Carly Rae Jepsen is facing the one question all singers face with a hit record. Is she a one-hit wonder? The second single off her upcoming album Kiss is out. So how does it measure up to “Call Me Maybe?”
Sadly, it doesn’t. Her latest tune, “This Kiss,” produced by LMFAO’s RedFoo, falls in the same category as her first single off the album–pop pablum.
Jepsen’s boyfriend, singer-songwriter Matthew Koma also had a hand in crafting the song, but it’s as saccharine as it gets. Although Billboard pronounced it a smash hit, the promotion-oriented magazine over-hypes most songs.
The song, with a heavy bass line, sounds like every other generic, overly instrumental dance tune. Jepsen sticks to a familiar girl-trying-to-meet-boy theme, but the lyrics lack the cuteness, punch or enthusiasm of “Call Me, Maybe.”
The 26-year-old Canadian singer is a protege of fellow Canadian Justin Bieber, who signed her to manager Scooter Braun’s School Boy Records.
She released her first single from the album, “Good Time,” in June. She teamed up on that one with Adam Young of electro-pop project Owl City.
Not surprisingly, it’s a syrupy homogenized pop song with a steady dance beat, as well. But the lyrics are finger-snapping infectious and easy to sing along with.
Sophomore albums are always the toughest, and Jepsen has set the bar high with her YouTube hit. She won and awards for best video and fav video for the song at this year’s MuchMusic Video Awards in Canada.
Her new album will be released Sept. 18 and will be going up against Pink’s new album, The Truth About Love, which will be released the same day. Scooter may have dropped the ball on that one.
Jepsen will get some help from Justin. He duets on her album track “Beautiful.” Check out her new song below and click here to follow TheImproper on Twitter for more Carly Rae Jepsen updates.
