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Carly Rae Jepsen - Kiss

AFP
What we thought:

After hearing her debut hit Call Me Maybe on the radio, I was very much amped to sit down and listen to Carly Rae Jepsen's debut album Kiss.

Despite people calling her "irritating" and the newest "Rebecca Black", I opted to applaud her for creating a catchy tune and a feel good song when I first heard her.  And when I finally got the chance to review her album, I was not disappointed.

To me, it didn't feel like I was reviewing her album, but rather enjoying a thrilling live performance by Carly herself in my bedroom.

The music scene is often plagued by artists who try and be something outrageous, different and a trendsetter. Carly swoops in and proves one can be yourself and comfortable in your shoes without going over the top with your clothes, make up, hair and props (with all respect to Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj and Lady Gaga).

When you hear her voice, you're already impressed. She doesn’t try too hard to belt out notes that would be impossible to reach, or scream your ears off. She's just herself and her voice proves that.

The lyrics are heartfelt, original and catchy. And they tell a story. It's not mindless, soppy or a constant repeating of words ("Yellow Diamonds in the sky"... "Where have you been all my life").
 
Carly gets brownie points from me in this category. When listening to music, you don't want to just bob your head and sing along, but rather feel like you shared a story with the artist. And Carly sure manages to share some pretty good and relatable stories with you!

A young girl with loads of talent – and I'm hoping that Kiss won't be Carly's only success story, as I am waiting to see her surpass Katy Perry in the near future.

Best track:

"Your Heart Is a Muscle" – Definitely one of the most powerful tracks on the album, Carly manages to pin down the core of a breakup in this song.  This is not just a track for a broken hearted girl, but a good listen if you’re a guy who complains that you never understand why women hate breakups. And did I mention how empowered you feel after listening to the song?

Worst track:

"Beautiful – ft. Justin Bieber" – When I scrolled down the track list on the back of the CD, I had this sudden urge to skip the song when it came on and my feeling was spot on. Certainly one of the most unattractive songs and a bit too soppy and lousy at times, with a really irritating tune and slow beat. Not the best collaboration ever.

Sounds like:

Carly's voice is unique, don’t get me wrong, yet her music does remind me of Kylie Minogue’s newer albums.  Think All That Lover's with a hint of Kelly Clarkson in between.  She does make me think of a US version of Kylie Minogue at times with tracks like "Tiny Little Bows" and "This Kiss".

Listen to snippets of the album here:

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