Carly Rae Jepsen

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Carly Rae Jepsen was born on November 21, 1985, in Mission, British Columbia, to parents Alexandra and Larry Jepsen, both of whom were teachers. She is of Danish, English and Scottish descent and is the second of three children, with an older brother named Colin and a younger sister named Katie. During her time at Heritage Park Secondary School, Jepsen developed a deep passion for musical theatre, performing in student productions where she played Annie in Annie, Sandy Olsson in Grease, and Dorothy Gale in The Wiz. This early exposure to performance led her to pursue formal training after high school on the advice of her high school drama teacher. She auditioned for the Canadian College of Performing Arts in Oak Bay, British Columbia, and was one of 25 female students accepted into its year-long program in 2004. After graduation, she moved to Vancouver's west side, working various jobs including as a barista, assistant pastry chef, and bartender while writing songs in her spare time and sleeping on a pull-out sofa.

Rise to Fame: Canadian Idol and Debut Album

Jepsen's professional career began in earnest in 2007 when, again encouraged by her high school drama teacher, she auditioned for the fifth season of Canadian Idol, performing her original song "Sweet Talker." She finished in third place, a result she later viewed as the best possible outcome. Her performance on the show attracted the attention of music manager Jonathan Simkin, who signed her to a management deal with 604 Records that same year. In June 2008, she released her first promotional single, a cover of John Denver's "Sunshine on My Shoulders." Her debut studio album, Tug of War, was released in September 2008. The folk-influenced album sold 10,000 copies in Canada, and its singles "Tug of War" and "Bucket" peaked in the top 40 of the Canadian Hot 100, each earning a Gold certification for sales of 40,000 units. A final single, "Sour Candy," was a duet with Josh Ramsay of Marianas Trench, and in 2009, Jepsen toured western Canada with Marianas Trench and Shiloh to support the album.

Global Breakthrough with Kiss

Jepsen's career transformed dramatically in the summer of 2011 when she recorded material for a second album with collaborators including Josh Ramsay and Tavish Crowe. The track "Call Me Maybe," co-written by Crowe and Ramsay, was released in September 2011. The song became a viral sensation after fellow Canadian pop star Justin Bieber promoted it, leading Bieber's manager Scooter Braun to sign Jepsen to a joint worldwide recording contract with his Schoolboy Records and Interscope Records. "Call Me Maybe" reached number one on the Canadian Hot 100, making Jepsen the fourth Canadian artist to top that chart. In the United States, it spent nine weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and was named Billboard's "Song of the Summer." It was the best-selling single worldwide in 2012, topping charts in 19 countries including the United Kingdom. The song was included on her six-track EP Curiosity, released in Canada in February 2012, and following this success, she recorded the top ten duet "Good Time" with Owl City, released in June 2012.

Her second studio album, Kiss, was released in September 2012 and included the singles "This Kiss" and "Tonight I'm Getting Over You." The album reached the top ten in Australia, the UK, Canada and the US. That year, she also became a spokesperson and model for the clothing retailer Wet Seal and appeared on an episode of 90210. At the 2012 Billboard Music Awards, Jepsen was the first Canadian recipient of the Rising Star Award, and "Call Me Maybe" later received Grammy Award nominations for Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance. In 2013, Kiss won the Juno Awards for Album of the Year and Pop Album of the Year, while "Call Me Maybe" won Single of the Year. She also started The Summer Kiss Tour, which ran from June to October 2013 with shows across North America and Asia.

Broadway and the Emotion Era

In the spring of 2014, Jepsen expanded her artistic pursuits by making her Broadway debut, playing the titular character in Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella for a 12-week run. In June 2014, she won the International Achievement Award at the SOCAN Awards alongside co-writers Josh Ramsay and Tavish Crowe. Musically, she began a new chapter in March 2015 with the release of "I Really Like You," the lead single from her third album. The song's music video featured actor Tom Hanks lip-syncing, and it peaked at number 14 in Canada. The album, Emotion, was released in June 2015. Although it was a relative commercial disappointment compared to Kiss, it received strong critical praise and developed a cult following, attracting a more mature audience. The album peaked at number eight in Canada and number 16 on the US Billboard 200, and included collaborations with Rostam Batmanglij, Sia, Dev Hynes, Greg Kurstin, and Ariel Rechtshaid.

The second single, "Run Away with Me," was released in July 2015, and in November she started the Gimmie Love Tour. In 2016, she played Frenchy in Fox's Grease: Live television special, performing a new song called "All I Need Is an Angel." That August, she released Emotion: Side B, an EP containing eight tracks cut from the Emotion sessions, which was acclaimed by publications like Rolling Stone and Pitchfork. In May 2017, she released the single "Cut to the Feeling," which was originally intended for Emotion but appeared in the animated film Ballerina, in which she voiced a supporting role.

Dedicated Albums and Continued Output

In early 2018, Jepsen served as the opening act for Katy Perry's Witness: The Tour. She began rolling out her fourth studio album with the single "Party for One" in November 2018. Two more singles, "Now That I Found You" and "No Drug Like Me," followed in February 2019, with "Julien" and "Too Much" released later. By this time, Scooter Braun was no longer her manager, though she remained signed to Schoolboy Records. Dedicated was released on May 17, 2019, with a supporting tour beginning in June. She performed an NPR Tiny Desk Concert in November 2019. On May 21, 2020, the companion album Dedicated Side B was released, containing twelve additional tracks from the Dedicated sessions. In October 2020, she released the holiday song "It's Not Christmas Till Somebody Cries," which peaked at number 11 on the US Holiday Digital Songs chart.

The Loneliest Time and The Loveliest Time

Following Dedicated Side B, Jepsen confirmed she was working on new material with long-time collaborator Tavish Crowe. In May 2022, she announced the lead single "Western Wind" at her Coachella performance, and the song was released on May 6, 2022. On August 3, 2022, she announced her sixth studio album, The Loneliest Time, for release on October 21, 2022. Subsequent singles included "Beach House," "Talking to Yourself," and the title track featuring Rufus Wainwright. The song "The Loneliest Time" found viral success on TikTok, amassing nearly 200,000 videos and attention from celebrities like Meghan Trainor. The album debuted at number 18 on the Canadian Albums Chart, number 19 on the Billboard 200, and number 16 on the UK Albums Chart, becoming her highest-charting album in the UK in a decade. She promoted it with The So Nice Tour from September 2022 through March 2023, with dates in North America, Europe, Australia, and Japan, and in December 2022, she performed the theme song for the Amazon Kids+ series Hello Kitty: Super Style!

On June 23, 2023, less than a year after the release of The Loneliest Time, Jepsen released a new disco-inspired single "Shy Boy", produced by James Ford. It was accompanied by a prominently black-and-white music video featuring Jepsen on a date with a lover. On July 6, 2023, after teasing songs and producers involved with the project, Jepsen formally announced her seventh studio album The Loveliest Time, described as a "companion album" to The Loneliest Time. It was released on July 28, 2023.

The Day and Night Era

In June 2026, Jepsen revealed her upcoming eighth studio album, Day and Night, would be a 24-track double album. Its lead single, "On Wires," was released on June 26, 2026. The song was written with frequent collaborators Kyle Shearer, who also produced, and Nate Cyphert. The official music video, directed by Caio Viera, was shot during Jepsen's sixth month of pregnancy and explored the tension between motherhood and career. The album's second single, "After All," was released on July 16, 2026, and the third single, "Don't Leave Me on the Dance Floor," followed on August 7, 2026. Day and Night was released on September 18, 2026, via Interscope Records to critical acclaim, debuting at number 13 in the top albums of 2026. Jepsen described the album as capturing a blurred, dreamlike sense of time and her most expansive artistic statement. She launched the album with a headline performance at New York City's All Things Go Festival on September 27, 2026, her only announced show that year, and announced The Day and Night Tour for 2026 to 2027 with dates including Edmonton and Calgary in April 2027.

Artistry and Musical Style

Jepsen's musical style has evolved significantly from the folk roots of her debut. Critics have noted her subversively catchy lyrics, slick musical arrangements, and pop experimentation. She is classified as a soprano, with Paul Bradley of LA Weekly describing her voice as hushed and flawless, and Maura Johnston of Slate characterising it as airy yet precise. Her early work on Tug of War was influenced by the folk music of her upbringing, citing artists like Leonard Cohen, Bruce Springsteen, and Joni Mitchell. During the recording of Curiosity and Kiss, she said she became increasingly influenced by pop and dance music, specifically the works of Dragonette, Kimbra, La Roux, and Robyn. Her album Emotion drew from her love of 1980s pop artists including Cyndi Lauper, Madonna, and Prince. She has expressed admiration for a wide range of other artists, including Cat Power, Christine and the Queens, Tegan and Sara, Bleachers, Kate Bush, and Taylor Swift.

Awards, Recognition, and Personal Life

Throughout her career, Carly Rae Jepsen has received numerous awards and nominations. She has won three Juno Awards, including the major categories of Album of the Year and Pop Album of the Year for Kiss in 2013, and Single of the Year for "Call Me Maybe." At the 2012 Billboard Music Awards, she became the first Canadian recipient of the Rising Star Award and has won three Billboard Music Awards in total. Her signature hit earned two Grammy Award nominations for Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance. She has also been nominated for a Polaris Music Prize, MTV Video Music Awards, and People's Choice Awards. In 2014, she and her co-writers received the International Achievement Award from SOCAN. Billboard ranked her at number 75 on its Top Women Artists of the 21st Century Chart published in March 2025. Jepsen has also been referred to as a queer icon for her performances at pride events, and in 2013 she withdrew from a performance at the Boy Scouts of America Jamboree due to their policy on homosexuality at the time. In her personal life, Jepsen announced her engagement to American record producer Cole M.G.N. in September 2024. The couple married on October 4, 2025, and in November 2025, they announced they were expecting their first child, who was born in March 2026. This new chapter was integrated into her professional work, as seen in the "On Wires" video filmed during her pregnancy.

Questions about Carly Rae Jepsen

How did Carly Rae Jepsen become famous?

Carly Rae Jepsen first gained national attention in Canada by placing third on the fifth season of Canadian Idol in 2007. Her true global breakthrough came in 2012 with the release of her single "Call Me Maybe. The song went viral after being promoted by Justin Bieber, leading to a major record deal with Schoolboy and Interscope Records. It topped charts in over 19 countries, became the world's best-selling single of 2012, and launched her into international stardom.

What are Carly Rae Jepsen's most popular songs?

Jepsen's most well-known song is "Call Me Maybe," a global chart-topper and the best-selling single of 2012. Other major hits include "Good Time," her duet with Owl City, and "I Really Like You. While these were major commercial successes, critically acclaimed fan favourites often come from her later albums, such as "Run Away with Me" from Emotion and "Julien" from Dedicated. Her 2026 single "On Wires" marked the beginning of her latest album era.

What awards has Carly Rae Jepsen won?

Carly Rae Jepsen has won three Juno Awards, including the major categories of Album of the Year and Pop Album of the Year for Kiss in 2013. She has also received three Billboard Music Awards, where she was the first Canadian to win the Rising Star Award. Her work has earned her an Allan Slaight Award and an International Achievement Award from SOCAN. Additionally, she has received Grammy nominations for "Call Me Maybe" and has been nominated for a Polaris Music Prize.

Is Carly Rae Jepsen married?

Yes, Carly Rae Jepsen is married. She announced her engagement to American record producer Cole M.G.N. in September 2024. The couple married on October 4, 2025. In November 2025, they announced they were expecting their first child, who was born in March 2026.

What is Carly Rae Jepsen's newest album?

As of 2026, Carly Rae Jepsen's newest album is Day and Night, released on September 18, 2026. It is a 24-track double album that explores themes of time and emotion. The lead single, "On Wires," was released in June 2026, followed by "After All" in July and "Don't Leave Me on the Dance Floor" in August. The album has been described as her most expansive artistic statement and received critical acclaim upon its release.

Has Carly Rae Jepsen done any acting?

Yes, Carly Rae Jepsen has pursued acting alongside her music career. In 2014, she made her Broadway debut, playing the title role in Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella for a 12-week run. In 2016, she played Frenchy in the Fox television special Grease: Live and performed a new song for the production. She has also done voice work, lending her voice to a character in the 2016 animated film Ballerina and performing the theme song for the series Hello Kitty: Super Style! in 2022.

Sources: Wikipedia and current public reporting, checked by the Yadude Books desk. Last updated 2026-10-20.