Carly Rae Jepsen’s fourth studio album, Dedicated, is a progression from the sounds she built upon in 2015’s E•MO•TION. This time around though, she demonstrates a more refined approach to the pop sensibilities that she mastered on E•MO•TION. Dedicated rarely breaks new ground in the sounds that Carly developed before but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Carly has already found a perfect balance between the warm, shimmering production flowing tightly with her pristine vocals about heartbreak and love. Instead, Carly spends a lot of Dedicated exploring different themes than she did on E•MO•TION. Where E•MO•TION was about unrequited love, Dedicated is more focused on mutual reciprocation and there’s an air of confidence in the songs.
On “No Drug Like Me”, Carly sings about the addiction of a new love that blossoms between mutual vulnerability. Carly’s voice has also gotten wispier on certain tracks like “Julien” to underscore a more mature, sexier approach. “Want You In My Room” produced by the Bleachers’ Jack Antonoff, is one of the best representations of the extension that Carly builds on in Dedicated. The tight percussion with the swelling synths followed by the Daft Punk-esque background vocals combines perfectly with Carly’s layered harmonies. Carly noted herself that she wanted to explore the confusing parts of love more. Despite the bright, celebratory sound she has honed, she also wanted to explore the sadder parts of love as well which is evidenced in songs like “I’ll Be Your Girl” and “Too Much”. Jealousy, troubled relationships, and heartbreak are all a part of Dedicated as well, compounded by the more subtle approach this time around.
This coy, more chill approach to her 80s disco-influenced pop sound certainly holds up for quite a number of songs but is also the main component to why a few songs fall flat. What makes Carly so charismatic is her ability to be uncompromising in her honesty and innocent self-awareness. She has a masterful way to convey emotion in such a relatable yet mature manner. But in the more coy approach in Dedicated, the emotions rarely reach the europhic heights reached on E•MO•TION. “Happy Not Knowing” should be a classic Carly song: bouncy synths, lyrics about a crush, and a catchy chorus. Yet a component seems to be missing. The chorus doesn’t soar as high as “I Really Like You” and the production has little flair when compared to the saxophones on “Run Away With Me”.
What should be a perfect encapsulation of a Carly Rae Jepsen song falls flat due to its reluctance to match its predecessors in favor of a more tempered sound. For tracks like “Julien”, “No Drug Like Me”, and “Want You In My Room”, they benefit from this approach. So much in fact, to the point of becoming some of Carly’s best songs. The restraint shown on these songs elevates Carly’s charm and shows off her authentic songwriting. On the flip side, however, tracks such as “The Sound” and “Right Words Wrong Time” suffer from the same approach and often end up uninteresting or stale.
Still, while the album tends to drag a bit in the latter half, Carly still has the consistency to pull off an enjoyable experience across the entire album. That’s what makes her special after all: unapologetic, catchy tunes that showcase her mastery in crafting heartfelt songs. More than anything, Dedicated proves that E•MO•TION was not a fluke and that Carly can creatively build upon her sound. The seductive, alluring approach excels in highlighting the breakouts of the album and gives a fresh new sound for fans to enjoy.
Favorite Songs: Julien, Want You In My Room, Now That I Found You
