Carly Rae Jepsen’s wholesome pop was everything her adoring Melbourne fans wanted
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06.12.2019

Carly Rae Jepsen’s wholesome pop was everything her adoring Melbourne fans wanted

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Words by Aimee Craig

Dreamy love songs and a cult following, Jepsen wowed fans with her debut Melbourne show.

Glitter-clad fans sporting Carly Rae Jepsen merchandise could be heard buzzing outside Melbourne’s iconic music venue The Forum. Finally, after years of waiting, the Canadian pop star treated Australian fans to her first headline tour alongside special guest Starley.

Starley opened the show bursting with energy and charisma.  Sporting a huge fur jacket and personality to match, Starley had audiences up on their feet dancing along to hits ‘Call On Me’, ‘Lovers + Strangers’ and covers like Tracy Chapman’s ‘Fast Car’.  The perfect mix of down to earth energy and charm from Starley left audiences perfectly warmed up for Jepsen.

Carly Rae Jepsen emerged on a tall staircase in a skin-tight silver sequined jumpsuit with lights perfectly reflecting off her – the audience already in hysterics after getting a quick glance at the singer.

Jepsen opened with ‘No Drug Like Me’ which quickly had the audience hanging off every lyric. You’d be lying if you said you’ve never danced around to one of Carly Rae Jepsen’s cheeky breakup songs or thoughtful love ballads and audiences were treated to all of the above as they swayed and bopped along to smash hits like ‘Julien’, ‘ Want You In My Room’ and of course Jepsen’s 2011 epic ‘Call Me Maybe’.

But it was when Jepsen sang ‘I Really Like You’ that things really picked up a notch – the disco-infused lighting created the perfect environment for the audience to erupt into synchronised song and dance. The Carly Rae fandom is real – devoted fans didn’t miss a beat as they repeated every word back to Jepsen each time she faced her microphone towards them.

Amongst all the party fever, Jepsen still managed to stop and pause, communicating the narratives behind the songs. She explained songs inspired from breakups, and makeups – even dedicating ‘Now That I Found You’ to her cat. Her relationship to her fans is something more than just people listening to her music but rather people connecting to her real-life experiences and emotions through her funky, bubblegum pop anthems. This was highlighted throughout the duration of the show.

Jepsen’s debut Melbourne appearance was a giant party but a wholesome one at that. The Canadian pop star echoed her very own lyrics of acceptance and self-love and captivated her audience with her innocent, bubblegum pop persona. A warm welcome into Australia, Carly Rae Jepsen is sure to be back spilling more of her E•MO•TION’s on more Aussie stages.

Highlight: Mix of both old and new hits were performed.

Lowlight: Would have loved to have seen more outfits.

Crowd favourite: ‘Call Me Maybe’ and ‘Party For One’.