My Top Ten Carly Rae Jepsen Songs

Canadian popstar Carly Rae Jepsen broke the airwaves and the internet with her incredibly catchy and string-laden single “Call Me Maybe” back in 2012. There were plenty of naysayers, but no one can deny the refreshing clarity of her songs when compared to her peers. This is pop music in its purest, most unencumbered form. Other finer minds have waxed on Jepsen’s allure and her commitment to artistry first and foremost. With the release of her new record E•MO•TION this past August, folks have started to come around to the soda pop genius of Jepsen, but there are plenty of gems in her entire catalog. So let me countdown my top ten Carly Rae Jepsen songs (not including “Call Me Maybe” on this list because duh) for you below!

10. "Worldly Matters"

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Originally a Canadian only release in 2008, Jepsen’s debut album Tug Of War feels like an artifact from the immediate post-Michelle Branch world, which means I enjoy it a lot for its quaint charms. “Worldly Matters” is the highlight, a groovy soft-spoken number that features a sweet little jam at the end. If frolicking were a song.

9. "Let's Get Lost"

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It’s an incredible delight to hear Jepsen go full Debbie Gibson on this track off E•MO•TION. “Let’s Get Lost” literally sounds like someone skipping down the street on a Saturday night. Saxophone and gentle 80s synths, Jepsen has got this joyful but inquisitive-shtick on lock with this one.

8. "Tiny Little Bows"

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"Tiny Little Bows" kicks off Kiss little a hurricane of clattering drum machines, synth strings, and a charming Sam Cooke sample. Is this song about falling in love with the world? I sure believe it when she sings it. I wish I was the world.

7. "Your Heart Is A Muscle"

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The closing track off of Kiss, "Your Heart Is A Muscle" is a deeply desperate plea from Jepsen to a lover who's about to end things with her. There's a selfless bent in her music that at times can seem frightening, but she's so good at making it feel incredibly real, as she does here.

6. "Run Away With Me"

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The saxophone riff on “Run Away With Me" is totally killer. The opening track off E•MO•TION, Jepsen stomps all over this "'Baker Street' on molly" number. The line, "Take me to the feeling," might be the most universal lyric ever, but it's perfect.

5. "I Really Like You"

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Jepsen doubled down on what makes her music shine when she released “I Really Like You” as the lead single off E•MO•TION. The goofy hook, the primal yet still polite ache, and ‘Netflix and chill” of course, Jepsen’s choice to ping pong the word ‘really’ in the chorus is one of the best musical moments of 2015 if not this new century.

4. "This Kiss"

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The (sort of) title track of Jepsen’s breakout record Kiss, “This Kiss” is a honest look at desiring someone else when you are already in a relationship. It actually blows my mind how frank Jepsen is here on this glitzy dance number, but she’s always been great at selling contradictory emotions. Dance on and beware!

3. "Warm Blood"

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Jepsen could easily make an entire record like "Warm Blood," but this is what makes E•MO•TION ’s most “experimental” track so special. Produced by Rostam Batmanglij of Vampire Weekend, “Warm Blood” showcases Jepsen at her most devil may care with all the wub wubs and sensory allusions (and illusions!). I can't even imagine where she'll take this next.

2. "When I Needed You"

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With a bassline straight out of Paul Simon’s Graceland, “When I Needed You” is a cathartic jam closing out E•MO•TION that feels absolutely buoyant and free. Even if Jepsen’s wide-eyed optimism often ends in disappointment she knows there’s no reason to live any other way.

1. "Sweetie"

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The last bonus track off Kiss, “Sweetie” is so full of yearning it could power the country and save the world. This song encapsulates what I love about Jepsen’s music more than anything else. It’s that desire to love and be loved that consumes everything, but it’s never been sung so simply and as sweetly as it is here.