Preconcert painting time with the pop star (and her mom).
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Shes a pop star unafraid to work a little harder and wander in a direction you might not expect.
Jepsen is stopping in for our painting class midway through the tour forher albumDedicated,which dropped in May.
The visit made her think about how the artist was always on the way to becoming someone else.
And it wasnt good yet!
It was inspiring for creativity in general.
Think of that as her blue period, with sparkles.
Has that happened before?
She has said she wrote around 200 songs forDedicated(and hopes to release another Side B follow-up).
As is so often the case in her music, the basic things are the hardest and most glorious.
It started off as Should it be new love or bad love?, Jepsen remembers.
Lets be honest, it should be real love.
Thats what we really want here.
Jepsen thinks of the online enthusiasm as silliness and also connection.
This is what it means to mean something to people today.
Some people will get it!
Its a way to be like, Im taking you to find your people.
It feels ridiculous backstage, but as soon as you go onstage, thats the theater, she says.
Jepsen was always a theater kid.
InCinderella,she most enjoyed the moments when something would go a little wrong and shed have to adapt.
Ive strayed from the lesson, she says, following my heart.
Its just am right now!
A few vodka-sodas in, I realize the incompleteness is the hook.
Jepsen gets everyone to lean in, sing along, playact her pop sensation with her.
Leading it all, theres Carly, thoughleadingseems like the wrong word.
Shes at the center of it, sure, but whatever shes summoning is bigger and participatory.
Shes just here with the rest of us, noodling around, feeling it out.
Hair and Makeup by Aga Dondzik.
