| Artist | Carly Rae Jepsen |
| Venue | O2 Academy, Leeds |
| Date | 7 February 2023 |
| Opener | Surrender My Heart |
| Closer | Cut to the Feeling |
| Highlight | Run Away With Me |
| Undertone rating | 5/5 |
She may be synonymous with the hit that first shot her to fame, but the party-ready fans that packed into Leeds’ O2 Academy knew Carly Rae Jepsen had more to offer, namely a flawless set of pristine pop with sparkling, singalong hooks at every turn.
Carly Rae Jepsen stands on a plinth at stage right, arms outstretched from a huge, glittery trench coat, watching the delight in her fans as a bridge gains momentum. With a turn of her heels she rushes into centre stage, skilfully directing an overlapping three-part crowd harmony before a final chorus takes flight, along with thousands of pieces of confetti. It’s the sort of over the top set piece that most bands would use as their crowd-pleasing set closer. For Jepsen, this is just song number three.
For many, however, Jepsen will only be known for one, ultimate crowd-pleaser. Back in 2011 the Canadian singer bagged herself the hit most pop upstarts can only dream of. Call Me Maybe wasn’t just a success, it was an inescapable summer smash, bagging a Grammy nomination and the attention of the world. As I write it is on the verge of entering an exclusive club of songs with over one billion streams on Spotify. Following up such a song was an unenviable challenge, and indeed Jepsen has never quite returned to those heights – we are at the 2,500 capacity O2 Academy after all, rather than the 13,000 capacity first direct Arena – but a listen to any of Jepsen’s four albums since Call Me Maybe reveals just how lazy her label of one hit wonder is. Magnum opus Emotion did indeed gain a cult following but deserved even more, and whilst follow-up Dedicated was generally well-received by critics it failed to find much traction in the charts. Nonetheless, the fans in attendance at the Academy had kept listening, and were in for a triumphant night of undervalued classics.
Jepsen’s music was sweet but never saccharine, retro but with crystalline production to ensure the songs were never simply disco pastiches.
What was most extraordinary about Jepsen’s show was that almost every song felt deserving of the confetti cannon treatment. Bouncing onto stage in a wisely-chosen pair of trainers, latest album opener Surrender My Heart started things with a bang, with shimmering synths and gorgeous backing vocals accompanying Jepsen’s characteristically unforgettable melodies. Follow-up Joshua Tree similarly lit up the room, and as one of her finest basslines rumbled through the air there was already a feeling this night could be a special one. “I need it! I feel it” we chanted along, anticipation building.
For most of the night, Jepsen’s performance was a case of show don’t tell. Chat was kept to a minimum, and instead it was the quality of the music that did the talking. Whilst the audience banter may have been scant, Jepsen’s desire to maximise time spent on her songs was understandable – such is the depth of quality in her discography that a significant chunk of quality material (girly joy Boy Problems, slinky Anxious, funky Everything He Needs) was never destined to make it into the carefully curated 90 minute set. Julien was one song that deservedly made the cut, sounding tight, catchy and fresh and giving a good excuse for a spot of basic choreography with the backing dancers. It was a song that typified much of Jepsen’s appeal: sweet but never saccharine, retro but with crystalline production to ensure the songs were never simply disco pastiches.
Jepsen’s speciality lies undoubtedly in funky, party-primed pop songs, but there was a necessary offering of calmer, more nuanced numbers too. Go Find Yourself Or Whatever was the night’s most intimate moment and started with just Jepsen and her guitar, taking things in an unexpected country direction. Eventually the backing band joined for a subtle, blissful chorus and the sort of melody that gets crowds waving their phone lights along without the performer needing to ask. Gently swaying Western Wind, completed with an intriguing extended instrumental section to allow for a costume change from Jepsen, was also one of the finer quiet moments of the night. Gut-wrenching Your Type – apparently requested by a shrewd fan on Instagram before the show – was a bolder, more ambitious sort of ballad but just as powerful. “I’m not the type of girl you’d call more than a friend,” Jepsen lamented, and the refrain was so effective the pain of rejection was ours too.
Unleashing Call Me Maybe in the first half was a brave move but a wise one too. The song is of course great, but me and fellow Carly fans Thomas and Isaac were hard pressed to call it the highlight of the night as we made our way to a celebratory post-gig Maccies. To some extent, Call Me Maybe‘s main appeal in Leeds was simply how big of a hit it was. A sort of 2010s pop Mona Lisa, that cheeky, world-beating chorus provoked awe, as did the famous punchy strings sample that has been the inspiration of countless pop song since. Nine-year-old me had it on repeat on my iPod back in summer of 2012, and so hearing it in the flesh 11 years later reminded me just how lucky I am to have this opportunity.
I Didn’t Just Come Here To Dance was a late night club banger that tore the roof off an already ecstatic Academy.
So what songs could possibly surpass Call Me Maybe? As it happened, the list was long. I Really Want You was a strong contender, with every inch of the track a hook, every melody a winner. The delightfully silly chorus of “I really really really really really really like you,” annoyed pre-teen me when I first heard it on the radio almost a decade ago, but since then I’ve learned to give in to the fun of it all and appreciate just how strong of a melody it is. It wasn’t the only song to match Call Me Maybe‘s infectious sense of fun. Percussion-infused I Want You In My Room ended with a stonking sax solo that had Jepsen beaming from ear to ear and no doubt the whole audience too. Beach House may have been mocked by some for its corny spoken word recreations of Jepsen’s former dodgy boyfriends, but in Leeds it was enormous fun, with Jepsen and backing vocalists pointing their mics at each of the male band members for them to deliver lines like “I got a lake house in Canada and I’m probably gonna harvest your organs”.
It was the songs that have had the most unjust neglect in the wake of Call Me Maybe that were packed into an exhilarating final 15 minutes of the show. Stunning When I Needed You was screamed back at Jepsen louder than any other song all night, the perfectly executed lyric “I wish that I could change but not for me, for you” owing itself nicely to some passionate finger pointing both from Jepsen and her fans. I’ll admit I was a little unfamiliar with perhaps mistitled I Didn’t Just Come Here To Dance before the show, but in Leeds it was love at first synth bass line. Easily Jepsen’s most dance music-oriented track, complete with vocal manipulations and a massive, piano-led drop, it was a late night club banger that tore the roof off an already ecstatic Academy. It may have even eclipsed The Loneliest Time which followed, Jepsen’s current hit and biggest commercial success since the Emotion days. Despite all the singing, the fans impressively still had enough voice left to belt out that song’s brilliant, TikTok-ready bridge (“I’m coming back for you!”). Golden light filled the stage, disco strings rushed out the speakers and we raised our hands with rapture to the words “In the morning, sun hits the water / Is this nirvana?”, for my money the most moving passage of lyrics and music of Jepsen’s whole career.
It had been a gig with too many highlights to mention, but as I munched on my already-cold chicken nuggets it was that first cause for confetti (two more loads were sent flying in the middle and end of the set) that stuck in my memory the clearest. The song was Run Away With Me, which featured the sort of galloping shuffle groove that compels a crowd to get airborne as soon as the first chorus hits. It was early in the set, but already we seemed lost in the music: the electrifying sax riff, the rippling synths, Jepsen’s rhythmic melody that neatly fitted into the gaps left by her accompaniment. “Take me! to the! feeling!” we belted, hands to the sky and feet off the ground, feeling that visceral thrill and inviting more. I caught my breath as the last strands of confetti fluttered down onto our heads, the fans in front trying unsuccessfully to catch the pieces as they danced in the air unpredictably. I couldn’t blame them for wanting to take home a piece of this magical occasion – two confetti cannons later and I couldn’t resist stuffing a few pieces of the coloured tissue paper from the floor into my coat pocket. They were dirty and scrunched up, having been danced on by similarly enthralled fans, but it didn’t matter. Nights like these are worth remembering.
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