Album Review: Carly Rae Jepsen's Dedicated

An Album of Perfect Pop

By Joanna Patzig

Good news - Carly Rae Jepsen has dropped an album full of fresh synthy pop so summer is officially here! Dedicated was one of many hot releases on Spotify May 17th, and fans and critics are lauding it as one of CRJ’s most relaxed and fun albums yet. A lot has changed since “Call Me Maybe” swept through the summer of 2012, but Jepsen’s signature innocence and bubblegum sound remain infectious.
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Dedicated really brings it with relatable crush songs, love songs, break up songs, and the nuanced self reflection that CRJ is known for. The tracks are less overtly anthemic than her last album “Emotions,” but still carry an upbeat and resilient voice. I love the opening track “Julian,” the story of a past love in an effortless and breathy tone. The song “Want You In My Room,” produced by Jack Antonoff, is a celebration of Jepsen’s distinctly youthful excitement about crushes, and of course her stunning high notes. ​

Before the album came out, she talked to Rolling Stone about wanting to make “chill disco” or be “more confident her weirdness,” and I think Dedicated is starting to get there. One of the best tracks, “Everything He Needs, ” is actually a reworking of a Harry Nilsson song from Popeye, which is a little weird, but it totally works. It’s a very synth heavy album, with a groovy eighties bass that compliments the love tropes which might otherwise feel overbearingly cheesy.

Part of what captures me about Carly Rae Jepsen is that she is just such a character. She notoriously writes a ton of songs before editing them down into an album, and she always gives us plenty of songs (which perhaps echos her lyrical obsession with obsessive itself.) I’m the first to admit that pop isn’t my favorite genre for a lot of reasons, but Carly Rae Jepson is perfect in her craft. I love how girly the music is; it feels really good to listen to something so feminine, and so light and empowering. I’ll definitely be dancing in my room and cleaning the house to this album all summer, just like Jepsen sings in the last song “Party for One”:

“Party for one
If you don't care about me
I'll just dance for myself
Back on my beat
I'll be the one
If you don't care about me
Making love to myself
​Back on my beat”

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