Carly Rae Jepsen (born November 21, 1985)[2][3] is a Canadian singer and songwriter. After studying musical theatre for most of her school life and while in university, Jepsen garnered mainstream attention after placing third on thefifth season ofCanadian Idol in 2007. In 2008, Jepsen released herfolk-influenced debut studio albumTug of War in Canada before it was internationally released in 2011.
Jepsen's breakthrough came in 2012 with her acclaimed single "Call Me Maybe", which was declared the best-selling single of that year, sold over 18 million copies, reached number one in more than 19 countries, and led to major record deals withSchoolboy Records andInterscope Records. Jepsen's second studio album,Kiss, was released later that year and included the single "Good Time" withOwl City; both charted in the top ten in Canada and the United States. In 2014, Jepsen made herBroadway theatre stage debut, playing the titular character inCinderella for 12 weeks. The following year, she released her third studio album,Emotion, influenced by1980s music,dance-pop andsynth-pop, which included the singles, "I Really Like You", "Your Type" and "Run Away with Me". In 2016, Jepsen performed in the television specialGrease: Live and voiced in the animated filmBallerina.
Jepsen was born on November 21, 1985, inMission, British Columbia to Alexandra and Larry Jepsen, the second of their three children.[7] She is ofDanish,English andScottish descent.[8] Jepsen has an older brother, Colin, and a younger sister, Katie. She attended Heritage Park Secondary School and had a passion for musical theatre, appearing in student productions ofAnnie where she played Annie,Grease where she playedSandy Olsson, andThe Wiz where she playedDorothy Gale.[9][10] Her parents and stepparents were teachers, so Jepsen considered a career in music instruction as a second option.[10][11] She applied to music-related programs, including those atCapilano University and theUniversity of British Columbia, but on the advice of her high school drama teacher, she auditioned for the Canadian College of Performing Arts inVictoria, British Columbia and was one of 25 female students to gain admission into its year-long program in 2004.[11][12]
After graduation, Jepsen relocated to Vancouver's west side and held several jobs, including abarista, assistantpastry chef, andbartender. At this time, she slept on a pull-out sofa and wrote songs in her spare time.[13][14][15]
In 2007, Jepsen was convinced to audition forCanadian Idol by her high school drama teacher.[9] In the audition, she performed her original song "Sweet Talker".[16] In the competition, she finished in third place, which she considered the best possible outcome in retrospect.[10] Herdemo recording attracted the attention of music manager Jonathan Simkin, who signed Jepsen to a management deal with604 Records that year.[17] Jepsen released her firstpromotional single, a cover ofJohn Denver's song "Sunshine on My Shoulders", in June 2008. Her debut studio album,Tug of War, was released in September 2008, and sold 10,000 copies in Canada.[17] The singles "Tug of War" and "Bucket" peaked in the top 40 of theCanadian Hot 100, and received Gold certifications for sales of 40,000 units each.[18] "Sour Candy", a duet withJosh Ramsay ofMarianas Trench was released as the final single. In 2009, Jepsen toured western Canada with Marianas Trench andShiloh.[19][20]
In the summer of 2011, Jepsen recorded material for her second studio album with Josh Ramsay, Ryan Stewart, and Tavish Crowe. The track "Call Me Maybe", co-written by Crowe and Ramsay, was released in September 2011.[17][21] The song received a promotion from fellow Canadian pop singerJustin Bieber, leading Bieber's manager,Scooter Braun, to sign Jepsen to a joint worldwiderecording contract with his label,Schoolboy Records, and major labelInterscope Records.[17] "Call Me Maybe" reached number one on theCanadian Hot 100, making Jepsen the fourth Canadian artist to top the chart.[22][23] In the US, the single spent nine weeks at number one on theBillboard Hot 100, earning the title "Song of the Summer" fromBillboard magazine.[24] The single was the best-selling single of 2012 worldwide[3] and topped the charts in 19 countries,[25] including the United Kingdom, where it was the year's second best-selling single.[26] The song was included on Jepsen's six-track EP,Curiosity, released in February 2012 in Canada.[17] Following the success of "Call Me Maybe", Jepsen recorded the top ten duet "Good Time" withOwl City, released in June 2012.[27][28]
Jepsen released her third album's lead single, "I Really Like You", in March 2015.[47] Accompanied by a music video in which actorTom Hanks lip-synced to the song, it peaked at number 14 in Canada and the top five in the UK. The studio album, titledEmotion, was released in June 2015. Although it was a relative commercial failure compared toKiss, it received critical acclaim and acult following, attracting a more mature audience to her music.[48][49][50] The album peaked at number eight in Canada and at number 16 on the USBillboard 200.[48] It includes collaborations withRostam Batmanglij,Sia,Dev Hynes,Greg Kurstin, andAriel Rechtshaid.[51] The second single, "Run Away with Me", was released in July 2015.[52] In November 2015, Jepsen embarked on theGimmie Love Tour in support ofEmotion.[53] Jepsen was featured on a new version ofBleachers' song "Shadow" from their albumTerrible Thrills, Vol. 2[54] and released a cover ofWham!'s "Last Christmas".[55] In December 2015, Jepsen recorded the theme song for theNetflix seriesFuller House, a remake of the theme toFull House.[56]
In January 2016, Jepsen played Frenchy inGrease Live!,Fox's live television presentation of the musicalGrease.[57] As part of her role, she performed a new song entitled "All I Need Is an Angel".[58][59] In March 2016, she appeared onthe Knocks' debut studio album55.[60] In August 2016, Jepsen releasedEmotion: Side B, anEP containing eight cut tracks fromEmotion.[61] The EP received critical acclaim fromRolling Stone[62] andPitchfork. In May 2017, Jepsen released the single "Cut to the Feeling".[63] The song was originally intended forEmotion, but instead appeared in the animated filmBallerina, in which Jepsen voices a supporting role.[63] It also appeared on the Japanese deluxe version of the Side B EP.[64]
In early 2018, Jepsen appeared as the opening act forKaty Perry'sWitness: The Tour.[65] "Party for One", the lead single from Jepsen's fourth studio album, was released in November 2018.[66] Two more singles, "Now That I Found You" and "No Drug Like Me" followed in February 2019, with "Julien" and "Too Much" being released as the fourth and fifth respective singles.[67][68] By then, Braun was no longer Jepsen's manager, although she was still signed to Schoolboy Records.[69]
Her fourth studio album,Dedicated, was released on May 17, 2019, with a tour beginning June 27.[70][71] Jepsen performed aNPRTiny Desk Concert in November 2019.[72] On May 21, 2020, the companion albumDedicated Side B was released, containing twelve additional tracks fromDedicated.[73] In October 2020, Jepsen released "It's Not Christmas Till Somebody Cries" which peaked at 11 on the US Holiday Digital Songs chart.[74]
2021–present:The Loneliest Time andThe Loveliest Time
FollowingDedicated Side B's release, Jepsen confirmed that she was making a "quarantine album" alongside long-time friend and songwriter Tavish Crowe, whom she wrote "Call Me Maybe" with.[75] In May 2022, Jepsen announced at herCoachella performance the lead single from her sixth studio album, "Western Wind", which was released on May 6, 2022. On August 3, 2022, Jepsen announced via her social media the release of her sixth studio album,The Loneliest Time, released on October 21, 2022, and shortly after released the second single from the album, "Beach House" and the third single "Talking to Yourself" the following month.[76][77]The title track featuringRufus Wainwright, was the fourth and final single for the album, releasing on October 8, 2022. On social media platformTikTok, the song became a viral success amassing nearly 200,000 videos since its release, and amongst those videos celebrities such asMeghan Trainor.[78] Following the album's release, the album debuted at number 18 on theCanadian Albums Chart, number 19 on the Billboard 200, and number 16 on theUK Albums Chart, becoming her highest-charting album in the UK in ten years.[79] In support and for the promotion of the album, Jepsen embarked onThe So Nice Tour beginning in September 2022 and played shows across North America, Europe, and Australia through March 2023.[80][81][82] The tour was extended in March 2023 with six dates in Japan.[83] Jepsen performed the theme song for the Amazon Kids+ seriesHello Kitty: Super Style!, which debuted in December 2022.[84]
On June 23, 2023, less than a year after the release ofThe Loneliest Time, Jepsen released a newdisco-inspired single "Shy Boy", produced byJames Ford. It was accompanied by a prominentlyblack-and-white music video featuring Jepsen on a date with a lover.[85] On July 6, 2023, after teasing songs and producers involved with the project, Jepsen formally announced her seventh studio albumThe Loveliest Time, described as a "companion album" toThe Loneliest Time. It was released on July 28.[86]
Jepsen has been noted for her "subversively catchy lyrics, slick musical arrangements, and pop experimentation".[87] Jepsen is classified as asoprano.[88][89][90] Paul Bradley ofLA Weekly described Jepsen's voice as "hushed" and "flawless"[89] whileMaura Johnston ofSlate characterized it as "airy yet precise".[90]
In September 2024, Jepsen announced her engagement to American record producerCole M.G.N.[105] They married on October 4, 2025.[106] On November 3, 2025, the couple announced that they were expecting their first child.[107]
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