Songfacts®:

• The title track of Selena Gomez's third solo album finds her unappreciated by her lover. Though the dude isn't pulling his emotional weight, the songstress is not about to let it get to her emotionally. She knows her value and warns him if he doesn't shape up there are other guys out there.
• Gomez explained to MTV News the song is all about finding "incredible freedom" within herself. Having learned to feel special, she is ready to move on from the person who doesn't appreciate her "rare" qualities.
• Gomez doesn't see "Rare" as a cocky confession about herself. She explained during an album release event: "It's a song that says, 'I know I don't have it all, but I do know I deserve something special.' And that song is exactly how I feel. I won't tolerate being treated any other way."
• Selena Gomez wrote the slinky self-empowerment anthem with:
  
  Los Angeles-based songwriter Madison Love, whose other credits include G-Eazy & Halsey's "Him & I" and Ava Max's "Sweet But Psycho."
  
  Mississippi-born songwriter Leland, who also co-penned Selena Gomez' "Fetish." Other artists he has worked with include Troye Sivan ("Youth"), Daya ("Hide Away") and Kelsea Ballerini ("Miss Me More").
  
  Los Angeles producer Sir Nolan, who previously worked with Selena Gomez on her Revival song "Good For You." His other credits include Justin Bieber's "All Around The World," Pitbull's "Feel This Moment" and Nick Jonas' "Jealous."
  
  Newcomer Simon Rosen, who produces under the name Simon Says. He also contributed to Khalid's single "Eleven," which was released around the same time.
  
  Sir Nolan and Simon Says also produced the track.
• Singer-songwriter Emily Warren sang Madison Love's original demo, which leaked in late 2018.
• Speaking in a Spotify Rare Stories video, Gomez explained that she titled the album after this song because she's had self-esteem issues in the past, and "Rare" made her feel "incredible."
• Directing duo BRTHR shot the enchanting video. The clip finds Gomez in a magical forest filled with rainbow lights, bubbles and butterflies.
• Gomez said in a pop-up version of the "Rare" video that the silver, mercury-esque liquid she handles in the visual is a non-radioactive metal called gallium.
• It was Sir Nolan who came up with the song's concept in early 2016 when Gomez was first looking for ideas for her follow up to Revival. She recalled to Genius he presented it to her saying, "This is your message."
  
  "I think anyone who knows me knows that I have such a heart for people and all I want to do is encourage people and make people feel normal, make people know that it's not always going to be okay," Gomez explained. "But that's all right. We'll all get through this because life's not going to be perfect, and I am very vulnerable with my fans, and that's where it started."
• Gomez knew this was the starting point for the album, so she made "Rare" the reference for the four years it took her to write and record the record. "Like, how were we going to go off of that message?" she said. "How was I going to translate my story to each of the songs and the words, what they mean, how they feel, so it's a very important song to me, and it's a very important word to me as well."
• Selena Gomez launched her own makeup line, Rare Beauty, on September 3, 2020.