Pop powerhouse Carly Rae Jepsen dropped a new surprise album, Dedicated Side B, an extension of her 2019 album Dedicated, but it’s not a simple recycled offering. The record is packed with nostalgia, introspection, emotional highs and lows, crafting a world that’s just as brilliant as the 2019 album but with renewed excitement.
With tones of an understated living room disco, the incredible album opens with sparkly lead single and standout track, “This Love Isn’t Crazy,” which works as the perfect representation of the energetic, optimistic vibe that entire album boasts.
Teaming up with mega-producer Jack Antonoff – who has worked with the likes of Lorde and St.Vincent – the dance music-infused track opens with Jepsen’s sharp hum which gives way to an anthemic, fun electro-pop offering that soars with a sky-high chorus.
The glitzy, pulsating track from the Canadian hit-maker is partly airy and partly boom with electro-heavy soundscape as it moves from sugary sweet pop to a fast-paced instrumental, and Jepsen sing-raps: “The other night I swear I saw you in my dream/ We didn’t say too much but I understood everything,” before launching into a catchy hook “You could hurt me baby and I could hurt you too/ But love isn’t cruel.”
The track is simple and fun as Antonoff’s musicality guides Jepsen’s incredible vocals and zeroes in on her brilliant range to offer up a summery opener – and one of the early highlights- of an album full of perfect dance-pop numbers for the best living room dance party to grace the period of quarantine.
The pulsating, upbeat presence of “This Love Isn’t Crazy” splits under the pressure of the introspective darkness and claustrophobic energy of duet “Comeback” before the record bounces back with upbeat pop banger “Window.”
By balancing the powerful yet tender self-love anthem of “Solo” with the urgency of tracks like “Felt This Way,” Jepsen showcases a mind-blowing sonic range on an album that’s essentially a collection of left-over tracks.
The album closes out in perfect style swinging right back to the breezy-sunshine vibe of “This Love Isn’t Crazy” with the tropical-tinged closer “Now I Don’t Hate California After All.” It leaves you struck with a deep yearning for more, and then much more.
Side B is a joyous collection of escapist material left behind from Dedicated. With it, the pop icon proves that she’s never one to rest on her laurels, always launching ahead at full speed to deliver the best pop songs that will never fail to make you dance.