Emotion (2015) – Carly Rae Jepsen

Tracklist (Standard Edition):

1. Run Away with Me – 4:11

2. Emotion – 3:17

3. I Really Like You – 3:24

4. Gimmie Love – 3:22

5. All That – 4:38

6. Boy Problems – 3:42

7. Making the Most of the Night – 4:07

8. Your Type – 3:19

9. Let’s Get Lost – 3:13

10. LA Hallucinations – 3:04

11. Warm Blood – 4:13

12. When I Needed You – 3:41

Deluxe Edition Bonus Tracks:

13. Black Heart – 3:25

14. I Didn’t Just Come Here to Dance – 3:39

15. Favourite Colour – 3:29

16. Never Get to Hold You – 4:13

17. Love Again – 3:37

When Emotion dropped in 2015, it didn't exactly explode — but it did shimmer, slowly and steadily. Released in the long shadow of “Call Me Maybe,” Carly Rae Jepsen’s surprise breakout single from 2012, Emotion could have easily been dismissed as another attempt at bubblegum chart relevance. Instead, it revealed itself to be one of the most finely crafted pop records of the 2010s, a lush, synth-laced homage to ‘80s pop that elevated Jepsen from a one-hit-wonder into a pop cult icon.

Where many pop albums chase trends, Emotion confidently stakes its sound in retro sensibility and emotional transparency. Inspired by Prince, Cyndi Lauper, and Robyn in equal parts, the album balances glossy production with striking vulnerability. It's earnest, dramatic, heart-on-sleeve pop, and that’s what makes it so affecting.

The opening track “Run Away with Me” is an instant classic — driven by that now-iconic sax riff, it builds into a widescreen anthem of romantic escapism. It’s not just catchy; it feels cinematic, like the opening credits to the best ‘80s teen movie never made.

The title track “Emotion” keeps things danceable but tinged with longing. “I Really Like You”, the lead single, may have seemed like lightweight fluff at first glance, but in the context of the album, its obsessive simplicity makes perfect emotional sense — infatuation as an all-consuming, slightly embarrassing spiral.

Jepsen excels at subtle desperation. “Your Type” is perhaps her most underrated song — a synth ballad about unrequited love, delivered with devastating understatement. Meanwhile, “All That”, produced by Dev Hynes (Blood Orange), slows things down to a seductive crawl, channeling Janet Jackson’s control-era softness with aching precision.

Even songs that play lighter, like “Boy Problems” or “Making the Most of the Night”, are tinged with sadness under the surface — dancing in the dark, heartbreak with a beat.

Despite critical acclaim, Emotion didn’t dominate charts. But something rare happened: it grew. Word of mouth, impassioned fans, and glowing reviews built it into a modern pop landmark, admired for its sincerity, songwriting, and aesthetic commitment. Artists and critics alike cite it as an influence — not because it changed the game commercially, but because it refused to chase pop’s fleeting center and instead created its own orbit.

The album’s cult status was cemented further when Jepsen released Emotion: Side B a year later — eight more songs that were left off the main record, yet were still better than most artists’ A-sides.

Emotion is not just a great pop album — it’s an album about what it feels like to love deeply and foolishly, to desire connection even when it hurts, and to do so without irony or apology. It’s romantic without being naive, nostalgic without being retrograde, and utterly sincere in a way that’s increasingly rare in pop.

Carly Rae Jepsen didn’t just make a comeback with Emotion — she rewrote her narrative, giving us an album that’s adored not because it demanded attention, but because it earned it.