Carly Rae Jepsen suffers from a "love crush." In November, the singer-songwriter made her partnership with Grammy-winning producer Cole MGN official on Instagram, a relationship that ultimately inspired the release of her new album, The Loveliest Time , which was released on July 28 — though the songs It wasn't actually about her new boyfriend.
The album is her latest "Side B" album and complements her sixth LP, 2022's Loneliest Time . Jepsen launched the tradition in 2016 with the release of a companion record , Emotion: Side B , which features "hundreds" of unaired songs she usually writes for studio albums.
"I actually wanted to cancel it the night before it was released because I was so nervous about the idea of oversharing," she tells Bustle about Emotion: Side B. "But then I realized how much fun it was. That's actually what I said to the fans. It's a beautiful passion project."
13 of the cutest moments "The Loneliest Times" is a collection of wistful ballads and bittersweet pop songs she wrote during the 2020 lockdown, when she mourned her deceased loved ones but was unable to visit family in Canada due to international travel bans . While touring her 2022 album last year , she revisited songs she'd written about idealized romance and realized she actually related to them (Courtesy Cole MGN)
"I had this dream of being in a completely naked love that still felt beautiful," Jepsen, 37, said of re-listening to songs like "Shy Boy" and "Psychedelic Switch." "With fresh Perspective. “You feel like someone knows everything about you—your flaws, the good, the bad, the ugly—and embraces it all. "This is one of those moments when life imitates art," she said.
As such, Jepson promises that "The Loveliest Hours" represents the full range of feelings that come with a new romance. "Not everything is as fun as roses and bubblegum," she said. "There's still life, but things happen."
Below, she looks back at her weirdest songs from the past year and the Oscar-nominated actor she asked to play her in the biopic.
On TikTok, Tumblr, and releasing an album on the same day as Taylor Swift
Last year, "The Loneliest Time" went viral on TikTok. What is your reaction to this?
I'm not integrated into the TikTok world, and [duo partner] Rufus Wainwright isn't integrated into it either. He texted me and said, "We are the two oldest ladies." We loved it, but we also had no idea how it happened. "The Loneliest Hour" is already so long, with a little bit of the Moon Monologues added and I thought of this in the middle. I think the weirdest parts of my personality were accepted and given new avenues in life. If anything, it gave me the confidence to say, "Okay, let your weird flag fly. You might be weird about this stuff."
When you write now, do you think of TikTok in your mind?
I don’t bring that into the creative process because I’m still a real old school girl. I want to write a song that becomes a song.
During your New York show last year, you joked that Taylor Swift and your album were coming out on the same day. How do you feel about midnight ? Have you heard of it?
[ Laughs ] I didn’t, but I had nothing but love for Taylor. It was just a joke because she’s such a great artist and we were like, “It’s a small world.” The good thing about the music industry is there is room for everyone. It's not as competitive as the music business was pitched to us before, and we're doing such different things musically. I have to have some humor in things because you can't live without humor.
Ever since the Tumblr post about You Deserve a Sword went viral, some fans have started giving you swords at shows. What do you use them for?
Nowadays, it is rare to be without a sword. Generally, at least three. It's grown into such an enjoyable part of the scene. I could have a Game of Thrones chair with lots of swords in it, but unfortunately I would have a hard time traveling with them. My tour manager tried to buy a really nice one through customs. He wrapped it [all] up, but they were like, "You can't travel with a sword."
On her seminal musical moments
Who is an artist considered cheesy that you love without irony?
As a pop artist, other people's ideas of tackiness are very different from what I think. Some people think ABBA is tacky, but I'm like, "ABBA isn't tacky. They're awesome."
What’s the weirdest thing about a song you’ve ever written?
The "store" is weird, the idea is to avoid the breakup conversation and just go to the store. And "Beach House" is weird. The story ends with a guy from Canada trying to harvest your organs. I sometimes write weird songs and I get frustrated with that.
Do you want to explore new genres?
My boyfriend and I bought a guitar in New York for $500. We found it at the last minute next door to the Chelsea Hotel because we had an idea for a song that night. It travels with us everywhere and we have a lot of fun with it. We tried another folk song because we both really love jazz, so it had a little bit of a jazz-folk feel to it.
Is there a song you never want to play live again?
I could probably put “Your Heart Is a Muscle” on the shelf forever. When we're on the road for a long time, we play through all the old songs. For some, I'm like, "Oh, I love this. We should bring this back." And then for others, I'm like, "What was I thinking when I wrote this?"
Do you remember the first CD you bought?
The Spice Girls. I remember going to the CD store and I said, "Listen, I'm looking for this new band. I don't know what they're called, but this song goes, 'I'll tell you what I want, what I really want is What.'" The guy said, "That's it."
Who would play you in the musical of your life?
I really like Rachel McAdams, so I'll ask her if she's available. I'd say, "Would you like to play with me? You're more attractive than me."
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
