Carly Rae Jepsen's New Album Is Amazing and so Is Her Message
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For the past week and a half, I've been listening to Carly Rae Jepsen's new album "Emotion" nonstop. Specifically, I put her high energy confessional song "LA Hallucinations" on replay during my daily treadmill runs, and I can honestly say I have Jepsen to thank for powering through the hardest stretches of my workouts. Having moved to Los Angeles two years ago in pursuit of working in entertainment, her powerful message about the treacherous nature of Tinseltown hit very close to home.
Many know Jepsen as the force of nature behind the megahit "Call Me Maybe," and while that tune will always hold a special place in our hearts for defining the summer of 2012, the Canadian artist shows a deeper side of herself in "Emotion," which was released on August 21 after she and her team tirelessly workshopped more than 200 songs to get the sound just right. As her manager Scooter Braun explained to the New York Times, it was important to Jepsen and her team to produce an exceptional album rather than "the biggest single in the world" once again.
"Emotion" reviews have been great, with many calling it better than Taylor Swift's highly-publicized fall album "1989." Public reception of Jepsen is also positive, and it certainly helps that she is committed to spreading warm and hopeful messages into the world. Two years ago, Jepsen and the band Train stood up for LGBT rights by scrapping their scheduled appearance at a Boy Scouts of America event due to the organization's discriminatory stance on gay scout members and leaders. In 2014, the Boy Scouts of America removed its restriction on gay members, and earlier this year, the organization lifted its ban on openly gay leaders and employees.
After the U.S. Supreme Court legalized gay marriage in all 50 states in June, Jepsen posted a photo in support of the decision on Instagram:
ATTN: had a chance to interview Jepsen about "Emotion," the intention behind her music, and her social activism. Here's what she had to say.
ATTN: You seem like an artist who really carries a message. What do you want your fans and others to know about you?
CRJ: I think all my messages are in the music. I have quite an obsession and fascination with love and joy.
ATTN: You took your time with this album, was that intentional?
CRJ: Yeah, I didn’t want to feel rushed. I think inspiration happens at its own pace and I think after coming off the craziness of "Kiss" and "Call Me Maybe," it was necessary for me to collect myself again before knowing what I wanted to do next.
ATTN: You've done a lot of work with the LGBT community, and even once refused to do a show because the sponsor didn't support LGBT rights. Can you tell us a bit about why you an advocate?
CRJ: I think it goes back to a friendship that started for me in Vancouver, B.C. with a guy named Brandon. Learning about his story and how he grew up, as an adopted kid in what he thought was a supportive house. They kind of turned against him once he unveiled the was gay. Had he not been able to swing it, he could have very easily ended up homeless. I’ve learned recently that 40 percent of all homeless youth in LA identify themselves as LGBT. It's just so sad and anything that I can do to help bring awareness to this and spread love and acceptance, then I’m going to do it.
ATTN: What other issues do you care about in the world, and how can your music -- and more importantly, your celebrity, help spread a positive message to people?
CRJ: There are so many issues that I care about. Something that I’m very proud of my best friend Katie Mattie for is starting up this charity in Kenya helping kids with their school supplies and tuition. That’s something I’ve been apart of for a while.
ATTN: If you could say that Carly Rae Jepsen stands for one thing, what would that be?
CRJ: I don’t know. Who stands for just one thing? My mother’s religion has always been kindness and I look to spread that in everything that I do.
ATTN: Tell us about the importance of individuality and being yourself.
CRJ: As I get older, I learn more and more about the joy and freedom of being myself in everything I do; In my music, in my relationships, and in who I am everyday. I think that if I have one encouraging lesson to pass on to younger artists, it's to figure out what it is about you that is unique and different and embrace that rather than shy away from it.
