When Carly Rae Jepsen, everyone’s favorite Canadian queen, first came out with “Emotion” last summer, she talked about all the tracks that hadn’t made it onto the official lineup. According to her, it was incredibly difficult to choose which songs would make the cut.
Now that she’s dropped another whole collection of iconic songs from the “Emotion” recording sessions in the form of an EP, I can see why Carly had trouble choosing because damn.
After it dropped, my feed on every social media was along the lines of “‘Side B’ is so good” followed by a mile of question marks. I get it, everyone. Who could have thought an EP would contain some of fall’s best pop anthems? I’m shocked, too. And actually, let me just say that I’m pretty sure this album is the reason my skin is clearing up.
“Side B” is ’80s-inspired pop perfection. The tracks like “Roses” and “Cry” manage to capture a perfect mix of picturesque ’80s ballads and melancholy romantic lyrics, all topped off with just the right amount of synthesizer. And by “just the right amount,” I mean a lot of synthesizer.
The opening song, “First Time,” starts with a cassette-esque sound, setting the retro mood from the beginning. If you listen in order, the rhythm remains a synthpop dream while gradually sending messages about empowerment, ethereal breakups and understated emotions. All the songs are Polaroid flashes of impressionist color that lend itself to the surreal pop mood of this album. Finishing off with “Roses” was the cherry on top; it’s softer and ties the feelings of the album together perfectly. Personally, it’s my favorite.
A lot of Carly stans are worshipping at the feet of “Store” as the star of the album, but I’d like to beg to differ. Of course, these are all #bops, but “Store” is more of a catchy song along the lines of “Call Me Maybe,” and it doesn’t match the mood quite as well as the others. Don’t get me wrong, I love it, but “Roses” and “Cry” make me wax poetic. They make me wax poetic so much that I’m going to set the scene of what I think of when listening to this album (which I have, obsessively, over and over all week. These songs are permeating my being.)
Imagine: It’s sunset. You’re driving out of New York City to your house in the suburbs, and the road is lined with trees changing colors. It’s the fall of 1983, Pat Benatar has just released “Love is a Battlefield,” and Sally Ride just became the first woman in space. Your hair is so big it’s the 8th wonder of the world. Glitter eyeshadow is all over your neon tights. You just broke up with your boyfriend, and you’re definitely keeping the letterman jacket. All is well.
Listen to the album. You’ll see exactly what I mean. Okay, maybe I’m a little biased, considering I just listened to this driving home with glitter eyeshadow all over my neon tights, but just take my word for it.
Whether or not you’re a fan of pop or ’80s music, there’s just something about this album that makes you want to be single, slap on a face mask and wear off-the-shoulder sweatshirts.
Summary of “Side B:” It’s pop, it’s deep, it’s ’80s, and it’s probably going to be the only album I listen to for at least another month.