It’s official!

For the night, for a lifetime…A quick trip to Versailles and Back with Carly Rae Jepsen

How do I even begin to sum up such a special evening?

I count Carly Rae Jepsen among my favorite artists of all time; there is truly no one else making pop music this consistently brilliant. I’ve been a fan for as long as I can remember, and my love for her craft became permanently solidified with E•MO•TION (which remains one of the greatest pop albums ever made).

I needed a minute to process everything, come down from the emotional high (and recover from the open bar) before putting this into words.

While this isn’t a technical track-by-track review (I’ll need more time with the full album for that), I figured I’d share what it was like to step into Carly’s world a full month before the album drops for those who couldn’t be there.

This is not a guarantee, but…

When word got out that Carly was hosting an intimate album listening party, I immediately entered for a spot. When I didn't win, a part of me was crushed. But I had a gut feeling the story wouldn't end there.

Thankfully, it didn’t.

An incredibly kind mutual fan reached out and invited me to be her plus-one. (I won’t reveal her name here, but if you’re reading this: you know how deeply grateful I am, and I so look forward to our continued friendship!) This simple, generous gesture was a welcome reminder that strangers (especially CRJ fans) can actually be pretty fucking awesome.

The idea of hosting the party on the set of both the On Wires and Don’t Leave Me On The Dance Floor videos was just brilliant. It enhanced the vibe in a way that a random club or studio could never have, and just made things feel more personal overall, since this location clearly means a lot to Carly.

The music is calling…I’m all in

A quick disclaimer: Since the final tracklist hasn't been officially revealed, I’m speculating on song titles based on what I heard in the room and what’s been rumored online. I'm also intentionally keeping high-level details broad—no major spoilers here.

Going into the night as a die-hard fan of "pop Carly," I fully expected to favor the Night side over the Day side. What I didn't expect was just how distinct and vital both halves would feel.

The Day Side

The Day side kicked off with incredible warmth and texture. Some highlights:

“Track 3”: I kept reminding myself all night: Track 3 was insane. Chaotic yet meticulously structured, it shifts tempos effortlessly while somehow simultaneously feeling instantly familiar and like nothing I’ve ever heard before. In that exact moment, I got that rare, electrifying feeling of hearing a future favorite song for the very first time. I later found out this track is titled "Versailles"—and honestly, the grandeur fits. It completely transported the entire room.

"Burning Heart": I had heard the leaked demo beforehand (sorry, don't hate me!), which was a breezy, almost folk-pop track with some of the most gorgeous harmonies imaginable. When the album version kicked in, I was shocked. They took it to another level of pure euphoria—upping the tempo, adding richer, glossier pop production, and dare I say… a sax solo?! It was an instant room favorite.

"Habits of Creatures": A very chill, mid-tempo groove that stayed relatively true to the demo version I'd heard.
"Soft": As the Day side played on, the room got a bit louder with chatter, making it slightly tricky to catch every subtle nuance. But one track cut straight through the noise with an extraordinarily beautiful melody centered around the lyric "Soft." I cannot wait to revisit this side of the record—and this song in particular.

The Night Side

From the first beat of the Night side, an energy took over that has never been present on a CRJ record before. Suddenly everyone was on the dance floor, and the room turned into a full-blown CRJ dance party—made all the more magical because we were all experiencing these tracks together for the first time. The side plays almost like a continuous club mix: deeply cohesive, yet each track carries its own distinct sonic atmosphere. Highlights:

"Never Let A Good Thing Die" & "Amalfi Coast": The one-two opening punch was massive. "Never Let A Good Thing Die" delivered that immediate, explosive dance-pop rush only Carly can execute. "Amalfi Coast" was a total surprise—the song goes in an entirely different direction than the website teaser intro suggested, making it another immediate standout. These were 2 of my favorites.

"Don’t Leave Me on the Dancefloor": This has not only been my favorite track of the era so far, but it has quickly become one of my favorite Carly songs ever. It perfectly bottles that euphoric, transcendent rush I look for in her music. Interestingly, I found it to be the most "classic pop" outlier on an otherwise dark, driving, and experimental side.

"Super Sage": The final track is a phenomenal, boundary-pushing piece of music that serves as easily the most iconic finale to a CRJ album to date.

The entire time the Night side was playing, I kept thinking: WHAT IS THIS INSANITY, AND HOW IS THIS A CARLY RAE JEPSEN RECORD?!

It sounds unlike anything she has ever done, yet somehow only Carly Rae Jepsen could have made it. Both sides offer something singular, and I know I'll be reaching for each depending on whatever mood I'm in. Ok, who am I kidding?!…All 24 tracks will go triple platinum in my house in no time.

Don’t leave me on the dance floor…

Beyond the music, what made the night unforgettable was Carly herself.

She exudes a radiant, grounded kindness, and the affection between her and her team was obvious in every interaction. You could feel just how sincerely grateful she was to have us in the room; a gratitude matched tenfold by everyone there.

After the Q&A wrapped, I assumed she would make a quick exit out the back door. Instead, she paused, turned back to the room, and asked if we could all take a group photo together. (Obviously a ridiculous question, Carly!)

What happened next was pure magic: Carly walked right into the crowd to personally greet everyone. I assumed she’d stay for just a few minutes, but she stayed until the very last person had their photo taken and their items signed. When I left nearly an hour later, she was still there, completely present and making time for every single person. When it was my turn, I nervously mumbled something thanking her for the profound impact her music has had on my life.
It was surreal, beautiful, and the kind of memory that I’ll cherish forever.

Final Thoughts

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly where pop music is right now. So much of the landscape feels chaotic, with artists chasing algorithmic trends or experimenting in ways that fall flat.

In the middle of all that noise, Carly remains unmatched. I swear this woman puts something addictive in her music, and standing in that room, I felt that completely. From the sunlit euphoria of the Day side straight through to the dancefloor haze of the Night side, it was a trip to Versailles and back that I won't soon forget.

To the new friends I met, thank you for making the night so special.

And to Carly and her team, thank you for a truly magical night that I will cherish…For a lifetime. ✨🪩

New video out tomorrow, per Carly’s Instagram story.

The updated animated cover art for Day and Night has been posted to Apple Music. You can see her hair blowing in the breeze ever so slightly.

From her YouTube page. Sounds like the chorus.

This arrived today (Saturday 6/20). For context: I’m in Los Angeles, and sent the text with my address earlier this week after I realized she was sending them out. So if you haven’t shared your address yet, I would still give it a shot. The signature definitely looks real. It’s a pretty cool keepsake from this era. I’ll probably frame it along with the vinyl once it arrives.