Dedicated | ||||
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Released | May 17, 2019 | |||
Recorded | 2016–2019 | |||
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Length | 42:23 | |||
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Carly Rae Jepsen chronology | ||||
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Singles from Dedicated | ||||
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Dedicated is the fourth studio album by Canadian singer Carly Rae Jepsen. It was released on May 17, 2019, by 604 Records in Canada, and School Boy and Interscope Records in the United States. The album was preceded by the release of the singles "Party for One", "Now That I Found You", "No Drug Like Me", "Julien", and "Too Much". To support the album Jepsen embarked on The Dedicated Tour with dates in Europe, North America and Asia. A companion album, Dedicated Side B , featuring outtakes from Dedicated, was released just over a year later on May 21, 2020. [1]
The album received positive reviews and debuted at number 18 in the US, becoming her third top-twenty album. The album also peaked inside the top 20 in Jepsen's home country, at number 16 on the Canadian Albums Chart and at number 17 on the Scottish Albums Chart. Dedicated was named in many year-end lists of best albums of 2019.
In April 2016, Jepsen spoke to Stereogum that she was eager to work on new music, hoping to halve the production time consumed by her previous record. She cited a stroke of inspiration that wasn't apparent when development on her third studio album Emotion (2015) began, which ultimately took three years to produce as Jepsen sought creative control and an evolution in sound. She aimed to release new music by the next year. [2]
Work on her fourth studio album commenced in June 2016, where she traveled to Sweden on the first of four trips. [3] [4] [5] Frameworking the project was the notion of how music is consumed in her own life, "which is sometimes a little more homestyle, dance parties in the living room with your friends." [6] Her relationship with photographer David Larkins came to an end during the same trip, which prompted Jepsen to explore the melancholy that pervaded her life:
"I think the album goes through that process of like, 'Shit, what do I do now?' And, at the same time, singlehood for the first time in a while, which I'm kind of new at! So there was an arc of like, full-on heartbreak to a new story. I think I do pull a lot of inspiration from the complexities of relationships in all of its phases. It was a real painful thing in my life, but a real helpful thing for being inspired." [6]
Jepsen described producer John Hill, whom she met further along in the process, as being a "hero on this project, in terms of his production seeming really fresh to me and kind of dark in their tastes, and so it was fun to have these falsetto, almost more soft toplines on top of the dark production." Other contributors to the album include Jack Antonoff, Noonie Bao, Pontus Winnberg of Bloodshy & Avant and Captain Cuts. Early in development, Jepsen was particularly looking forward to meeting Patrik Berger, being a fan of his work on Swedish singer Robyn's 2010 single "Dancing On My Own". [6]
Under the working title of Music to Clean Your House To, Jepsen conceived the album as "an understated disco, living room dance party thing", an inclination that arose from digging into ABBA's back catalogue. These influences from the '70s era, namely Donna Summer and the Bee Gees, were channeled into an incarnation of the project titled Disco Sweat. [7] [8] It was shelved as Berger advised her against working too rigidly, Jepsen expressing, "You might be shooting yourself in the foot and limiting where you can go." She further explained: [9]
"When I showed up with that mission statement that was so pigeonholed, it really wasn't helping the writing process. It was fun to get a few songs that landed naturally in that zone — I think 'Julien' was the most understated disco song that made the album — but I think it was Patrik [Berger] who said, 'It'll be much more fun if you just allow yourself to play in all directions.' I knew at that time that I was gonna take a beat with this thing, so it felt like the right move to just experiment." [10]
By May 2019, Jepsen had written "nearly 200 songs" for the album. [11]
Dedicated is a "collection of forward-thinking" [12] pop, [13] [12] [14] electropop, [12] synth-pop, [15] [16] disco [17] [18] [19] and dance-pop [11] songs inspired by music from the 1980s [13] and 1990s [20] with elements of house and R&B. [20] Its lyrics span themes of "crushing hard, having anxiety about a new relationship, experiencing true lovesickness, breaking up, and finally coming to terms with being alone". [21]
"Party for One" was released as the lead single on November 1, 2018. [22] [23] On February 27, 2019, "Now That I Found You" and "No Drug Like Me" were issued as a double A-side single. [24] "Now That I Found You" was written at a writing camp in Nicaragua. [25] A music video for "Now That I Found You" was released on March 14, 2019. [26] On March 31, 2019, Jepsen teased an upcoming announcement on her social media accounts. [27] On April 1, 2019, the title and release date for Dedicated were announced, along with US dates for The Dedicated Tour. [28] [29] [30] On April 17, 2019, Jepsen revealed the album's track listing and cover. [31] [32] The album was made available to pre-order on April 19, 2019, along with the fourth single "Julien". [33] [34] "Julien" was written at Maderas Village, Nicaragua in August 2016. [35]
"Too Much" was released as the album's fifth and final single on May 9, 2019. [36] Its music video was released on May 17, 2019. [37] On June 28, Jepsen released a Mansionair remix of "No Drug Like Me" as a promotional single to mark the launch of the North American leg of The Dedicated Tour. [38] On September 19, 2019, a video for the album's fourth track, "Want You in My Room", was uploaded to Jepsen's YouTube channel. [39] A live version of the song recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City was released as a single on October 2, 2019, exclusively on Spotify alongside a cover of No Doubt's "Don't Speak" as a B-side. [40] On October 18, 2019, a live video for the album's ninth track, "The Sound", was uploaded to YouTube. [41] Jepsen and the band performed on a dock in a lake in Finland. MTV called the performance "adorably autumnal and simply sublime". [42] The recording was also released on digital retailers as a promotional single. [43]
Aggregate scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 7.4/10 [44] |
Metacritic | 79/100 [45] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Consequence of Sound | B [21] |
Exclaim! | 8/10 [47] |
The Guardian | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Independent | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Irish Times | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
NME | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Pitchfork | 7.3/10 [15] |
Rolling Stone | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Times | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Dedicated received generally positive reviews from music critics; aggregating website Metacritic reports a normalized rating of 79, based on 22 critical reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [45]
Reviewing the album for AllMusic, Heather Phares gave a rating of four and a half stars out of five, writing that "Jepsen is just as committed to her music as she is to the ideal of true love, and the way she's grown without sacrificing her uniqueness makes Dedicated a master class in what a 2010s pop album can be." [46] Laura Snapes of The Guardian gave a rating of four stars out of five, stating that "[Jepsen] belts less, but leaves a stronger impression: swooning into the gently funky 'Julien'; seductively in control on the looser 'No Drug Like Me'; cheeky as Cyndi Lauper on 'Want You in My Room'." [17] Giving a rating of four stars out of five, Elisa Bray of The Independent describes Dedicated as "an album of polished pop" that "perhaps... will put [Jepsen] at the top where she belongs." [48]
Publication | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Albumism | 50 Best Albums of 2019 | 10 | |
The Atlantic | The 18 Best Albums of 2019 | — | |
Billboard | The 50 Best Albums of 2019 | 20 | |
CBC Music | Top 19 Canadian Albums of 2019 | 2 | |
Exclaim! | 20 Best Pop and Rock Albums of 2019 | 19 | [55] |
Flood | The 25 Best Albums of 2019 | 20 | |
GQ | The Best Albums of 2019 | — | |
NPR | The 20 Top Albums of 2019 | 19 | |
Paste | The 50 Best Albums of 2019 | 7 | |
The Skinny | Top 20 Albums of 2019 So Far | 10 | |
Slant Magazine | The 25 Best of Albums of 2019 | 5 | [61] |
Variety | The Best Albums of 2019 | 10 | |
Uproxx | The Best Albums of 2019 | 8 |
Dedicated debuted at number 16 in Canada. In the United States, the album debuted at number 18 on the US Billboard 200, selling 21,000 album-equivalent units, of which 13,000 were pure sales. [64] In the UK, it debuted at number 26. In Japan, the album debuted at number 28.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Julien" |
| Shearer | 3:54 |
2. | "No Drug Like Me" |
|
| 3:28 |
3. | "Now That I Found You" |
| 3:20 | |
4. | "Want You in My Room" |
| Antonoff | 2:46 |
5. | "Everything He Needs" |
|
| 3:38 |
6. | "Happy Not Knowing" |
|
| 2:41 |
7. | "I'll Be Your Girl" |
|
| 2:58 |
8. | "Too Much" |
| 3:17 | |
9. | "The Sound" |
| English Breakfast | 2:51 |
10. | "Automatically in Love" |
|
| 3:33 |
11. | "Feels Right" (featuring Electric Guest) |
|
| 2:43 |
12. | "Right Words Wrong Time" |
|
| 3:20 |
13. | "Real Love" |
| 3:54 | |
Total length: | 42:23 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
14. | "For Sure" |
|
| 3:04 |
15. | "Party for One" |
|
| 3:03 |
Total length: | 48:30 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
16. | "Now That I Found You" (Until Dawn remix) | 5:23 |
17. | "Party for One" (More Giraffes remix) | 2:46 |
Total length: | 56:39 |
Credits taken from the album's liner notes.
Performance
Technical
Chart (2019) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA) [68] | 33 |
Canadian Albums (Billboard) [69] | 16 |
France Download Albums (SNEP) [70] | 31 |
Irish Albums (IRMA) [71] | 39 |
Japan Hot Albums ( Billboard Japan ) [72] | 34 |
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [73] | 32 |
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [74] | 40 |
Scottish Albums (OCC) [75] | 17 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [76] | 71 |
UK Albums (OCC) [77] | 26 |
US Billboard 200 [78] | 18 |
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard) [79] | 7 |
Region | Date | Formats | Editions | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Various | May 17, 2019 |
| [23] | ||
June 12, 2019 | LP | Standard | [80] |
Carly Rae Jepsen is a Canadian singer and songwriter. After studying musical theatre for most of her school life and while in university, Jepsen garnered mainstream attention after placing third on the fifth season of Canadian Idol in 2007. In 2008, Jepsen released her folk-influenced debut studio album Tug of War in Canada before it was internationally released in 2011.
"Call Me Maybe" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Carly Rae Jepsen from her EP Curiosity (2012) and later appeared on her second studio album and international debut album Kiss (2012). The song was written by Jepsen and Tavish Crowe as a folk song, but its genre was modified to pop following the production by Josh Ramsay. It was released as the lead single from the EP on September 20, 2011 in Canada through 604 Records. In 2012, Jepsen was signed to Schoolboy Records and released "Call Me Maybe” worldwide through the label, as her debut international single. Musically, "Call Me Maybe" is a teen pop, dance-pop and bubblegum pop track that alludes to the inconvenience that love at first sight brings to a girl who hopes for a call back from a new crush.
Curiosity is the second EP by Canadian singer Carly Rae Jepsen. It was released on February 14, 2012, by 604 Records. Initially listed on the iTunes Store with a full-length tracklist, Curiosity was cut down to a six-song EP just days before its release. The full-length album titled Kiss was released 7 months later containing only two songs from the EP on its standard edition. Musically, Curiosity is a pop album influenced by several genres such as dance-pop and R&B, while its lyrical content is mostly about love.
Canadian singer and songwriter Carly Rae Jepsen has released seven studio albums, two remix albums, four EPs, 28 singles, 11 promotional singles, and 24 music videos. In 2007, Jepsen finished third in the fifth season of the talent series Canadian Idol. She subsequently signed a recording contract with Fontana and MapleMusic.
"Good Time" is a song by American electronica project Owl City and Canadian singer Carly Rae Jepsen. It was released on June 26, 2012, as the lead single from Owl City's album The Midsummer Station and was used as the second single from Jepsen's second studio album, Kiss. "Good Time" was written by Matt Thiessen, Brian Lee, and Adam Young of Owl City. The song received generally positive reviews from music critics, with critics describing it as a "summer anthem".
Kiss is the second studio album by Canadian singer and songwriter Carly Rae Jepsen. It was released on September 14, 2012, by 604, Schoolboy and Interscope Records. After her debut, Tug of War (2008), was only released in Canada, Kiss became Jepsen's first internationally released album. Songs on the album are in the nu-disco, dance-pop, and teen pop genres, drawing inspiration from the Cars, Madonna and Robyn. Featuring production from a wide collection of producers including Dallas Austin, Josh Ramsay, and Redfoo, the album features guest vocals from Justin Bieber and Owl City.
"This Kiss" is a song by Canadian singer Carly Rae Jepsen from her second studio album, Kiss (2012). The song was written by Jepsen, Matthew Koma, Kelly Covell and Redfoo of electropop duo LMFAO through e-mails, text messaging and telephone calls, with production handled by Koma and Redfoo. "This Kiss" was released as the third single from the album on September 10, 2012. The mid-tempo dance-pop track lyrically speaks about a kiss being something Jepsen can't resist and the lips of her beloved.
"Tonight I'm Getting Over You" is a song by Canadian singer Carly Rae Jepsen, taken from her second studio album and debut international release, Kiss (2012). It was released in the United States as a single on February 19, 2013, as the international fourth single from the album. An official remix featuring rapper Nicki Minaj was released on May 6, 2013. The song was written by Jepsen, Lukas Hilbert, Max Martin, Clarence Coffee Jr., Shiloh, and Katerina Loules. Thematically, the track centers around a break-up, with lyrics about getting over her ex-boyfriend by dancing with someone new. The song has some dubstep aspects. "Tonight I'm Getting Over You" received mostly positive reviews from music critics; some deemed it one of the best tracks on Kiss, as they did about Jepsen's claim to fame with "Call Me Maybe".
"I Really Like You" is a song recorded by Canadian singer Carly Rae Jepsen for her third studio album, Emotion (2015). It was written by Jepsen, Jacob Kasher Hindlin, Peter Svensson, and Steve DaMar; and produced by Svensson. The song was released as the album's lead single on 2 March 2015.
Emotion is the third studio album by Canadian singer and songwriter Carly Rae Jepsen. It was released on June 24, 2015 in Japan and worldwide on August 21, 2015 through 604, School Boy, and Interscope Records. Looking to transition from the bubblegum pop-oriented nature of her second studio album, Kiss (2012), Jepsen found inspiration in 1980s music and alternative styles. She enlisted a team of mainstream and indie collaborators, including Sia, Mattman & Robin, Dev Hynes, Ariel Rechtshaid, Rostam Batmanglij, Greg Kurstin, and Peter Svensson of the Cardigans, culminating in a largely synth-pop-centric effort.
"Run Away with Me" is a song by Canadian singer Carly Rae Jepsen. It was released as the second single from her third studio album Emotion on July 17, 2015, by Universal Music Group. The song was written by Jepsen, Mattman & Robin, Jonnali Parmenius, Oscar Holter, and Shellback. Produced by Mattman & Robin and Shellback, "Run Away with Me" is a dance-pop and synth-pop tune with an upbeat production containing a distorted, reverbed saxophone riff.
Emotion: Side B is the third extended play (EP) by Canadian singer Carly Rae Jepsen. It was released on August 26, 2016, by 604 Records, Schoolboy Records and Interscope Records. Jepsen developed Side B as a companion piece to her third studio album, Emotion (2015), in response to fan demand. Side B features unreleased songs that were cut from the original effort.
"Julien" is a song by Canadian singer Carly Rae Jepsen from her fourth album Dedicated. It was released on April 19, 2019, by 604, School Boy and Interscope Records as the fourth single off of the record. It is a midtempo funk-pop, synth-pop, disco, electropop and dance song influenced by soft rock.
"Party for One" is a song by Canadian singer Carly Rae Jepsen. It was released as the lead single from her fourth studio album Dedicated on November 1, 2018, through 604, School Boy and Interscope Records. The track was written by Jepsen, Tavish Crowe, Julia Karlsson, and Anton Rundberg, and produced by Hightower and Captain Cuts. "Party for One" was placed on Rolling Stone's list of 50 Best Songs of 2018.
"Now That I Found You" is a pop song by Canadian singer Carly Rae Jepsen. It was released as a double A-side single with "No Drug Like Me" on February 27, 2019 by 604, School Boy and Interscope Records, as the second advance single from Jepsen's fourth studio album, Dedicated. "Now That I Found You" was written by Jepsen, Ben Berger, Ryan McMahon, Ryan Rabin and Alexander O'Neill, while production was handled by Captain Cuts and Ayokay. According to Jepsen, "Now That I Found You" and "No Drug Like Me" are about "the giddy sugar rush of opening up to new love" and they "go thematically hand-in-hand".
"Want You in My Room" is a 2019 pop song by Canadian singer Carly Rae Jepsen, from her fourth studio album, Dedicated. It was written by Jepsen, Tavish Crowe, and its producer Jack Antonoff. Jepsen released a music video for the song in September, and a live version was included in her Spotify Singles EP in October 2019. "Want You in My Room" was named #32 on Rolling Stone's 50 Best Songs of 2019.
"Too Much" is a song by Canadian singer Carly Rae Jepsen, released as a single from her fourth studio album, Dedicated, on May 9, 2019, through 604, School Boy and Interscope Records. Jepsen co-wrote the song with John Hill, Jordan Palmer and Noonie Bao. The song's music video was released on May 17, 2019. "Too Much" was placed at #7 on Time's list of 10 Best Songs of 2019.
Dedicated Side B is the fifth studio album by Canadian singer Carly Rae Jepsen. It serves as a companion piece to Dedicated (2019), her fourth studio album. It was released on May 21, 2020, by 604 Records in Canada, and Schoolboy and Interscope Records in the United States. The album features 14 outtakes from the original album. The album was preceded by the release of the single "Let's Be Friends", which was ultimately included only in its Japanese edition. Musically, the album is primarily a dance-pop record with disco influences.
The Loneliest Time is the sixth studio album by Canadian singer Carly Rae Jepsen. It was released on October 21, 2022, through 604 Records in Canada, and School Boy and Interscope Records. The album was preceded by the release of its lead single, "Western Wind", which was followed by "Beach House", "Talking to Yourself", and the title track. The album received positive reviews and was placed in several lists of best of the year. In support of the album, Jepsen embarked on The So Nice Tour, which began in September 2022.
...2019's disco extravaganza 'Dedicated'...
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