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Carly Rae Jepsen's 'The Loneliest Time' Warrants Your Attention (And Your Company, Too)

Overall, Jepsen strikes a balance between her bubblegum love confessionals and a cynical, campy viewpoint

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Tiffany Jillian Go

<p>What would the songs on your playlist look like if you had an hour on the dance floor? </p><div><br/></div><p>Mirrorball shimmering, lights ablaze, I would dress up for the party in my room, with the guest and sole invitee me. Spinning in my best pajamas, I pretend I am all gussied up for a night of wearing out my shoes and dreaming of a lover to dance with. This, to me, is the perfect <strong>Carly Rae Jepsen</strong> experience and she encapsulates falling in love at the disco in<em> The Loneliest Time</em>.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/32e71770-39bf-4d7d-a551-3d5a6bbe58b7_the_loneliest_time_alt_cover.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">In her latest album, Carly Rae Jepsen encapsulates falling in love at the disco</span></span></span></div><p>Produced during the pandemic, she titled this album quite aptly. Silence and isolation were quite deafening for most, after all, and indeed a lonely time too. During this period, Jepsen fell into a funk, an eighties-dance pop rabbit hole to be exact. She credits disco and pop as her left and right hand, with the 70s and 80s as her time periods and earnest yearning at its saccharine core.</p><div><br/></div><div></div><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cj8x2LLOnG8/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background:#FFF;border:0;border-radius:3px;box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);margin:1px;max-width:540px;min-width:326px;padding:0;width:calc(100% - 2px)"><div style="padding:16px"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cj8x2LLOnG8/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="background:#FFFFFF;line-height:0;padding:0 0;text-align:center;text-decoration:none;width:100%" target="_blank"> <div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;align-items:center"> <div 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style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;height:12.5px;width:12.5px;transform:translateX(0px) translateY(7px)"><br/></div> <div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;height:12.5px;transform:rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px);width:12.5px;flex-grow:0;margin-right:14px;margin-left:2px"><br/></div> <div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;height:12.5px;width:12.5px;transform:translateX(9px) translateY(-18px)"><br/></div></div><div style="margin-left:8px"> <div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;flex-grow:0;height:20px;width:20px"><br/></div> <div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:2px solid transparent;border-left:6px solid #f4f4f4;border-bottom:2px solid transparent;transform:translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"><br/></div></div><div style="margin-left:auto"> <div style="width:0px;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-right:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(16px)"><br/></div> <div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;flex-grow:0;height:12px;width:16px;transform:translateY(-4px)"><br/></div> <div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-left:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(-4px) translateX(8px)"><br/></div></div></div> <div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center;margin-bottom:24px"> <div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;margin-bottom:6px;width:224px"><br/></div> <div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;width:144px"><br/></div></div></a><div style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:17px;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:8px;overflow:hidden;padding:8px 0 7px;text-align:center;text-overflow:ellipsis;white-space:nowrap"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cj8x2LLOnG8/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:17px;text-decoration:none" target="_blank">A post shared by Carly Rae Jepsen (@carlyraejepsen)</a></div></div></blockquote> </div><div><br/></div><br/><div><br/></div><p>Overall, Jepsen strikes a balance between her bubblegum love confessionals and a cynical, campy viewpoint. While her <em>EMOTION</em> and <em>DEDICATED</em> albums were full-on tales of falling, this one has a song that goes for the absurd. In “Beach House,” she details her sordid love affairs, with some of her lovers talking about harvesting her organs or borrowing $10,000 in the dance interlude. </p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/d1b1615e-7401-475b-93e5-2a1bc0fd6cd8_carly-rae-jepsen-rufus-wainwright.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Jepsen credits disco and pop as her left and right hand, with the 70s and 80s as her time periods and earnest yearning at its saccharine core</span></span></span></div><p>“Joshua Tree” was a second track that I wish would have kept the momentum going, but it was my least favorite of all the tracks. “Talking To Yourself” should have been a stronger single, because it is such a fun pop break-up anthem. It’ll make you feel better about the one you broke up with, while subtly asking if they are still thinking about you. </p><div><br/></div><p>“Sideways” is easily my favorite, where she delights in her lover calling her theirs. “Ever since you said that you were mine, everything’s going my way… I get all my confidence from you.” It reminds me so much of a mellower “I Think He Knows” by Taylor Swift, which for me, is still the best way to encapsulate the honeymoon stage of falling in love. “Shooting Star” is such a bop that makes you want to spin around. “I got you now, I’m Scorpio,” she sings.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/30b54b1c-3e18-44fa-ab00-f5793955b131_carly-rae-jepsen-talking-to-yourself-the-loneliest-time.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">&#x27;Talking To Yourself” should have been a stronger single, because it is such a fun pop break-up anthem</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>“Bends” and “Go Find Yourself or Whatever” were the more slow, sad songs of the album. The former explores the death of someone close to Carly, while the latter talks about a lover leaving to find themselves and her feeling vulnerable. “Bad Thing Twice” and “Western Wind” were also great ways to describe destiny. She asks in the former if it was her destiny to meet them, and in the latter, she asks about feeling home from all directions. </p><div><br/></div><p>“So Nice” is my fourth favorite song because it is such a sweet song to sing to a lover who treats you well. “So nice, how refreshing—you crush all the competition,” she admits, a joyful lilt in her voice lighting up the song even brighter. “The Loneliest Time” is my third, mainly because it was such a beautiful third single. </p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/d8ab25c0-020f-4ab1-b4fc-a0635130caf9_carly rae jepsen rufus the loneliest time.jpeg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Jepsen&#x27;s collaboration with Rufus Wainwright in &#x27;The Loneliest Time&#x27; was such a stroke of genius</span></span></span></div><div><strong>Related Story: </strong><a href="/culture/music/album-review-midnights-by-taylor-swift/34077" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Album Review: &#x27;Midnights&#x27; By Taylor Swift Is Worth Staying Up For</a></div><div><br/></div><p>I wish she opened her singles roster with this one first because her collaboration with Rufus Wainwright was such a stroke of genius. TikTok caught on fast and this became a hit on the app, but the rest of the song proved just as strong as its viral bridge. It was the perfect closer to the album too. Also, this made my Michael Jackson fan heart happy because that little flair note at the end sounded so much like the one of “Rock With You&#x27;.</p><div><br/></div><p>Her bonus tracks have not sunk in so much yet, but I am starting to like “Anxious&#x27;.</p><div><br/></div><p>Altogether, Jepsen delivers another solid line-up of hitmakers. While we can finally move on to real dancefloors this time around, nothing beats hitting the ground running solo while an active imagination runs wild. Let’s all raise a glass, fall in love, and have <em>The Loneliest Time</em> ever.</p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div>Stream <em>The Loneliest Time</em> below:<div></div><div class="youtube-iframe"><iframe style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/3l2Gi0hMjZV2uvKoWlFkoQ?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="380" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div><br/><div><strong>Related Story: </strong><a href="/culture/music/charlie-puth-charlie-album-review/33940" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Album Review: Charlie Puth&#x27;s &#x27;CHARLIE&#x27; Is His Most Authentic Showcase To Date</a></div><div><strong>Related Story: </strong><a href="/culture/music/james-reid-sophomore-album-lovescene-album-review/33987" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Album Review: James Reid&#x27;s &#x27;lovescene:&#x27; Explores The Life And Death Cycle Of Love</a></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>