
Carly Rae Jepsen. Photographed by Gabor Jurina. Styled by Zeina Esmail. Dress, price on request, by Lucian Matis.
See the Carly Rae Jepsen behind-the-scene story and photos »
Watch the Carly Rae Jepsen behind-the-scenes video »
Shop the October 2012 Carly Rae Jepsen cover shoot »
The first thing to come out of Carly Rae Jepsen’s mouth after she rushes into Vancouver’s Sugar Studios, fresh off a flight from Los Angeles, is an apology. She wanted to arrive at her first fashion magazine cover shoot early, she tells the crew, but her driver had to “circle around the streets a bit” to shake off the paparazzi. The way she explains the schedule hiccup isn’t blasé, showy or even caustic. Jepsen’s honeyed tone conveys a blend of amazement and excitement that can only come from being nouveau famous. Unlike new wealth, freshly minted fame is not about flaunting what you have, it’s about being humble about what you’re worth.
At 26, the Mission, B.C., native has no reason to be modest right now. Ever since Carly Rae Jepsen’s song “Call Me Maybe” was unleashed last year, and fortuitously reintroduced to the Twittersphere by Justin Bieber (Jepsen is signed to Bieber’s U.S. label), the track has taken on a career of its own. It became a number one hit in 37 countries, achieving the kind of global success that has Lady Gaga going, well, gaga over it (Mother Monster tweeted “I’m coming after you” to Jepsen).
As of press time, Jepsen’s flirty anthem is 2012’s longest-reigning chart topper on the Billboard Hot 100. Armed with a lyrical hook that brings to mind the mania of Kylie Minogue’s “Can’t Get You Outta My Head,” Jepsen’s synth-laced cut is so omnipresent that nobody from her team calls it by its name. It’s referred to as “the song.” Will she be singing “the song” on The Tonight Show? Does she know Will Ferrell is protesting “the song” right now? Oh, my God, did you see what the hot guys on the baseball team from Harvard did with “the song”?
Read more »