What Does The Carly Rae Jepsen Song Mean For Music?

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There is one motto that I firmly stand by and will likely get engraved on my tombstone: Life is so much better when you stop hating pop music for no reason.

It's a simple mantra but one that really resonates with the world at large. Pop music is IMPORTANT. It is something that lets you feel happy for the sake of feeling happy or sad for the sake of feeling sad. It's unapologetic, naive, and liberating. Very few popstars understand this, which is what sets the experts apart from the novices.

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If there was one popstar that you would expect to be the savior of music in 2015, it would not have been Carly Rae Jepsen. Carly had a small following in Canada post Canadian Idol before becoming the global one-hit wonder that many recognize her as today. "Call Me Maybe" was indeed, a magnificent pop song. It had a catchy hook, insanely wonderful lyrics, a timeless sound, and most importantly, a perfect chorus. Unfortunately, the song overshadowed the artist, with Jepsen quickly relegated to a novelty act without being given a chance.

That was stupid on the world's part. Carly's debut album Kiss was filled with the sugary bubblegum pop that everyone knows and love. It was an album of love, scorn, sarcasm, comedy, retrospect, and hope. It was an album that made pop fans proud of their music tastes, a rare accomplishment considering the world's tendency to undermine the value of the genre. But one listen to "This Kiss", whose opening line (I went out last night / I'm going out tonight again) still goes down as one of the best opening lines EVER, will have us all grateful that Carly is in our lives.

Pop had started to get a little too sentimental in 2014, with the biggest hits being ballads like "Stay With Me" and "Chandelier." While one of those songs was very amazing indeed, 2014 was a depressing time for music and it seemed as though the world was appreciating this new type of sad pop more than the happy kind. So with 2015, it became clear we needed to let in the light. "Uptown Funk" and "Heartbeat Song" have certainly helped to bring everyone back to pop's home on the glittery dance floor but we needed more. Then March 1st, the birthday of many a popstar (and certain author of the Internet's best music blog…), came around and everything changed.

"I Really Like You" was everything we could have hoped for. It was a pulsing rush of diabetic-inducing pop with a message of romantic hope. Classic theme plus classic sound = Era-defining tune. Carly Rae Jepsen knew that the world needed a song that did not shy away from its immaturity, but reveled in it, in pop culture, in the heartache of anyone who has dreamed of love. But most importantly, it reminds us of why we need this type of music in our lives. It's a breath of fresh air, the sun rising over the horizon. It is a timeless pop anthem for timeless pop fans. It's not trying to be "Call Me Maybe", something that may disappoint idiots who don't understand its value. It is here, it gets people excited, and it makes people happy about music. 

Congratulations Carly and thank you, because I really really really really really really like your song.

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Buy "I Really Like You" on iTunes now!