Alex Perkins
This week: “Party For One,” by Carly Rae Jepsen (School Boy/Interscope Records, 2018)
Why we’re into it: It’s a brand spankin’ new Carly Rae Jepsen. Need I say more?
She’s back. And she’s better than ever.
It’s been over two years since Carly “Slay” Jepsen released her last single, “Cut To The Feeling,” and thank goodness the interminable wait is finally over. The first single from her upcoming album—rumored to be dropping in the spring of 2019—is a self-care bop, suggesting that she’s on her way to surpassing her last album, the critically acclaimed LP, E•MO•TION.
Aptly titled “Party For One,” this is Jepsen’s psalm of self love. She’s here to liberate and remind us that in order to best serve the greater good and live our best lives, we have to take time to do what makes us most happy. Taking her own advice and doing what she does best, Jepsen infuses this orchestral pop track with the energy and excitement of a new discovery, while coupling it with a sound that can only be described as pure, unadulterated happiness.
In the opening the track, she defiantly sings, “If you didn’t know you were right for me/Then there’s nothing I can say.” Harnessing the chaos of despair and desperation that occurs when you discover that certain feelings aren’t necessarily reciprocated by your crush, Jepsen flips it, refusing to revel in self pity. For her, the only option is a self party. “If you don’t care about me/I’ll Just dance for myself/Back on my beat.” Jepsen’s lyrics are both weighty and profound but with a childlike sense of curiosity. When her words are paired with the uplifting and epic sounds, the composition becomes an hymn of self empowerment.
But that doesn’t mean she is too damn serious. Jepsen’s music has always been at its best when she embraces the fun of pop music, and that’s exactly what she does in this track. Loving yourself can and should be fun, so dance a bit and work through the hard moments of life, because it’s the best way to take care of yourself. “Was it all a dream I let myself believe?/I’m not over this/But I’m trying,” she sings, hinting, not-so-subtly at the strength it takes to overcome difficulties.
Then, as if releasing all the built up tension, she let’s go. Matched with the intensity of the drum beat, she closes out the song a changed woman. “Making love to myself/Back on my beat.”
It can be hard to truly celebrate yourself, especially as we approach the end of this exhausting election season and have listened to all these candidates endlessly celebrating themselves. But now it’s time for a some serious self care, in small or grand ways. So this weekend, do something special for yourself, because now you have a soundtrack to help make it happen.
