From the post-pandemic pop escapism of Dua Lipa to the stadium-sized anthems of The Weeknd, the delightfully retro sounds of 80s synthpop and disco revival have become an essential component of modern day pop music. A key reason for this might just be thanks to the perennially underrated Canadian pop visionary, Carly Rae Jepsen — Just hear us out.

Jepsen’s 2015 album E•MO•TION was ahead of its time, yet it’s easily one of the most influential albums on today’s musical landscape – in more ways than just its sound. E•MO•TION was released at a critical point in Jepsen’s career trajectory. Three years prior, she had the biggest song in the world as a relative unknown. Billboard has since dubbed the chorus of “Call Me Maybe” the century’s best. Embraced for its kitschy charms while capturing juvenile romantic giddiness by an artist nobody had quite realized was 26, Jepsen’s next move was a make-or-break moment that ended up being both. E•MO•TION was a commercial failure at the time, but its enduring cult status landed it on countless year-end lists and transformed Jepsen from the starry-eyed pigtail-rocking popstar into a disco darling that recalled the most palatable elements of True Blue era Madonna.

Those who threw preconceived notions aside and gave the project a chance discovered a highly rhythmic, gorgeously textured set of 80s synthpop instrumentals that ushered the exhilarating charms of the bygone era into a modern context. On top, a set of cathartic, bright choruses delivered by Jepsen’s playful, wispy voice disguised a somber realization: Jepsen was singing about picture-perfect romance, but always as an outsider yearning for its joys.

Especially in the worlds of pop, EDM and hip-hop, the offspring of the most influential albums tend to show up about five years later. Think about the wonky rhythms of future bass taking over the 2015 airwaves five years after Flume’s debut. Or everyone from Justin Timberlake to longtime rival, Taylor Swift, trying their hand at minimalist, distorted bangers five years after Kanye West’s polarizing Yeezus. Now, soaring, euphoric choruses, funk basslines and synth hooks have made a return to pop music in a huge way.

An even more significant change that E•MO•TION sparked in the pop world was the invention of the “alternative” pop star. Jepsen’s choice to link up with some key producers from the indie world including Vampire Weekend’s Rostam Batmanglij and Blood Orange/Dev Hynes gave her credibility in a completely new way, but it was her full commitment to a passionate and deeply personal sonic shift without a care for the sales numbers that attracted her newfound audience.

E•MO•TION was released at a time when the image of the quintessential pop star had to be an unreachable, highly manufactured and almost godlike figure. Instead, Jepsen’s genuine, endearing delivery and fun-loving attitude led to an underground pop renaissance, sparking listeners to drop their biases and indulge in the genre’s escapist pleasures. Artists like Julia Michaels, Charli XCX and Kim Petras flooded in with their own weird, personalized spins on trendy pop sounds. Maggie Rogers has explicitly said that she owes her sound to Jepsen’s E•MO•TION, which shifted her direction from somber indie folk to soulful, homemade bedroom pop.

While some of 2020’s biggest pop success stories like Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia, The Weeknd’s After Hours and Miley Cyrus’ Plastic Hearts are the most obvious descendants of Jepsen’s style, the year’s biggest pop album wasn’t really a pop album at all – and Jepsen’s leap into the alt-world has a lot to do with that as well. Taylor Swift’s folklore was a surprising heel-turn into a highly specific new genre. One of the biggest artists of our time known for her meticulously planned album cycles and image alterations took an audacious “indie” risk by unexpectedly linking up with The National’s Aaron Dessner. In a world where our biggest stars are now seeking connection and relatability rather than sitting comfortably on their pedestals, Jepsen’s fearlessness in dropping the charade and simply being her emotionally messy self predicted pop’s future in another way.

It is the heart-wrenching genuineness of E•MO•TION’s emotions that has made it stand the test of time. One of the biggest surprises for unsuspecting listeners after the runaway success of “Call Me Maybe” was just how much deeper Jepsen’s music could go. It’s like when you watch a Pixar movie and get caught off guard by the current of poignant sadness lurking under the bubbly animation, ending up in a puddle of tears. What better mood to fit the state of pop music on the heels of a global pandemic? We all need something to dance to on the surface, but a shoulder to cry on at the core.

readrange.com/carly-rae-jepsen-emotion

Carly needs her flowers

true

No offense but I feel like the reason some people d***ride this album so much is because it was the first pop album from a woman a lot of straight men actually listened for the first time ever and only because publications like Pitchfork were praising it and because it's "indie"

As someone who always listened to pop music all my life, I don't get what makes it so special and different from what other pop girls were doing

It's not innovative and it's not influential or discussed outside of gays, r/popheads and the straight men mentioned above

1989 literally came out months before

No offense but I thought the internet was done with these bloated word salad essays about CRJ and all her "influence" on pop and how "important" she is. Her discography is very average and I never got the fascination with her (outside of reddit and blog era critics obviously thinking she's hot)

And saying she "invented" the alternative pop star when we'd already had Avril Lavigne, Hayley Williams, Florence Welch by that time she debut is so off it's just wrong. And how could anyone say it was just her when Lorde came up during the same era as Carly? They all opened the door for women like Charli XCX and everyone who came after it wasn't just one artist

Listen I'm all for giving Carly her flowers because she's underrated but we don't have to keep pretending she's this groundbreaking artist that changed pop. She played her part that multiple artists helped build the foundation for others to contribute

Lol we both started our rants with "no offense" but thank god I'm not the only one who noticed this and feels this way. Not trying to sound like a hater but these Carly posts almost feel like promotion at times

TL;DR

The resurgence of 80s synthpop and disco in modern pop music owes a lot to Carly Rae Jepsen’s underrated album “E•MO•TION.” Released in 2015, the album’s unique sound and rhythmic instrumentals merged the charm of the past with a contemporary twist. Jepsen’s willingness to collaborate with indie producers like Rostam Batmanglij and Dev Hynes shifted the perception of what a pop star could be, inspiring a wave of alternative pop artists like Julia Michaels and Charli XCX. Her genuine, relatable approach resonated in a music world shifting toward authenticity. This shift paved the way for unexpected genre crossovers like Taylor Swift’s “folklore.” Ultimately, the album’s emotional depth and authenticity have ensured its lasting impact, mirroring the mix of emotions people seek in music, especially after a pandemic.

Carly spammers continue to be the most delusional fan base ever. Its a cute pop album that bebe rexha or rita ora could make. People just hopped on it because liking carly rae was ”Le Different xD” that branched off a 4chan meme

i think its one of the best pop albums of the century but crediting it for that influence or acting like it was ahead of its time is such a stretch

This album has minimal influence lol

"Heart wrenching genuineness" are we for real lol?

Damn KTT s***ting on CRJ wtf is going on

biggest carly stan on the site maybe and influential is not the word i’d use for emotion at all lol, i actually wish Pop took more from it. the other things this article is attributing to it i feel like can be moreso given to 1989/the direction pop was heading anyway at the time w the 80s throwback stuff, even if Carly did do that wave better than p much anyone else

Why won’t they make great albums then.

they not gonna like this

but it's facts

emotion a classic though

Producer luck

Emotion
Dedicated both sides
Loneliest and loveliest times

Amazing projects.

im blue dabeda bebe and edm vocal AI rita definitely cant make an album like this

carly rae being the token pop artist for hip hop fans is something i didn’t see coming

they need to hire the right producers and they CAN!! Look at charli!

jesus christ you cooked

wouldn’t Gaga fit into that alt pop slot too to an extent?

The article is about the retro 80s pop sound and how so many other pop albums followed. No idea if Emotion was the first to bring it back, but 1989 doesn’t have that sound at all

1. most straight men are not listening to CRJ
2. not an indie or even dressed up as an indie. She was signed to scooter braun for this album,Had Tom Hanks,Justin Bieber,King Bach in her music video for promotion
3.cause it flopped, it caught gays attention

rest i agree. its a very well made pop album but definitely overrated on internet

yep i really don’t get the hype for this album at all

charli was always a good songwriter with good taste and started her career with hipster tumblrwave album.
her moving to pc music sound after her short string of pop hits/features also worked cause she’s a good writer or else she wouldve just sounded like hannah diamond ( ag cook’s vocaloid)

tbf he didn’t say CRJ is being listened to straight men at large, he said this particular album which it is, because it’s pretty much painted as acceptable “good” pop in lieu of other pop albums like 1989 or hell even Demi’s Confident or Sia’s 1000 Forms of Fear lmao

i mean hell look on this site alone, this site is definitely not definitive but CRJ is largely acceptable by niggas on here and anything outside of that save the “weird” artsy pop girls like Charli or say Lorde-ish, are pretty much condemned