Carly Rae Jepsen’s “The Loneliest Time”
November 10, 2022 • Written by Sonnae Peterson
October 21st, 2022 marked an important date for pop lovers of the world. On the same day that Taylor Swift gave us Midnights, Carly Rae Jepsen also dropped her latest album The Loneliest Time. Anticipation for this album has been brewing ever since she revealed the songs she’d been releasing little by little since May of this year. Western Wind, Beach House, and Talking to Yourself, were three songs off of her new album. Fans of her work were ecstatic as Jepsen has not released an album since 2020, Dedicated: Side B. However, each of these the three songs she released were all extremely different; a combination including a slower, more intimate song, her classic disco pop influenced music, and a branch out to a more classical version of pop music. These quick introductions posed the question: what is this album going to be like? October 21st, 2022 finally rolled around, and it immediately became apparent that Midnights by Taylor Swift wasn’t going to be the only album people were talking about.
The album kicks off with Surrender My Heart, a song that starts soft and builds upward until you find yourself dancing. Accompanied with this fall weather, it’s the perfect song to add to your walking playlist. The transition to Joshua Tree is unexpected, and yet works so well. Jepsen is easing her listeners into her sparky song writing style. The early 2000’s signature Jepsen pop style lingers like a ghost in this song. Talking to Yourself throws us into her signature style of pop music. Insanely catchy, and with this song Jepsen shows us yet again that she knows exactly when to drop a beat, and when to add more guitar. Jepsen introduces us to her slower side in Far Away. A sweet love song to easily sing along to, and Jepsen’s personal favorite song of the album (The Ringer). Jepsen hits us with another cute love song: Sideways, which really makes me wonder who it is she's writing about. This song is catchy and upbeat, an easy song to skip down the street to. This is a song you will want to add to your feel good playlist. Beach House is the next banger. When I saw her live at RoadRunner, as she was performing this song she said “Dating in your 30’s am I right?” A mix of humor and her ultimate pop disco sound, this song is impeccable. Taking an immediate switch back to her new slower soft style, she gives us Bends. This song makes you feel like you’re being wrapped up in a blanket. A sad ballad, that she makes it so easy to sing along to, her voice warming your heart and drying your tears. Western Wind is up next, a pick me up compared to the last song. The whimsical beat, mixed with her voice and the wonderful lyrics, it feels like you’re in a car sticking your hand out the window, while driving through a beautiful countryside. So Nice is yet another love song, so it makes me think maybe Carly was branching out to write about past relationships.
The next song, Go Find Yourself or Whatever, felt like an entirely new Carly Rae Jepsen. I had the pleasure of hearing it live for the first time, as she had performed it on her So Nice Tour, as another sneak peak of the album while it was still unreleased. Her words combined with the soft strum of the guitar communicates in such a sensitive way. It feels like she's touching our hearts, allowing us to feel whatever we feel from this song, being honest with herself and us and how she feels. It’s the gift of Jepsen singing about her experiences, and yet the listener is able to experience their own thoughts through the song, relating to their own life, or just listening to the flow of the song and through touching their own heart it can relate to anyone.
The Loneliest Time (feat. Rufus Wainwright) brings us right back into the pop scene we all know and love from Carly Rae Jepsen. I admit I did have to look up Rufus Wainwright, but just from listening to the song I do believe he was a great addition. While Wainwright’s voice is a bit more husky, both he and Jepsen’s voices are so dreamy that they mix into a fantastical melody. I would love to keep hearing them do collaborations. I had assumed that her playful lyrics reflect just how much fun she had on this song, but upon some research she had written it during the mass lockdowns due to Covid (The Ringer). And considering it’s her most listened to song off the album at the moment, it's apparent that the listeners have just as much fun listening.
Diving into the first bonus track off the album, Anxious is an extremely satisfying track. The movement of the piece paired with the fluctuation of Jepsen’s voice is entrancing. The opening guitar riff is one of my favorites I’ve heard in a while. While listening to this song, it’s so easy to embody it and dance in your room alone. No Thinking Over the Weekend is the first time I’ve ever heard Carly Rae Jepsen introduce the flute onto one of her tracks. It brings her new softness genre to a whole new level. This is a beautiful piece, Jepsen paints a beautiful painting for us with her words. The final bonus track Keep Away is a beautiful mix of her classic pop style and the slower style she demonstrated through this whole album. This personal track is catchy, upbeat sounding despite having more mellow sad lyrics.
All in all, the whole album is incredible, and skipping any track would be despicable. It’s clear that Carly Rae Jepsen is about to embark on a new journey, expanding her abilities outside of disco pop. As she continues to branch out to slow and ballad-like songs, I hope that this gives her the ability to release more tracks, as she’s demonstrated her ability for multiple genres. I love that she writes about her personal experiences, as it sheds light on the part of her that we don’t see, and allows us as the listener to reflect on our own life. This album was a turning point for Jepsen, and I, as well as many other fans, are incredibly excited to see where she takes us from here.
