The Carly Rae Jepsen Albums Ranked

There may only be four of them, but Carly Rae Jepsen’s albums thus far have woven a tale of a surefooted pop-songwriting force coming into her own as a diva icon. With the release of her most recent album, DEDICATED, it has become quite clear that Carly Rae is in the rarified air of contemporary pop artists with the chops to constantly redefine themselves…and have an instrumental part in writing bops in the process. Is that what the kids are calling them these days, bops? Anyways, I bump Jepsen day in and day out, so I’m going to take a look at her four records thus far. This is minus the admittedly compelling EPs CURIOSITY (2012) and EMOTION: SIDE B (2016), which are essentially mini-albums of original material themselves, and the remix albums.

EDIT 5/29/20: Added DEDICATED SIDE B.
EDIT 10/25/22: Added THE LONELIEST TIME.
EDIT 8/5/23: Added THE LOVELIEST TIME.

#7 — TUG OF WAR (2008)

Favorite track: “Bucket”

Yes, Carly Rae Jepsen was making music before “Call Me Maybe.” Long before, actually, with independent, incredibly hard-to-track down EP(s) and songs that now apparently swirl around the internet. But in 2008, Jepsen was a recent CANADIAN IDOL (2003–08) third-placer, and as you are likely well aware (especially with the show’s American counterpart), finalists typically get some kind of, often albeit brief, exposure after the fact. Early on, however, Jepsen proved her own songwriting chops on TUG OF WAR, a 2008-ass 2008 pop album if I’ve ever heard one. But it’s good! There’s nothing as extremely catchy as what was to come, but the record is full of light, well-crafted tunes. This is promising stuff that would mature into more cohesive, and better written, artistic statements. Oh, and of course, it’s anchored by Jepsen’s incredible, sweet voice.

#6— DEDICATED SIDE B (2020)

Favorite track: “This Love Isn’t Crazy”

Jepsen’s surprise quarantine release echoes the title and production of her companion EP EMOTION SIDE B. But DEDICATED SIDE B, on the other hand, is a full-fledged album, with 12 “outtake” tracks from the writer’s allegedly massive number of songs written for the “original” DEDICATED. The result is something that feels a little compilation-y, and less inspired than its source release. DEDICATED SIDE B continues the disco-inspired pop present on its predecessor, but the songwriting hooks just aren’t quite as strong. However, the record was an incredibly welcome surprise, and there’s no way I could ever claim that DEDICATED SIDE B isn’t fun and occasionally very catchy. Its collective energy just doesn’t match the excitement of the following albums on this list.

#5 — THE LONELIEST TIME (2022)

Favorite track: “The Loneliest Time”

I couldn’t help but be a little disappointed with my first listen to THE LONELIEST TIME. At first glance, it didn’t carry the immediately obvious bangers that almost every other Jepsen album has. But there is something really attractive and warm about the record, which my repeat visits to its vibe reinforced. Jepsen and her cowriter collaborators play with pop songwriting structure expectations to great effect while still trading in the glossy production one would expect from the artist. I think that’s shown in spades on the album’s title track. “The Loneliest Time” features Rufus Wainwright, a greater singer, and it weaves in and out of verses and refrains without ever staying in an easily repetitive pop pocket. Perhaps that is what defined my first reaction to THE LONELIEST TIME. It wasn’t just the same exact thing over and over within each track and from song to song, and that was kind of weird to hear from a pop star! But to be clear, the record is not some kind of avant-garde opus. It’s still very much fun, upbeat, and at times dreamy pop from, for my money, the most exciting artist in the space. THE LONELIEST TIME might just take a little bit more effort to appreciate its lush sounds.

#4 — THE LOVELIEST TIME (2023)

Favorite track: “Psychedelic Switch”

As she did with DEDICATED SIDE B and EMOTION SIDE B, Jepsen quickly followed up the release of THE LONELIEST TIME with a collection of other tracks recorded during its sessions. The result, THE LOVELIEST TIME, is indeed the better album; this should have been the first release! Embodying its name, THE LOVELIEST TIME is on the whole a more upbeat and freewheeling display of pop music than the more meditative and reflective THE LONELIEST TIME. That being said, in addition to the blaring energy of album opener “Anything to Be with You,” there are songs like “Put It to Rest,” which reminds me of some of the resonant work of Hikaru Utada. But my favorite track, “Psychedelic Switch,” is a fusion of both of these sensibilities, thrumming with a dance vibe while dovetailing into melodies and lyrics that indicate some ruefulness. The experience of listening to THE LOVELIEST TIME offers pure fun, yes, but as Jepsen has proven time and again, and especially in recent years, she and her collaborators can demonstrate a subtle experimental streak enriching the pop paradigm.

#3 — EMOTION (2015)

Favorite track: “Emotion”

EMOTION at, well, not number one may be blasphemy to many Jepsen-heads (as they’re called in the biz). But let there be no bones about it, it is an incredible modern update of 1980s pop sounds. Her voice shines more than the production, which may not have necessarily been the case on KISS, the predecessor and Jepsen’s breakthrough release. Look, it shines regardless, but her voice sounds more…powerful more frequently, rather than purely sweet. In any case, the title track is amazing, there are must-listen standouts. But as a complete work, ironically since EMOTION was clearly an attempt to make a kind of concept album, the record is not totally full of bangers. It comes close, and the cohesion is admirable, but its follow up just ekes out the win.

#2 — DEDICATED (2019)

Favorite track: “Everything He Needs”

Can we talk for a minute about how Jepsen takes entirely too long to put out another album? There are four years between almost every release. But the wait is worth it because we get a record like DEDICATED in 2019, this year of our Lord, nay, our Lady, Carly Rae. DEDICATED is not so immediately recognizable as the kind of artistic statement EMOTION was (the sound was so clearly ‘80s-inspired, Jepsen is in an ‘80s-ass sweater on the cover, all the visuals accompanying the record screamed ‘80s), but it certainly is an artistic statement. And clearly, in my opinion, a better one. The tracks flow into each other so perfectly while being disparate, catchy songs; the album is defined by a relatively understated, chill wall of sound that also makes you dance in your seat. Or on your feet if you’re not as afraid of public embarrassment as I am. It’s not something that’s necessarily leaps and bounds ahead of EMOTION, an incredibly impressive follow up to an already impressive (major) debut. But at the end of the day, tracks like “Everything He Needs” just never fail to hit me right in the…kisser, I don’t know, I can’t think of a word to describe where it hits me. It’s great, is what it is.

#1 — KISS (2012)

Favorite track: “Guitar String/Wedding Ring”

The “Call Me Maybe” album obviously propelled Jepsen into superstardom, in spite of the ubiquitous parodies and jokes about the song. And since there was a decent amount of time between KISS and EMOTION (three years), there were also some assertions that Jepsen was a shallow one hit wonder. But even if KISS was her only product, that would be a shortsighted overlook of a nearly perfect pop album. DEDICATED may be richer in sound, and EMOTION more surprising, but KISS defines bubblegum pop of the 2010s. And in a good way. Its 15 tracks are never-skips for me, a rare feat considering I skip a lot of songs I even actually like in my 3,600-plus song mega-playlist. Oh, and yeah, “Call Me Maybe” is a fucking rad song. Sure, it’s a little hard to hear it without also hearing the cultural context that surrounded it for months, but c’mon. It was a hit for a reason. And “Guitar String/Wedding Ring” and “Tiny Little Bows” never fail to lift my spirits. Isn’t that the point of pop music?

Well, if it is, Jepsen is one of the finest purveyors of thoughtful and polished yet escapist bits of musical fantasy. Critics of pop music take issue with it as something that flows exclusively through producers and executives. But that doesn’t take into account how extremely hard it is to make songs so universally good. If there’s an army behind some of our biggest pop idols, so be it. However, Jepsen is unique and singular in her ability to craft her own bops and artistic image, leaning into a distinct, yet not wholly new, aspect of herself and stardom with each new album. Is it clear that I love her?