Like it or not, the 'Call Me Maybe' singer has returned and she's delivered a wholesome pop record with the help of nifty producers.
Carly Rae Jepsen/ EMOTION
It’s easy to dismiss pop music, especially when it involves a young girl coyly singing about giving her number out to her crush and urge him to “call [her] maybe". And while the artistic merit of the song is still open to debate, the 2011 breakout hit has gone on to sell 12.5 million copies worldwide, generated countless cover versions, memes and parodies, and essentially catapulted Canadian pop singer Carly Rae Jespen — then virtually unknown — into global stardom. Jepsen’s overly bubblegummy debut album, Kiss, may have fared less successfully, but there’s no denying that Call Me Maybe has left an indelible mark on the pop landscape.
Like it or not, Jepsen is back with her third studio album, Emotion, packed full of diverse, highly sought-after collaborators, from Swedish pop hit-maker Shellback (Taylor Swift, Britney Spears, Maroon 5) and Greg Kurstin (Lana Del Rey, Kelly Clarkson) to in-demand Aussie songwriter Sia and a handful of indie producers like Ariel Rechtshaid (Madonna, Beyonce), Blood Orange’s Dev Hynes and Vampire Weekend’s Rostam Batmanglij. Just looking at the line-up of helpers, it’s clear Jepsen means business this time around.
Hoping to perhaps replicate the success of Call Me Maybe, Jepsen gives us lead single I Really Like You, a catchy pop number that deals with puppy love. Here, she can’t stress enough how much she really digs this boy. “I really really really really really really like you/And I want you. Do you want me? Do you want me too?” It’s simple, repetitive and highly relatable. Coupled with the video starring a lip-syncing Tom Hanks, the song is indeed ripe for going viral, and has to date garnered over 94 million views on YouTube.
If the sound of ’80s synth-pop doesn’t readily come across on I Really Like You, it definitely will on the second single Run Away With Me. Produced by Shellback, it’s an infectious pop gem worthy of comparison to Taylor Swift’s Style. “Oh baby, take me to the feeling/I’ll be your sinner, in secret/When the lights go out, run away with me,” she urges her love interest with zeal.
When she’s not busy fervently chasing after boys, Jepsen gives us a glimpse of emotional depth on All That and Warm Blood produced by Hynes and Batmanglij respectively. She even ruminates on heavier topics like commercialism and superficiality at one point on LA Hallucinations.
Emotion, by and large, is a solid pop album that pays homage to ’80s synth-pop with the same, if not more, conviction as Taylor Swift’s excellent 1989.
But unlike Swift, Jepsen lacks the songwriting chops to pull off clever hooks and narratives — a fact she’s completely aware of, which is precisely why she decided to make up for it with the star-studded production.
She succeeds in that respect, for pretty much every song has the potential to be a radio single, thanks to a host of hired hands who have played a big part in this album what it is.
THE PLAYLIST
Yanin/ Ma Nood
Having previously charmed us with her ethereal first single Ar Kart [Air], rising bedroom musician Yanin continues to impress with Ma Nood [Human]. Equipped with nothing more than an acoustic guitar, she waxes philosophical about the impertinence of life in a fittingly haunting tone. Accompanied by ferocious strumming, she offers, “When humans commit sin, they must face karmic consequences/Humans’ existence is like smoke, having been born only to fade away.” Heavy, but incredibly thought-provoking.
Keith Richards/ Trouble
Keith Richards is gearing up to release his first solo LP since 1992’s Main Offender, and it’s going to be called Crosseyed Heart. Here, the legendary Rolling Stones guitarist has shared with us the lead single, Trouble, a bluesy rock number in which he casually croons, “Baby, trouble is your middle name/The trouble is that that’s your game/Just because I can’t see you, see you any more/That’s because, honey, you’re doing two to four.” Due out next month, Crosseyed Heart will also feature a duet with long-absent American jazz darling Norah Jones.
Jess Glynne/ Don’t Be So Hard on Yourself
You might recall Jess Glynne and her voice from the little hit called Rather Be. Now the British singer and songwriter has struck out on her own with a debut solo album, I Cry When I Laugh. The record’s fourth single, Don’t Be So Hard on Yourself, finds Glynne taking on the role of a sage big sister, offering a pat on the back through a life-affirming chorus: “Don’t be so hard on yourself, no/Learn to forgive, learn to let go/Everyone trips, everyone falls.” There’s that whiff of Rather Be in here too, which means it’s going to inspire plenty of singing along.
Joanna Newsom/ Sapokanikan
Sapokanikan, the first cut lifted from Joanna Newsom’s forthcoming album Divers, starts off with a chirpy piano before it’s promptly joined by an orgy of glorious horns, playful glockenspiel and Newsom’s trademark childlike coo. Like its title, which is the name given by Lenape Native Americans to the area of Manhattan, the lyrics are equally esoteric (“The cause is Ozymandian/The map of Sapokanikan/Is sanded and bevelled/The land lorn and levelled/By some unrecorded and powerful hand”). The highlight arrives towards the song’s climax where her coo ascends into a shrill as she muses “Look and despair, look and despair.”
Jamie Woon/ Sharpness
Another comeback worth your attention this week is Jamie Woon and his suave new single, Sharpness. The track is a follow-up to Woon’s 2011 debut album, Mirrorwriting, and sees him revisiting the smooth neo-soul soundscape that has dominated his previous work. “Never been so inside when I give into you/Never been so existent, you can’t know unless you feel it,” he whispers in the opening verse over a slick flow of sparse melody. Make sure to listen out for a grumble of synth that creeps in towards the end for it truly adds to the song’s after-hours vibe.
