Carly Rae Jepsen reveals the sourness behind the sugar in Emotion [Review]
With Call Me Maybe and I Really Like You, Carly Rae Jepsen has already proven she's the queen of catchy choruses. But latest record Emotion shows the Canadian singer has more to offer than sugary love songs.
Filled with mid-tempo 80s-style pop, Emotion showcases Jepsen's knack for capturing the mood. Opener Run Away with Me is infused with all the excitement of starting a new journey, as sax croons are joined by a pulsing drumbeat.
Gimme Love is a song brimming with youthful vibrancy and the wooziness of being in love, while slow jam All That has an edgier sound with a groove that sways back and forth alongside romantic lyrics.
But there is a darkness to the album; Jepsen ponders how disorientating money and fame can be on LA Hallucinations: "there's a little black hole in my golden cup," she sings.
On Warm Blood, Jepsen experiments with vocal distortion, but fails to convince with her song about being unable to control oneself in a relationship.
Overall, Emotion is a mature comeback for the pop singer, who has found her unique edge.