When Canadian singer Carly Rae Jepsen’s single “Call Me Maybe” was released last year and later reached popular acclaim, it was the first song by a female Canadian artist to reach the top of the Billboard Hot 100 list since 2007. Later her duet with Adam Young of Owl City, “Good Time”, also reached the Hot 100. This year in September, Jepsen finally released her sophomore album, “Kiss”, which includes the two popular singles and a duet with Justin Bieber called “Beautiful.”

     The album opens up with the song “Tiny Little Bows”, which begins with a catchy electronic beat, a precedent for all the other songs in the album. The auto-tuned introduction of the song catches the listener off guard. However, when Jepsen begins to actually sing, the song returns to its original tone.

      Like “Call Me Maybe”, most of the songs on the album have a strong central beat and are peppy, bubble-gum pop songs about crushes and short-lived flings. However, unlike the popular single, most of the other songs are overly auto-tuned and distract from Jepsen’s actual voice. 

     The few songs that showcase Jepsen’s talent include “More than a Memory” and “Guitar String/Wedding Ring.” However, in “Guitar String/Wedding Ring”, Jepsen’s voice seems strained, making the song less enjoyable. The song “Beautiful” gives Jepsen’s voice a little more attention as well, due to its slower tempo, but does not show Jepsen at her best since it is still dominated by an electronic beat.

      The album does have diversity, which is obvious with one of the album’s highlights, “Your Heart is a Muscle.” Unlike the songs completely dominated by electronica, it features elements that work together to create a balanced sound. There is a catchy beat, but it is not the focus and Jepsen’s voice is able to shine. The lyrics also repeat a lot, just like in any other pop song, but Jepsen manages to create more depth with the song.

      Overall, “Kiss” is a decent pop album, but has little variety from Jepsen’s previous songs.