On Carly Rae Jepsen

Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” will likely be remembered as one of the catchiest tunes of the summer of 2012.  As a lover of pop music, it caught and held my attention from the first listen, but like any successful pop tune it continued to grow on me, seeping into my ears causing me to sing along, bop my head and tap my feet… It was – as any masterpiece pop song should be – infectious. There’s also a surprise ending to the video which suggests the artist has a sense of humor.

At first glance, Miss Jepsen seems like so many other girl pop artists; cute, bubbly, affable and overflowing with youth – much like her song “Call Me Maybe”, but at closer inspection there is something more, something remarkably different from what one might perceive as her peers.  I say “perceive” because initially Carly Rae could easily be incorrectly lumped into with the Tiffany, Debbie Gibson and Britney Spears set, but at closer inspection, Carly Rae Jepsen seems to me more akin to the Sheryl Crow/Kelly Clarkson set.  For starters, she writes her own stuff, making her more the singer-songwriter than the one dimensional pop star.

With very little digging, I discovered that only five years prior to “Call Me Maybe”, Carly Rae appeared on Canadian Idol, the Great White North’s equivalent to American Idol.  Her audition – which can be viewed on YouTube, was most impressive, making a strong showing with just a guitar and a sultry self-penned tune that wowed the judges, and went on to place 3rd on that years Idol.  Subsequently, her individual performances are equally impressive, and in each she makes the chosen song her own.  In interviews she projects an honest humility and realness that is both believable and endearing.  Her charming personality is almost as infectious as her “Call Me Maybe” lyrics.

It’s also worth mention that “Call Me Maybe” from the EP Curiosity (released February 14, 2012) was not Carly’s first commercial release.  In September of 2008 she released the CD Tug Of War, with the title track reaching #36 on the Canadian Top 100.

So in the humble opinion of this DJ, Miss Jepsen is someone to be watched, and “Call Me Mabye’ is just a glimpse of what’s to come.  I’ve never before made such a bold prediction, but after watching all of her Canadian Idol performances, along with many other random Jepsen videos, I’m convinced there’s some magic there, and I look forward to more from this firecracker songstress.

On a personal note, the Canadian factor weighs heavily in my heart.  I love all things Canada, spent summers as a youth visiting family in both Toronto and Montreal (no, I’m not Canadian, just have lots of family there), and I even fell in love with a girl from Winnipeg, so it’s interesting to me that so much talent is coming from above these days (Justin Bieber, Drake and now Carly Rae).  If the 1960s ushered in the British Invasion, perhaps the Millennium is showing us the beginning of a Canadian Invasion, which, so far, I’m a fan of – particularly of Carly Rae Jepsen.

My eyes (and ears) are fixed northward in anticipation of great things to come.  Her new CD – Love – is slated for release in September of 2012, and her previously released EP Curiosity is aptly named.  My curiosity is piqued.

~Craig