Tired of listening to “Party for One” yet? I’m kidding, that’s impossible, but nevertheless, our beloved Queen of Bops has graced us with not one, but TWO new surprise singles! We don’t deserve her. Yesterday, Carly Rae Jepsen released “Now That I Found You” and “No Drug Like Me” and my song repeat count for them has already reached double digits. Carly also appeared on Apple Music’s Beats 1 radio show for an interview with Zane Lowe. Among stories of calling Colin Firth “Mr. Darcy” and watching Seal eat an entire loaf of bread on a private jet, Carly also revealed that an album would be coming sometime this year.

Her last album, Emotion, was released in 2015. That’s a whole four years of no Carly! Although, she did take pity on us by releasingEmotion: Side Bin 2016, a compilation of songs that didn’t make the original album cut. Both albums are musical masterpieces, a testament to Carly’s dedication to her craft. Also, ifEmotion: Side Bwas the stuff that was cut fromEmotion, can you imagine how goodEmotion: Side Cwould be? In yesterday’s interview, Carly gave us a glimpse into her creative process. She says that she “overwrites” and then picks and chooses songs that fit a certain “theme” for an album. Apparently, she just has this library of 200 songs ready to go. She even has listening parties where her friends help choose the songs for an album. Carly, if you’re reading this, I will drop everything I’m doing right now to come and help you choose songs for your next album. Mission, BC is legitimately half an hour away from my house. Just saying.

When Carly released “Party for One” four months ago (I KNOW! IT’S BEEN THAT LONG!), Kathleen wrote about howinfectious and joyful it sounded, an anthem perfect for staying in by yourself and living it up. “Now That I Found You” is a lot like that – high energy and upbeat. Carly describes it as a song that makes you feel like you have a “Beyoncé style fan in your hair” which is exactly how I view myself, so it’s a perfect fit. What’s interesting about this dual release is that the other single, “No Drug Like Me,” has a very different vibe. Both are incredibly catchy, but “No Drug Like Me” has a bit of an edgier, sadder vibe to it. Zane Lowe calls it “Disco Heartbreak.” If I had to explain the difference in gifs, it would look something like this:

“Now That I Found You”


“No Drug Like Me”

The release of the two songs simultaneously seems like a conscious effort to demonstrate the range of the upcoming album. We already know that it’s going to have these two songs and “Party for One,” but Carly’s talent lies in layering the content of her albums so that the music evokes various different moods and Emotions (pun intended). It’s a great approach to music making because you want something that you can dance to, but also cry along with as well. Plus, doesn’t there seem to be a story in these tracks? First, it’s a Party for One, which is great because there’s No Drug Like Me. But things suddenly change Now That I Found You. I’m excited to see how the rest of the album unfolds. If you listen to Carly’s radio interview, you can’t stop yourself from smiling, because her energy and her attitude are so infectious. She’s so incredibly likeable and her music and her process is a natural extension. That’s the energy that I’m getting from this album, and based off of these two singles, I think it’s going to live up to the hype.