Carly Rae Jepsen may not be the most prolific pop star, but when she releases an album, she makes it count. On 2015's E-MO-TION, she proved just how much more there was to her music than "Call Me Maybe" as she expanded the sugar rush of 2012's Kiss into pop songs that were equally joyous and introspective. Four years after E-MO-TION, she makes another leap forward with Dedicated, an album that reflects her growing maturity as a songwriter as well as the pop music trends of its time. Jepsen trades E-MO-TION's deep dive into '80s nostalgia for a more streamlined approach on "No Drug Like Me" and "Automatically in Love," where swelling synths and loping beats nod to tropical pop while adding sophistication to her swooning lyrics. However, some of the album's most exciting moments ignore what's fashionable. From its booming synth drums to its vocodered backing vocals and closing sax solo, "Want You in My Room" proves that Jepsen is still second to none at crafting pop songs that are infectious precisely because they're so quirky. That goes double for "Everything He Needs," which turns "He Needs Me" from Harry Nilsson's Popeye soundtrack into a winning -- if slightly unhinged -- confection of a song. Jepsen also takes the opportunity to reveal different sides of her persona, as well as her music, on Dedicated: "I'll Be Your Girl" uncovers her dark side, setting post-breakup jealousy and voyeurism to ricocheting, ska-tinged sounds that call to mind No Doubt and Santigold.

1		Julien
2		No Drug Like Me
3		Now That I Found You
4		Want You in My Room
5		Everything He Needs
6		Happy Not Knowing
7		I'll Be Your Girl
8		Too Much
9		The Sound
10		Automatically in Love
11		Feels Right
12		Right Words Wrong Time
13		Real Love

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