feeling to reflect back in any previous relationship that one may have had in the past. Could well make some people tear up as well as it's a pretty touching song.

More - a song definitely inspired by Lady Gaga and Avril Lavigne. I think it's an infusion of pop, punk and rock? Not too sure, but it's definitely a dance song as the band has outlined during the Planet Premiere on Radio Disney whereby one of the band members stating that it's like Gomez putting Mexican Jumping Beans into everyone's pants.

Tell Me Something I Don't Know - this song is going to receive a lot of scrutiny from me just because this song has done by Gomez before. The song was originally done for the Another Cinderella Story movie and soundtrack when Gomez was just 16 at the time. However, you can see that the new version of the song sounds much more matured than the old version and has been adapted to fit the album better ... by using more synths? Regardless, overall it was an upgrade to the old song. Yet I do miss the old a bit more childish version maybe because it makes the song sound fun than the new version and maybe because it pertains to Gomez's character in Another Cinderella Story.

It's a good album, but not great, there's definitely more work to be done. Gomez needs to figure out exactly what her musical style would be soon if she wants to stick in the music scene. If she can't, then I suggest that she sticks to acting. She's a phenomenal actress, but a singer? Maybe not. Only time will tell.

Rating: 6.8/10