Gas prices are finally dropping, places are open again, the painful summer heat waves are fading, and Carly Rae Jepsen is releasing new music for the first time in nearly 4 years! Clearly, the world is healing.
The Canadian cult pop star amassed one of the most dedicated fan bases on the Internet following her 2015 critically-acclaimed pop album Emotion. During a time when EDM and dubstep drops defined popular music, Jepsen’s bombastically earnest 80s pop sound full of synths and saxophone solos was refreshingly real. (And it could be argued that Dua Lipa’s massively successful disco-inspired album Future Nostalgia drew some inspiration from CRJ five years later).
Now Carly’s back and she’s swapping grand, theatric, love songs for a more chill and casual sound, still with a hint of her signature campiness. The “Call Me Maybe” singer announced this spring that her fifth album, The Loneliest Time will be released on October 21st. So far Carly’s released two singles, the breezy “Western Wind” and the tongue-in-cheek summer bop, “Beach House.”
“Beach House” is an energetic, lighthearted track about the horrors of modern dating. Jepsen herself was inspired to create “Beach House” after a series of failed experiences with dating apps, and the many, many Red Flags and letdowns she and her friends have experienced (slightly exaggerating of course).
From having a picnic with a boy whose mom packed their lunch, to accidentally going home with a married man or a guy who won’t stop bringing up his ex, the singer is stuck on an endless carousel of disappointing dates. Wouldn’t it be nice if instead of playing all these games and wasting your time, first dates and hookups could just cut straight to the chase, “I got a beach house in Malibu/And I’m probably gonna hurt your feelings.”
The nameless boy one, boy toy, boy twelve…etc. chime in on the chorus of the song, gleefully chanting, “I got a beach house in Malibu/And I’m probably gonna hurt your feelings/I’ve got a weekend in paradise/And I’m probably gonna never call you.” Guest vocals on “Beach House” were provided by Jepsen’s collaborators and bandmates Joey Hendricks, Tony Marino, Bobby Wooten, Jared Manierka, and Ben Romans.
It’s a tight, upbeat pop song amplified by the bluntness of the lyrics calling out common behavior from shady men, and then taken up to 11 with the punchline in the final verse, “I’ve got a lake house in Canada/And I’m probably gonna harvest your organs.”
While this is clearly an over-the-top joke, as shown by the grand cinematic style of the “Beach House” music video, it also holds a ring of truth to it. Underneath the sweet and snarky chorus, there’s always a small hint of fear or uncertainty when women meet up with a total stranger from Tinder or Hinge.
So while dating absolutely sucks for everyone, at least we now have Carly back to jam to and forget our troubles on the beach.
