

2 / 5 stars

If we are to endure Disney Channel starlets whose 360-degree-TV-film-pop careers are micro-managed at the tweet level, there could be worse offenders than Selena Gomez, love interest to Justin Bieber. Her third album is not on a par with Britney, but it is less noisome than detractors might imagine. Opener "Love You Like a Love Song" combines a lyrical weariness beyond her years with some acrylic pump action. Sure, Gomez's recent single "Who Says" is a ghastly, life-affirming track that makes you want to flash V-signs at OAPs to redress the cosmic balance, but throughout this dance-pop album there's a catch in her throat that suggests an embryonic personality.