Summer: Hello!
Jillian: hi!!!
are we ready
Summer: yeSSS let’s goooo
welcome to carly rae jepsen chat
yes she is my soundtrack rn
Jillian: yay ok talk to me about crj
Summer: so i actually didn’t get into her until late 2019
i think i actually listened to emotion for the first time in like…july of that year?
but i listened to her enough that she was on my spotify roundup in my top 5 LMAO
Jillian: lgkhdfjlksd
carly rae jepsen is always one of my top artists on spotify which is funny to me because i feel like i don’t even listen to a lot of crj music most of the time
it’s just that i go through phases every year where i listen to a lot of crj and nothing else for like, two weeks
i also don’t know how to make a playlist without at least one crj song on it
Summer: what’s so appealing to me about her is like
ok i am a SAD GIRL
it is part of who i am
but her music is HAPPY and appeals to the pleasure centers in my brain the same way fanfiction does
Jillian: yes!!!
Summer: EMOTION feels like you could make an anthology romcom series from each song’s plot
how can you not just completely give yourself over to it!!!
Jillian: right!!!!!! it’s so fun!!!!!!
i think i started listening to crj around the time when EMOTION came out
and since then i have been very deeply into everything she’s released
but to be honest i haven’t really listened to any of her pre-EMOTION stuff
Summer: oh same
Jillian: i know a few of the songs on kiss but i don’t think i’ve ever listened to tug of war
and like, i should? i know i should
Summer: same. and like. i think EMOTION is honestly a perfect album
Jillian: it is
Summer: so even though everything else she’s released since then has been AMAZING
i’m still like….she really did the gold standard
Jillian: and i revisit EMOTION (and side b) from time to time
but whenever she releases a new album i’m like, oh THIS one is my favorite
Summer: hahaha
Jillian: so as much as i do still really like the songs on EMOTION, if i had to pick one album to listen to on repeat right now it would be dedicated side b
Summer: what’s your favorite song from it?
Jillian: felt this way
easy
i’ve listened to it a billion times
Summer: i feel like i listen to let’s sort the whole thing out the most ????
is it on one of the playlists you’ve made??
why is that in my head
Jillian: felt this way was my top song in 2020
Summer: omg cuuuute
Jillian: let’s sort the whole thing out is on one of my playlists!
Summer: OKAY that’s why then
Jillian: but felt this way is on another one
Summer: i’m listening to it right now and it’s just making me GIDDY!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jillian: it’s impossible not to want to dance and sing to both of those songs
Summer: okay dedicated side b does rock actually i think i like it better than dedicated
YES! did you see her in concert?
Jillian: i really liked dedicated too!!! like, so much!!!! but i always love her side b albums
I DID
i went to her most recent concert in nyc with a few friends and it was amazing
just a huge room full of people with glitter on their faces dancing for hours
Summer: i think hazem was at that concert lol
Jillian: omg really! that’s funny
Summer: SO CUTE god i wanna go to one but idk if i’ll ever feel brave enough to Concert again
Jillian: yeah, i hope someday
i would love to go to another crj concert for sure
Summer: maybe i can throw a private crj listening party whenever her next album drops
Jillian: yessss i love that idea
it was probably the most fun concert experience i’ve ever had lol
Summer: ughhh i love that
i think CRJ is so interesting because like
call me maybe was a meme
and then she like. embraced the meme with the music video
which was so cute? like how good-natured?
Jillian: right!
Summer: and then emotion dropped and she’s like. i mean the hanif abdurraqib essay on her…that’s ART baby
Jillian: and i’m sure for a lot of people crj is still just the call me maybe girl
but she’s made so much good music since then
Summer: YEAH i bet. i think i assumed people were being ironic when they first talked about how fucking good her work is
Jillian: klsdhgsjdlfsd yeah
but it really is! very good!
Summer: i was like okay i get it we love white pop girls
BUT NO. she is actually special
Jillian: people smarter & better than me at writing about music have probably articulated really well what makes crj different from other pop music
but for me it’s just kind of a gut feeling
i love pop music a lot! i like to listen to music that is just fun and makes me want to dance
but there is something about crj that makes her my favorite and i don’t really know what it is, but it’s there
Summer: for me it really is the narrative i think. i really love ariana grande for example
Jillian: me too!
Summer: but i also listened to her while i was like, writing my thesis because you can so easily tune out what she’s saying aksjfklsjfds
if u want to participate in whatever narrative she’s offering you can? but it’s mostly vibes
and i think with CRJ there’s far more…transportation….into whatever little world her songs are making
Jillian: crj songs really do have a whole little fantasy world in them don’t they
Summer: yes!!!!
i think i really like you is my favorite song
Jillian: i love that song so much
Summer: it has such sweet yearning and it’s so JOYFUL in possibility
Jillian: oh man it really does capture the feeling of LIKING someone so much, it’s great
Summer: YES and like. as a generally anxious person i think i always feel some sort of doom when i like someone lmao
so the unadulterated JOY that song carries…it’s so? ? WONDERFUL????
Jillian: a lot of songs about having a crush or whatever are very full of yearning in like, a sad sweet painful way lol
it’s nice that this one is just super happy and fun to listen to
Summer: yes!!!! exactly
ok also the other song i really love is Store LMAO
back in the days when i actually went to a grocery store by myself via public transit
Jillian: JUST A FUN SONG
Summer: i literally would have it on repeat
over and over over. I’m just going to the store to the store i’m just going to the store
Jillian: like, she’s literally going to the store
it’s a song about going to the store
and also about ghosting some guy i guess but IT’S A SONG ABOUT GOING TO THE STORE
Summer: SHE IS LITERALLY JUST GOING TO THE STORE!
and so am I !!!!!
it kind of feels like the ultimate shower thoughts song
because it’s like “going to the store going to the store oh man there’s some conflict in my life huh ok well store store store”
Jillian: aren’t we all just going to the store
Summer: GOD I WISH
i want to dissociate staring at vegetables once again
i yearn for it
Jillian: just yesterday i went to the store for cat food
Summer: does juniper like crj
Jillian: hm idk let’s find out
Summer: thank you a vital experiment
Jillian: i’m playing want you in my room for her
Summer: sdklfjdskljfksd so cute
Jillian: she is purring but that might just be because she’s sitting in my lap
Summer: very sweet regardless
ok wait what are your top 3 songs
Jillian: THAT’S HARD let me think
i think……..in no particular order……..
felt this way, your type, and real love
picking the third one was hard though, there are so many songs that i love
what are yours
Summer: ok so i think. i really like you, store, and gimmie love. but i also feel like if i just start listening to emotion era-onwards i’ll be like “actually this is my favorite song”
Jillian: i love all of those songs too it’s impossible to pick favorites
like how could i leave out party for one. how could i leave out favourite colour.
how could i leave out cut to the feeling, a song i listened to nonstop for weeks when it came out
Summer: FAVOURITTE COLO R
do you know anything about her personality or influences? i dont actually think i’ve watched any interviews
i wonder like. what’s her process
where does it all come from
Jillian: i think i’ve read some things and looked at a few genius annotations but to be honest i don’t really know that much about her
which i kinda like?
Summer: honestly same
like good for her?
Jillian: there are a lot of pop stars that i know too much about, and i always want to know what their songs are about and stuff
and with crj it’s like. idk i don’t care? i guess?
Summer: truthfully i feel like i know more about pop stars i do not listen to
like i know so much about dua lipa
Jillian: i’m content to just listen to her music when it comes out and leave it at that, because i get so much out of it already
Summer: i can’t tell you a single one of her songs
i’m sure they’re fun! but like. why do i know so much
Jillian: i don’t know anything about dua lipa but her last album was great
Summer: ok so actually i know so much because she is muslim and dating anwar hadid and pro palestine but REGARDLESS
crj? i don’t even know what part of the country she’s from
i like it
a little mystery
wait CRJ is canadian
i just remembered this
wait no
ok see
just music no personal details
Jillian: i guess as an example, i really like taylor swift and ariana grande. and i love their music as it is BUT it’s also so much more fun when you can listen to it and speculate about their personal lives.
and with crj i really don’t care what or who any of her songs are about
Summer: same
i want them to carry me as a soundtrack as i pretend to be in a romcom
Jillian: exactly!
Summer: they are incredible chopping onions music
Jillian: i mean the great thing about pop music is being able to project your own feelings into a song
Summer: yes…party escapism
Jillian: it’s fun! we love it!
everyone listen to EMOTION
Summer: yes!!!!
any other concluding thoughts
Jillian: and EMOTION side b and dedicated and dedicated side b
Summer: might fuck around and listen to some early career work….
Jillian: woah maybe i will too
ok today’s homework for us is to listen to tug of war
Summer: perfect
Jillian: yayyyyy thanks for talking about crj with me’
Summer: this was fun i love her im gonna listen to her all day
Jillian: ME TOO
sweet