Carly Rae Jepsen’s Got Us Feeling (Even More) ‘E•MO•TION’s with ‘Side B’ (Review)
"In your fantasy, dream about me...and all that at we could do with this E•MO•TION."
The fact is, Carly Rae Jepsen — born Carly Raemmaculate Jepselegend — and all of her E•MO•TION was the best thing about pop music in 2015.
And after writing over 200 songs (!) for the album, it was more than probable that at least a few of the demos that couldn't squeeze onto the already jam-packed album were release-worthy gems.
Side B is definitive proof.
A year after the release of her critically hailed collection, Queen Carly blesses us on this already Glory-ous day in pop music (August 26) with a set of previously unreleased E•MO•TION session songs.
All of the tracks, of which at least half oddly share names with Kylie Minogue songs as has already been pointed out, could conceivably slide into the original LP's tracklist, from the bright '80s funky blast of "First Time" to oddball "BRB!"-jam "Store" to the instant, ever-so-earnest plea of "Body Language." "I just think we're ovah-thinkin' it!"
And the Greg Kurstin-produced, Claude Kelly co-penned "Higher"! Those verses alone are like a cross between a whispery take on Whitney Houston's "How Will I Know?" and a touch of Madonna's "La Isla Bonita."
But the most major highlights are probably the tear-jerkers. And doesn't Carly just always know how to kill us softly (and synth-ly)? Friend-zone anthem "Fever," originally released as a Japanese exclusive, cuts deep (“My breath was lost when you said...'friends'"), as does fade-to-black closer "Roses" — that chorus, that "Ooo-ooo," dear God! — and the moody, Nick Ruth-produced "Cry." ("He always makes me cr-ha-ha-hy!")
They're all great, honestly. I'd say to start forwarding those Change.org petitions to the Grammys committee (again) at once after this year's snub of the century, but then, this release is purely a fan-pleaser. It's discards! Greg Kurstin and Carl Falk discards!
Besides, we have a "dreamy, sexy disco," Donna Summer-inspired album in the works — for which we're all deeply unprepared.
Guess that age-old adage is really, really, really true: one Canadian Pop Queen's trash is our treasure.
Carly Rae Jepsen + More Perform at Shadow Of The City Festival: