Carly Rae Jepsen is currently carving out bold new ground for her artistry. Earlier this week, reports confirmed she’s collaborating with Lena Dunham on a fresh stage-musical adaptation of 10 Things I Hate About You, set to debut on Broadway next year. Concurrently, we’re nearly a month away from the release of her sprawling double album Day And Night, a project that’s shaping up to be something special.
We’ve all seen album campaigns that flood listeners with a stream of advance singles, creating the impression you’ve already heard the whole record before it lands. Yet with a 24-track collection, you can unveil multiple lead tracks without weakening the impact of the release date, especially when those tracks hit hard. Thus far, Jepsen has rolled out the songs “On Wires,” “After All,” and “Don’t Leave Me On The Dance Floor.” Today brings another fresh cut.
Jepsen’s new single “Motivation,” drawn from the Night portion of the set, isn’t a cover of Kelly Rowland and Lil Wayne’s track. Instead, it delivers a bright, euphoric club-pop bounce. The song carries a determined swagger, while still conveying the warmth Jepsen consistently brings to her music. She co-wrote the track with Cole MGN, and MGN also co-produced it with longtime Jepsen collaborator Kyle Shearer. Here’s Jepsen’s take on the track:
“Motivation” began taking shape when I was back in my hometown in the autumn, and the crunch of the fallen leaves under my feet started driving a rhythm. I was thinking about my family and how passionate we all are, how we hold each other to high standards. “Motivation” became my way of finding peace with all of that—it’s our little family anthem that recognizes the messy parts, but I hope it can also become an anthem for chosen families as well.
Caio Viera directed the “Motivation” video, which was filmed in Paris and features Gigi Goode, the fashion designer, actress, model, and former contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race. It might provoke that familiar impulse of wanting to be in Paris right now. At the end of the clip, you get a brief peek at Jepsen’s brand-new baby, born earlier this year. Adorable, right? Check it out below.
Day And Night comes out on September 18 via Interscope.
