Canadian singer-songwriter Carly Rae Jepsen (“Dedicated”) released her sixth studio album “The Loneliest Time” on Oct. 28. The album is consistent with Jepsen’s stylistic disco-esque synth pop, though She said that she wanted to “broaden the spectrum of what the subject of a pop song was allowed to be.”

Jepsen has a special place in pop music. Even if her resonance on the pop charts has waned since 2015, she has kept a fervently dedicated fanbase and widespread critical acclaim. “The Loneliest Time” offers the key to Jepsen’s career: rather than rely on exhausted gimmicks or soulless cliches, Jepsen appreciates unpretentious, glitzy pop as worthy on its own.

If “Beach House” was released at the start of summer, it could have been 2022’s vacation banger. Jepsen wishes that the men could just tell her while they flirt that they will break her heart. The track is campy but sweet in the way Jepsen’s male background singers reveal that they still have a beach house in Malibu, they will still ghost her, borrow loads of money and even in a stunning twist, “harvest your organs.” The track’s lyrics are clearly just for a laugh, but that does not stop it from being the most fun song on the album.

The title track features Rufus Wainwright (“Unfollow the Rules”) in a glamorous duet that ups the disco to the highest level. The track fittingly closes the album as Jepsen sings about reuniting with a lover, played  by Wainwright with perfect groovy chemistry. The glowing strings uplift Jepsen’s jubilant vocals alongside a punchy kick-snare beat. The bridge is a high point of the album, with Jepsen campily talk-singing about “coming back for you, baby!” in the cutest moment of the album.

While “The Loneliest Time” is full of pumping kick drums and shiny synths, Jepsen does leave some room for some chill and subdued tracks. Lead single “Western Wind” has a lush, pulsing beat featuring congas and rustic guitars. Jepsen’s voice floats lightly like a leaf on a river as she mellowly sings of falling in love. The song is ripe for those moments when you are by the lake, you close your eyes and you inhale the tranquilizing air. “Go Find Yourself or Whatever” is another relaxing switch-up, consisting of Jepsen imitating a country twang with a folksy guitar. Jepsen’s lyrics show some self-deprecation while accepting a breakup: “Go find yourself or whatever/I hope it treats you better/than I could do.” Jepsen and country is not a mix one expects, but it works surprisingly well as a melancholy confessional. 

The album’s major flaw comes in the underdeveloped briefness of its first half. Tracks like “Joshua Tree” and “Sideways” are such powerful bangers that end disappointingly quickly. It is jarringly obvious that the reason for demoting the tracks to interlude length was for streaming and TikTok reasons, but the disco influences, a genre known for keeping you on the dancefloor, leave a jarring impression on the tracks’ deprived continuation. Nevertheless they are great tracks, if only we could have gotten more from them. “Sideways” has a bouncy tropical beat that can cheer up even the moodiest listener with its optimistic lyrics and smiley guitars. “Joshua Tree” is another uber-disco track that sounds closer to Dua Lipa (“Potion”) with  its funky drop in the chorus, but Jepsen’s trademark soprano prevents it from sounding derivative. 

“The Loneliest Time” may undercut itself for commerciality, but it is still a masterful album that deserves a listen from any cheeky poptimist. “The Loneliest Time” is a product of Interscope Records. 

Image from Carly Rae Jepsen via YouTube