Carly Rae Jepsen season is upon us, and with just two weeks left until the release of her new album The Loneliest Time, the pop star has today shared its title track. The last single before we get the full LP on October 21st is a duet featuring one of Jepsen’s musical heroes (and fellow Canadian) Rufus Wainwright.
“If you like 5-part string sections, 4:30+ track lengths, and disco power ballads… you might want to check it out,” Jepsen tweeted of “The Loneliest Time” just ahead of its release, and it lives up to those expectations. It’s a bittersweet dance floor jam that finds Jepsen at a romantic crossroads: “You’re looking right through me/ Just like Shakespeare wrote a tragedy/ ‘Bout our story, never finished it/ ‘Cause our love, we never finished it,” she sings on the opening verse.
By the first chorus, “The Loneliest Time” is fleshed out with that disco-tinged string section and Wainwright’s full-bodied harmonies: “I’m coming over tonight/ Knock on your door just like before/ I need that look in your eyes/ ‘Cause we’ve had the loneliest time,” they sing, evoking the simultaneous confusion and excitement that comes with reigniting an old flame. Listen to “The Loneliest Time” below.
Jepsen has also previewed The Loneliest Time — her follow-up to 2019’s Dedicated — with singles “Talking to Yourself,” “Beach House,” and “Western Wind.” You can catch her live now on “The So Nice Tour,” which kicked off last month with Bleachers. Grab tickets to the remaining shows over at Ticketmaster.