Carly Rae Jepsen, The Loneliest Time Review

Carly Rae Jepsen has released her fifth album called, The Loneliest Time. The pop singer-songwriter shows she is moving beyond the ‘80s pop formula and creating music that is a welcoming diversification of her portfolio. However, if you are a big Jepsen fan, do not worry; this album is not a re-invention or a start of something new. It is just Jepsen expressing herself slightly outside of her norm. The album is Jepsen keeping her signature sound infused with new influences and self-reflection lyrics.

“Surrender My Heart” finds Jepsen’s angelic voice surrounded by buzzing synths and a perky dance beat. The lyrics are classic Jepsen, and the song form is safe and reliable. A solid start for the sixteen-song album.

“Beach House” is a moment of self-reflection lyrically as Jepsen ponders her failed relationships with different types of men. Unfortunately, the music is a miss with its stiff feel, and her vocal style does not sell this sound. However, the Canadian pop goddess is not afraid to present a serious emotional side with her high-gloss pop sound.

Though the project plays like experimentation as she stretches for new territory, the cohesion does suffer a bit. However, Jepsen does hit her stride with songs like “Western Wide.” This song shows the power of when the music, lyrics, and vocal style align; Jepsen is a magical artist when these elements align.

Overall, The Loneliest Time is a varied set of songs that may not flow as a whole but offer many angles of Jepsen as individual explorations. Her new influences keep her catalog evolving, and even though some are a miss, the result is that this will lead to new adventures in the future while she still keeps her sound intact. That’s the short of it!