Carly Rae Jepsen beams with bliss at the Armory

Carly Rae Jepsen performs at Pride In Concert at the Armory in Minneapolis on Saturday, June 25, 2022.Sara Fish for MPR

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June 27, 2022

In his essay, “Carly Rae Jepsen Loves You Back,” poet and cultural critic Hanif Abdurraquib writes, “Under the spell of Carly Rae Jepsen, love is simply love. It is not war. It is not something you are thrown into and forced to survive. Is it something you experience, and if you’re lucky enough, time slows down.”

On Saturday evening, Jepsen slowed down time at the Armory for the Pride in Concert event part of Twin Cities Pride Weekend. There’s something special and hard-to-articulate about attending live music and dancing to songs you’ve heard repeatedly on the radio, in the grocery store, and at birthday parties for years. Jepsen isn’t currently on tour, only occasionally playing festivals, so she didn’t show up to give life to a recent release. Instead, she created a space for the crowd to revel in the nostalgia that her magnetic pop music brings.

As the Canadian singer-songwriter smoothly progressed through a track list consisting of her two most recent albums, Emotion and Dedicated, it wasn’t redundant or boring to scream the words to songs she released years ago. Her 2012 break-out song “Call Me Maybe” felt everlasting as she sang the brave anthem: “Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy / But here's my number, so call me, maybe.” The grand notion that the fullness of love erases a linear timeline when she sings “Before you came into my life, I missed you so bad,” captures indelible emotion.

With unbelievably catchy hooks, Jepsen described longing and heartbreak in a down-to-earth manner that felt like she was talking directly to an individual, even when standing in a room of thousands of spectators. To hear Jepsen fearlessly singing “Julien,” a song with a lost-lover's real name, was a parallel experience to sitting with a friend narrating a story of ephemeral love. At the same time, imagine having the platform to shout-out an ex-partner in front of the Armory. “Julien, don’t call me!” she yelled.

Jepsen continued to describe intimate experiences like erotic desire in “Want You In My Room” and the the dream-like longing for a romantic escape in “Run Away with Me.” On “Too Much” she admitted insecurity due to her hyper-focus on specific life endeavors — like partying and dedicating energy to a relationship. To introduce the track, she recounted a lesson she’s learned throughout the years: “There’s no such thing as ‘too much,’ so let it all out. Only embrace those who embrace that.”

A performer sings into a microphone — Carly Rae Jepsen performs at Pride In Concert at the Armory in Minneapolis on Saturday, June 25, 2022.
Sara Fish for MPR

And even though lyrics on “I Really Like You,” may seem overly silly on paper, when Jepsen sings, “I really, really, really, really, really, really like you / And I want you, do you want me, do you want me, too?” the truth that clarity is a necessity within relationships becomes clear. The crowd danced to the message that people shouldn’t be ashamed to share their feelings.

Outside of these bops with the occasional perfectly placed saxophone feature, the singer didn’t aim many words directly at the audience. But she prefaced “Boy Problems” with the burning question, “Does anyone here have boy problems?” which was met by some of the loudest screaming all night. Not surprising.

The performance didn’t include backup dancers, and Jepsen didn’t need them because her subtle, eccentric movements were enough to keep eyes entertained. Not highly choreographed, the artist seemed to follow a casual routine punctuated with arms laying floating up and down, hands softly pounding her chest, and hips swishing back and forth. She slowly graced across the length of the stage, giving equal attention to all parts of the room. The look of bliss on her face appeared genuine and followed a pattern: She finished a song. The audience cheered. The lights dimmed. Looking at the ground, a wide smile spread across her face. Repeat.

Looking around the room, the Armory’s audience looked similar to that of Minneapolis' Loring Park for the Twin Cities Pride Festival earlier in the afternoon. The downtown neighborhoods were alive before the venue’s doors opened. LGTBQ+ folks and allies trekked up and down Hennepin Avenue in rainbow attire with glitter and sequins beautifully plastered on faces.

Even before Jepsen began the show with “No Drug Like Me,” rainbow glow sticks twirled overhead for DJ queenDuin’s set. (Only one glow stick hit me in the head.) The DJ shuffled through tracks that are the backbone of any Pride celebration. Obviously, they couldn’t skip “I Kissed A Girl” by Katy Perry and “I’m Coming Out” by Diana Ross. Just a few other featured artists were Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, Dua Lipa, and Britney Spears.

Those unfamiliar with the nuance of Jepsen’s popstar status may wonder why a non-queer artist was chosen to headline show dedicated to the LGTBQ+ community. The singer upholds a strong fandom in the queer circles and embraces her fan’s admiration. LGTBQ+ displays of affection unfolded throughout the night as people eased into a tender atmosphere.

As a gay crowd member, Jacob felt liberated on Saturday. ”I think the female pop star inherently has this cultural grip on gay culture… They wear fun bright clothes, have big personas, aren’t ashamed to be themselves and let the world see.”

He put it simply: “I feel sexy and fabulous singing along to ‘Call me Maybe.’”

Aside from being billed as “Pride In Concert,” Jepsen’s banter during a 70-minute set of liberating music didn’t make any direct reference to Pride. Nor did it, for that matter, reference the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade earlier on Friday. Nothing could erase the eerie feelings of rage, grief and anxiety that the news of the previous day brought to many, but the performer’s effervescence created space to feel seen, accepted, and celebrated.

When it comes to intimacy and passion, writer Abdurraquib is right. Under the spell of Carly Rae Jepsen on Saturday, and every other day of the year, love is simply love.

Carly Rae Jepsen & Queen Duin