The 9 best moments from Carly Rae Jepsen’s 10th anniversary ‘Emotion’ show

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Approximately a decade after performing at the Troubadour to launch her album “Emotion,” Carly Rae Jepsen returned to the same West Hollywood venue on Tuesday for a special, sold-out event. This one-night-only performance saw her playing the entire “Emotion” album from start to finish.

Originally released in 2015, “Emotion” was not an immediate success like Jepsen’s previous chart-topper “Call Me Maybe.” However, over time, the album – created with a team of popular producers and songwriters such as Rostam, Ariel Rechtshaid, and Dev Hynes from Blood Orange – garnered a devoted following, known for its catchy ’80s R&B rhythms and expressive longing.

As the audience erupted in applause, Jepsen, now 39, expressed her gratitude: “We are amazed by your welcome!” Here are nine memorable moments from the show:

It was clear that the audience favored Jepsen when, prior to her appearance, fans enthusiastically applauded as they spotted a stagehand holding a saxophone – an instrument whose smooth tone introduces “Emotion” and serves as an enticing signal for unfulfilled romantic yearnings.

As a devoted admirer, I’d like to highlight Jepsen’s knack for making her pop-star presence feel authentic and relatable. One of the ways she achieves this is by maintaining a humble stage presence that adds a significant layer of credibility to her numerous songs expressing feelings of being overwhelmed. For example, in “I Really Like You,” instead of using a grand fan to create a dramatic wind effect on her hair, she opted for a small, more casual one, which I believe contributed to the song’s endearing charm and overall relatability.

Following a reported absence from live performances since 2018 after the song “Making the Most of the Night”, Jepsen reminisced about her transition from her Canadian roots to Los Angeles at the age of 26. She jokingly recalled, “I had only brought a small suitcase and was constantly calling home to ask for more clothes!” Five years later, she laughed, “I think I’ve settled in here now. I’m proud to admit that L.A. feels like my new home.

In 2015, notable attendees at Jepsen’s performance at The Troubadour were Lorde and Tom Hanks, who surprisingly featured in the music video for “I Really Like You”. This time around, her parents graciously took their seats in the balcony, capturing moments on their mobile phones.

As a movie critic putting on my musical analyst hat for this review, let me express some appreciation for an unsung hero: Bobby Wooten III. He was undoubtedly Jennifer Jepsen’s hidden gem during Tuesday’s performance. In that electrifying segment spanning from “Gimmie Love” to “All That” and then onto “Boy Problems,” his delectable, funk-infused basslines injected the music with a palpable energy that truly made it stand out.

During ‘When I Needed You,’ the crowd reached a poignant high with an emotional a cappella rendition of Jepsen’s lyrics, which express the struggle of going too far to please a self-centered lover. Notably, her devotees displayed exceptional vocal skills in this instance, reminiscent of passionate Robyn fans in the subway.

Music

On a Friday evening, the timeless pop icon, who’s 81 years old, kicked off the first of two weekend shows at the Hollywood Bowl. These are some of the most unforgettable highlights.

Jepsen, during the launch of “Emotion,” stated that she had penned approximately 200 songs for the album. In her own words from that year, “I wasn’t quite certain about my direction, so for me, the only course of action was to keep composing, and I hoped it would lead to something. It was a drive, an appetite.” In 2016, she shared eight of her unused tracks on an EP titled “Emotion: Side B,” and she announced that she’d release around six more – which she referred to as “C-sides” – on a special 10th anniversary reissue of “Emotion,” set for October. It’s challenging to imagine another artist who’s delved so extensively into a single album’s composition.

The oddest tune that Jepsen claims to have composed is “Store,” an unusually cheerful dance number centering around grocery shopping, which she performed at the Troubadour as if she were two-stepping down a fictional frozen food aisle.

9. The show on Tuesday concluded with Jepsen’s customary finale, “Cut to the Feeling,” which has become popular online as a subject for a long-lasting sword joke. (For Jepsen’s devoted fans: They have memes.) Earlier in the show, however, she didn’t fail to reminisce with “Call Me Maybe,” performing it while making funny faces that made her resemble the lead actress of an obscure 1930s screwball comedy. “Before you came into my life, I missed you so badly,” she sang – a pop lyric that still stands as one of the greatest.

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2025-08-20 23:01