Her hit ‘Call Me Maybe’ shot her to superstardom and after just releasing her brand new album E-Mo-Tion, Carly Rae Jepsen has announced that she will be performing two South African shows in Cape Town (21 Oct) and Pretoria (24 Oct). El caught up with the pop superstar ahead of her tour and discussed what we should be expecting at her Mzansi shows as well as her new album, Tom Hanks and working with Sia.
Other than performing, what are you most looking forward to when visiting South Africa in October?
Well, the guys I’m bringing on the tour with me have just booked us a safari so we’re going to stay an extra two days and enjoy some animals together. It’s something I’m really looking forward to.
What does a typical Carly Rae Jepsen show include?
This time around will be a little bit different because I just dropped my new album so we will be, of course, be playing songs off that record. I love to feed off the energy of the crowd so I hope South Africa is ready to party! There will be some dancing, some of the tracks you know and some new ones I look forward to seeing you get to know.
You’ve toured all around the world. What’s the best and worst thing about travelling the world on tour?
I love the surprise of touring. I love not knowing exactly what’s going to be happening on a specific day. There’s a lot of spontaneity when I’m on tour which I love. The worst thing will probably be the fact that I am away from my family for a long period of time. That’s a challenge for me.
Your new album is out now. How different is it to your previous album?
It’s very different. There is a huge 80’s influence on the album and I explored the indie sound a lot on this album which makes it sound a lot more mature than my previous album. I had a lot more time to work on it so there was a lot more attention to detail on the record. I’m so excited for South Africa to hear it.
Tom Hanks appears in your ‘I Really Like You’ music video. How did you come up with the concept for the video?
I was really excited about the idea of having someone no one would expect in the video and my manager, Scooter Braun, is friends with Tom Hanks. They were having dinner one night and Scotter explained the concept of the video and to my surprise and delight, agreed to be a part of it. Christmas came early for me when I heard the news!
You worked with Sia on a few tracks on the album. What was it like working with her?
It was pretty surreal. She was performing at a bar I used to work at and I remember wanting to take an extra shift just so I could see her perform that day. Now, fast-forward three years later and I’m involved in writing a song with her in studio is magical.
What message do you have for your South African fans?
We are so excited to come and perform in October! We have been rehearsing and planning the tour. It’s going to be a bit of a celebration so come prepared!
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