Pop Music. I don’t really have much use for it. It tends to be vapid, airy, tasteless. In most cases, it’s just… boring. I’m John Cusack’s character from High Fidelity, though my definition of Pop Music differs quite a bit from his. I do think that Misery and Pop Music do tend to go hand in hand, though. So, when I listen to something in the Pop Realm and it resonates with me, and I get excited, that is, well, exciting.
When I first read about Carly Rae Jepsen’s new album by way of The Atlantic, I was, I don’t know, intrigued, I guess? One doesn’t necessarily expect to see a review for the fourth album by the singer whose initial claim to fame was (the admittedly catchy) “Call Me Maybe.” After my initial “Wait, there were two albums between this one and that one?” reaction, I decided to check it out. I mean, with a headline that reads, “Carly Rae Jepsen is Getting Weirder - and It’s Brilliant” doesn’t raise an eyebrow and pique your interest, I’m not sure what will.
Dedicated is weird. It’s a Pop Album through and through, with tracks suited just as much for the radio as they are the club, or a concert hall or a stadium or an arena. And make no mistake, there are tracks onDedicated that could and should shake those concert halls and stadiums or arenas to the ground. They’ve certainly rattled my car speakers and shaken the windows at home. But it’s the lesser Pop Songs, the ones that seem to lurch forward in time to someplace I really don’t quite understand but wouldn’t mind visiting that left me both surprised and somewhat in awe. Here I was, a 37-year-old man who would sooner listen to The Appleseed Cast than some radio ready dance track about, you know, whatever. But here I am, grinning ear to ear by track five, the absolutely bizarre “Everything He Needs” and thinking to myself, “Wow, my wife needs to hear this.”
And now, here I am, a 37-year-old man, ready to catch my first Carly Rae Jepsen live show. “The Dedicated Tour” arrives in Cincinnati this Friday, July 12, and will likely bring Bogart’s to its knees while keeping everyone on their feet. By all accounts, it’s a stripped-down experience, relatively speaking. A smaller stage, a smaller setting, the music isthe performance. Her vocals and wit and lyricism the focus. And frankly, I’m more than fine with that. Her new album is an aurally expansive endeavor, ranging from radio ready sugar pop to frothy, blush-inducing, slinky adult fare. The smaller the venue, the more fun I feel like this show will be.
Bogart’s is the place to be this Friday, July 12. Doors are at 7, so I assume the party gets started around 8 or so. Let’s have some fun.
