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It’s no secret we here at Mother Jones have a soft spot for Carly Rae Jepsen. (See here, here, and here.) Jepsen has a reputation of leaving her fans wanting more—and more. When she released her critically acclaimed album E•MO•TION in 2015, it was rumored—and later confirmed—that Jepsen had recorded over 200 songs for the 15-track LP.
The next year she dropped eight of those 200 tracks in her E•MO•TION: Side B collection, satisfying her hungry fans for a bit longer. In 2017 she dropped only one song, “Cut to the Feeling,” her biggest hit since “Call Me Maybe.” Then, in 2018, she again dropped only one song, “Party For One.”
“Party For One” was soon followed by the release of two new singles in 2019—you can read about those here—which led up to the release of her fourth studio album, Dedicated. And yet, in the wake of 15 new tracks, she revealed that she had an entire album named Disco Sweat that she scrapped to make way for Dedicated.
So when Gryffin—an EDM star in his own right—announced he’d be dropping a collaboration with Jepsen, people ate it up. And I for one am still eating it up.
It’s not Jepsen’s first EDM rodeo. She’s lent her voice to equally enjoyable tracks like Danny L Harle’s “Supernatural” and The Knocks’ “Love Me Like That.” But while Jepsen certainly added her distinctive flair to these tracks, “OMG” strikes a balance these others lacked.
The track begins with a very Carly sound—a bouncy drum beat similar to the beat on her track “The Sound”—before her voice slides in: “No chemical can recreate our energy.” As the track continues Jepsen is assisted perfectly by Gryffin’s production—the sound of chimes falling between Jepsen’s lyrics, the drums behind her as she sings, “I feel the boom, feel the bang.” And when the drop hits, Gryffin’s talents are felt in full force. Jepsen’s vocals rise as in any good drop, before letting go into a chorus that’s neither overpowering nor underwhelming.
“OMG” may have come out three weeks ago, but it still feels fresh with each listen. This is a seamless collaboration between two pop gurus—and one our ears are thankful for.
