The Loneliest Time

Carly Rae Jepsen

Canadian pop sensation Carly

Rae Jepsen has released her sixth studio album The Loneliest Time. As the title suggests, the 16-track collection explores the depths of loneliness and the resulting yearning for connection that so many of us have experienced in some capacity over the past two years. However, Jepsen explores these sometimes dark motifs with her signature optimism and catchy hooks. Unlike her 2011 breakout hit “Call Me Maybe,” the songs on this album demonstrate a much wider breadth of pop (and much deeper lyrics, too). There are airy, ambient ballads like “Western Road,” alongside dialed-up, synth-heavy jams like “Talking to Yourself.” Her love for the 80s is clear throughout the album, and her bouncy, bubblegum-pop voice is hard to get out of your head… sometimes annoyingly so. Whether you loved or hated “Call Me Maybe,” it is hard to ignore Jepsen’s talent in constructing an exemplary pop song: catchy, effortless, and emphatic.