Here's a cool thing. What if I told you Carly Rae Jepsen isn't what you think she is? Besides being the inarguable best thing in pop music right now, what if I said she has never written a happy song in her career? That all of her songs she has ever recorded and released not only stick to a specific theme, not only connect in a specific way but are about the exact same relationship/situation/person/experience? That all of her upbeat sounding songs are actually a dark and depressing treadmill? No way right?
Screenwriter Max Landis discovered something sometime in 2016. A revelation that will change his outlook forever. What I explained above is what Landis proposes and subsequently, explains in a 149-page post to a website he created just for this event. Not only does Max go into exhaustive detail to prove his theory he actually breaks down every single song the artist has ever recorded. Decoding lyrics and analyzing music videos to find a message that is actually not that well hidden at all. Jepsen has written songs about the same thing over and over again for about a decade in the industry. Turning herself into this Sisyphus esque figure who can't seem to get past this one massive boulder and its pretty fucking genius if you ask me.
Max introduces you to a list of things Carley absolutely does not write about and has never written about or sung. (pretty weird for a pop star)
Carly Rae Jepsen does not sing about just wanting to dance and have fun.
Carly Rae Jepsen does not sing about the club/partying unless it’s to escape something.
Carly Rae Jepsen does not sing about looking great or feeling confident.
Carly Rae Jepsen does not sing about openly treacherous boys or being betrayed.
Carly Rae Jepsen does not sing about memorable good experiences.
Carly Rae Jepsen does not sing about wanting to be successful, beautiful or powerful.
Carly Rae Jepsen does not sing about reciprocated dedication in a relationship.
Carly Rae Jepsen does not sing about feminism or empowerment.
Carly Rae Jepsen does not sing about sex or seduction for the thrill of it.
Carly Rae Jepsen does not sing about successfully getting over a breakup.
Carly Rae Jepsen does not sing songs of vengeful condemnation nor open rejection.
With only one exception, Carly Rae Jepsen does not sing about abstract concepts.
With only one exception, Carly Rae Jepsen does not sing about other women
And a list of themes that Carly has stuck to like she read this thing before Max had even written it.
- TEMPTATION (SEXUAL)
- OBSESSION
- LIMERENCE
- SECRETS
- ESCAPE
- REJECTION
- MISERY/LONGING
This might seem creepy at first but this deep dive into an artist's deep dark subtext is a cool, fun, weird and interesting internet thing. If you are a music nerd like I am, a fan of Jepsen, you want to be (and you should) or just want to see and read something cool.
Check it out: A Scar No One Else Can See.
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