Carly Rae Jepsen was on the phone recently and gave us the opportunity to get know her. Here are 10 things that we discovered about the “Call Me Maybe” singer after a 10-minute chat.
1. “Call Me Maybe” changed her life.
Duh. Of course, how else describe a song that caused massive LSS and makes people create their own YouTube videos inspired by it? Carly says “Call Me Maybe” changed her life in so many ways and that it has allowed her to break out of Canada and see the world.
2. She likes Cookie Monster’s version of “Call Me Maybe.”
She’s thankful to Justin Bieber and Katy Perry for pushing the song to amazing levels, thanks to their huge fanbases. But her favorite version of “Call Me Maybe” is Cookie Monster’s “Share It Maybe,” because she grew up on Sesame Street. “It’s really cool,” Carly says.
3. She does get tired of singing it, though.
Carly admits: “You know what, there have been times when I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, I’ve sung this song so many times!’”
However, she always finds “ways to rejuvenate it.” And she gets the energy to sing it for the nth time whenever she sees the fans’ reactions or when she spots at least one or two people in the audience singing along with her. “I never really sing it alone,” she points out.
4. Carly is not pressured to be a role model.
“I think I’m pretty confident with the fact that nobody’s perfect and that includes me,” she says. “I’m gonna make mistakes. I try to be the best that I can be, and I hope that is a positive influence to young people, but I don’t want to be pressured.”
5. She believes everyone has a different career path.
Some try forever before bagging a record deal. Others become instant stars, thanks to YouTube. Carly joined “Canadian Idol” after feeling that nothing was turning out right for her the year before that, when she was trying every other route.
Her advice: “You’ve got to believe in yourself and you’ve got to be ready to knock on everyone’s door because you don’t know which one is going to open.”
6. Fashion is important to her, sometimes.
She confesses that fashion plays a major factor in her career, but when there are times when she couldn’t care less. “I’m a bit of a tomboy at home, but when I’m out in town, I’m suddenly a girl,” she says.
7. She likes a weird assortment of artists.
She looks up to James Taylor for the longevity of his career, and Madonna for her ability to reinvent herself. She also digs Solange, Beyonce’s little sis. “I’m really obsessed with her album,” Carly says. “And I think she’s incredible.”
8. She’s not really sure about her career path.
“I’m looking forward to carving out my own career path, whatever that looks like,” she says. “I enjoy the mystery of it. I have no idea yet, but it’s going to be fun to create. I’m just looking forward to discovering my own path.”
9. She’s a lyrics-first kind of songwriter.
“For me, it’s usually the lyrics, but there’s a melody that goes along with one phrase of the lyrics. It all starts there,” she reveals.
10. She’d give her number to someone who already has it.
Asked for anyone she wants to give her number to so they can have a chat, she chooses, of all people, her boyfriend. Matthew Koma. “Definitely my boyfriend! But he already has it.”
The “Carly Rae Jepsen Live in Manila” concert is on Aug. 7, 8 p.m. at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Call 3749999. For more information about the concert, follow Wilbros Live on Facebook (fb.com/WilbrosLive) and Twitter (@WilbrosLive). Niño Mark Sablan, Contributor