Carly Rae Jepsen is often touted as a true underdog of pop and with her latest album she’s dedicated to making a splash, in true CRJ style.
The Canadian artist, actress and 'Canadian Idol' alum broke out in 2012 with the earworm of the year in 'Call Me Maybe', and Jepsen has refined her bubblegum pop sound into something all of her own.
Speaking to Flare, Jepsen said if she were to describe her latest release, 'Dedicated', in one word, it would be “longing.”
“I guess the heart of this album for me was maybe the opening track, 'Julien'.
“A little bit understated and a little bit of that fantastical side of never-ending love and having somebody on the line’ til the end, which I kind of pine for.”
Jepsen teased fans with two singles ahead of 'Dedicated'’s worldwide release, the silky-smooth 'No Drug Like Me' and rapturous pop jam 'Now That I Found You' – the latter drawing inspiration from her true love, her new cat.
“The lyrics were going through my head, and I woke up one morning and I saw the cat and I was still kind of not used to him being in my life,” Jepsen told MTV about the feline-filled video for the tune.
“'Waking up next to you every morning' started playing in my head and I kind of laughed out loud. I was like, that’s what I want this video to be about: just a cat-lady obsession.”
Even though CRJ’s latest release has gifted 15 new tunes to fans, it was recently revealed that the 'Cut To The Feeling' singer is sitting on an as-yet-unreleased album loaded with disco tunes – aptly titled 'Disco Sweat'.
“I started off with a very strong intention to make an understated disco, living room dance party thing,” Jepsen told SF Weekly.
“I think that came from going to Sweden and really digging into some ABBA stuff, then exploring the '70s. I did '80s last time, maybe I’ll do this, but it was never that simple.”
Jepsen promised that you can hear the essence of 'Disco Sweat' in 'Dedicated', but a pure disco sound was just not meant to be.
“I think there are songs on the new album that achieved kinda what I was envisaging, I think 'Julien' is a good example of that,” Jepsen continued.
“I ended up getting out of a rut, and found some songs that were a little '90s that I wanted to include, a little something that made more sense than this 'Disco Sweat', that will be buried in my backyard.”
Jepsen’s previous album, 'E-Mo-Tion', took the artist to new heights on the charts and online. Second single 'Run Away With Me' became a verified smash-hit single and meme (with the song's opening bars leading to some of the best Vines in the archives).
Though 'Disco Sweat'’s exploration of the '70s never left base camp, 'E-Mo-Tion' took fans back to the '80s instead, with its joyful sound.
“I wasn’t sure that I would be doing a period piece or not, but I do know that I definitely wanted to have elements of the '80s in there,” Jepsen said to Digital Trends.
“That’s what came out! I think '80s music can go really dramatic, and it can go really light. A lot of times when I go in the studio, I don’t have the intention of making any type of song. I just naturally sort of found myself getting back to the '80s niche. Whenever I stepped away from it, I still kept going back to it.”
The album also marked a new musical direction for Jepsen, teaming up with fellow musicians Sia and Dev Hynes (Blood Orange) to dilute the best of CRJ's pop sensibility and synth-pop vision – and 'Dedicated' builds on the critically-acclaimed work of its predecessor.
'Dedicated' also marks a moment of personal maturation for Jepsen, who appears on the album’s cover facing away from the camera. Speaking to The Guardian, Jepsen admitted she doesn’t love being expected to use her face and body to sell pop music.
“I told them, I’m 33, I’ve had years of putting my face on stuff. I want it to be purposeful,” Jepsen said.
“I’m not wanting to hide away but image can be everything for some artists, and I thought, God, I can’t compete with that. I feel more confident in my age and weirdness now, and the fact that my fashion doesn’t really have anything to do with what’s fashionable. Now, I might make a bad outfit choice, but at least it’s me making the decision.”
Jepsen’s energised pop tunes have of course made their way into the LGBTQI+ milieu, with 'Cut To The Feeling' even featuring as a lip sync for your life that pushed Monique Heart to invent a new kind of cartwheel, and kept The Vixen in the running for the crown of Season 10 of 'RuPaul’s Drag Race'.
Jepsen has also got the rumour mill buzzing, jumping at the suggestion that she should appear as a guest judge on an upcoming season of the race.
“I would love to!” Jepsen told Buzzfeed.
“If you’re listening, that’s a yes. Just call me.”
