Kiss

## **Kiss***Second studio album*

* Standard
* Deluxe
* Tour Edition

## Singles

1. Call Me Maybe
Released: September 20th 2011
2. Good Time
Released: June 26th 2012
3. This Kiss
Released: September 10th 2012
4. Almost Said It
Released: September 18th 2012 (Canada Only)
5. Tonight I'm Getting Over You
Released: January 21st 2013

**Kiss** is the second studio album from Canadian singer-songwriter Carly Rae Jepsen. It was first released on September 14th 2012 through 604, School Boy, and Interscope Records.

The album would serve as Jepsen's global debut, being her first project released outside of Canada, following the success of Call Me Maybe.

## **Track listing**

#### **Deluxe bonus tracks**

* North America
* Worldwide
* Japan

## **Background**

#### **Scrapped Curiosity album**

Prior to the development of Kiss, Jepsen's second studio project was originally an album called Curiosity, which was set to be released in February 2012.  Ultimately, Curiosity would instead be cut down to a six-track extended play by 604 Records just days before its intended release, due to the rising popularity of its lead single Call Me Maybe. This decision was made as the Curiosity album was only planned to be released in Canada, whilst Call Me Maybe was seeing mass commercial success worldwide.

Due to the success of Call Me Maybe, Jepsen was signed to Interscope and Schoolboy Records who would now oversee the global distribution of her music. Under her new label, Jepsen was invited down to Los Angeles to work with local songwriters and producers, which she says was 'a dream' for her - thus, she decided to 'throw [Curiosity] into the abyss and went and started new' instead.

## **Writing and development**

#### **Development in 2012**

Once in Los Angeles, work began on Jepsen's new sophomore album under a tight deadline of just four months. The first song to be recorded for the album was Beautiful, a duet with Justin Bieber, that the pair recorded in February 2012, soon after Jepsen had first arrived in Los Angeles.

In early March 2012, Jepsen was in the studio with Josh Ramsay in Canada and it was likely this is when they wrote Guitar String / Wedding Ring. Whilst in Canada, Jepsen recored vocals for Good Time, a collaboration with Owl City, at the suggestion of then-manager Scooter Braun.

Development on Kiss proper would begin in May 2012, after Jepsen flew to Atlanta to work on new music with Dallas Austin and Cory Enemy. Jepsen's trip to Atlanta lasted until June 1st, and in that time, she recorded Tiny Little Bows, Drive, and the new version of Curiosity.

Back in Los Angeles, Jepsen wrote Your Heart Is a Muscle between June 19th and the 20th, and recorded the song with producer Toby Gad on June 26th. That same day, Good Time is released as the album's second single. On June 24th, Carly wrote Sweetie with Jack Antonoff in a studio session with pop rock band Fun; on June 25th, she recorded Wrong Feels So Right.

At at an unknown date in June 2012, Jepsen wrote This Kiss over the phone with with producer Redfoo, and was introduced to Matthew Koma during the development of the song. With Koma, Jepsen wrote and recorded More Than a Memory, Hurt So Good, I Know You Have a Girlfriend, Almost Said It, and Melt With You, between June and July 2012.

On July 16th, Jepsen continued to work on new music with Dallas Austin, and on July 17th, decided on the album's title. On July 20th, Carly recorded Turn Me Up with Bonnie McKee and Oliver Goldstein. Later that month, between July 25th and the 29th, she visited Sweden to meet with Max Martin and recorded Tonight I'm Getting Over You. Whilst in Sweden, she also worked with Klas Åhlund to produce Sweetie. At the end of July, Kiss was due-in by Jepsen's label, and by August 2012, the album was completed. Kiss was officially announced by Jepsen on August 8th 2012.

#### **2020 Retrospective**

In later years, Jepsen would go onto say that the development of Kiss was "very rushed", but described it as a fun and challenging experience. "I wanted to make pop, but I was still learning about it. I think I was just so thankful and grateful that anyone was paying attention that I was like, OK, I can do it in two months; I can do one month if you need it."

## **Announcement and release**

#### **Announcement**

The initial announcement of Jepsen's upcoming second-studio album would come as early as February 2012, with plans to release later that year under School Boy and Interscope Records. The album, still unnamed, was revealed to be releasing sometime in the fall by Jepsen.

Kiss was officially announced by Jepsen via Twitter on August 8th 2012, with a release date set for September 18th. In the week leading up to the announcement, Jepsen teased the name of the album in a series of Tweets. The album cover was revealed on August 15th 2012, with iTunes pre-orders beginning September 5th.

#### **Release**

Kiss would be released worldwide across September 2012, first seeing a release of the standard edition of the album in Australia and Germany on September 14th under Universal. On September 17th, the deluxe album was released in the United Kingdom and France under Polydor Records.

On the album's official release date of September 18th, it was released in the United States and Canada under 604 and Interscope with both standard and deluxe editions. On September 19th, Kiss was lastly released in Japan. Japan would also receive an exclusive reissue of the album, the Tour Edition, on January 20th 2013 under Universal. For the album's tenth anniversary, Kiss was repressed on standard vinyl for the first time - with an expected release date of June 17th 2022.

## **Singles**

#### **Call Me Maybe**

The first single of the album, Call Me Maybe, was first released on September 20th 2011 through 604 Records exclusively in Canada, and would serve as the intended lead single of the scrapped Curiosity album and extended-play. Once Jepsen was signed to School Boy and Interscope Records in February 2012, the song would now be distributed worldwide as the official lead single of Kiss instead.

#### **Good Time**

Good Time, a collaboration with Owl City, would serve as the album's official second international single; released on June 26th 2012.

#### **This Kiss**

This Kiss was released as the album's third single, just a week prior to Kiss, on September 10th 2012.

#### **Tonight I'm Getting Over You**

The album's final single, Tonight I'm Getting Over You, was released on January 21st 2013. The song would later receive an official remix, featuring Nicki Minaj, on May 6th 2013.

#### **Promotional singles**

Kiss would also see a selection of international buzz singles released to promote the album, the first of which being Almost Said It, released exclusively on iTunes Canada in December 2012. Additionally, Picture was released on January 23rd 2013, exclusively on iTunes Japan to promote the Tour Edition of the album.

Despite not being released as a single, Beautiful (with Justin Bieber) would see minor success on the Billboard Hot 100 and Canadian Hot 100, peaking at #87 and #37 on each chart respectively. The song would also chart across Australia, Denmark, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.

## **Critical reception**

Kiss received mostly positive reviews from music critics, with an aggregated score of 63 on Metacritic based on 13 reviews.

Heather Phares of AllMusic gave Kiss four out of five stars, describing it as 'one of 2012's best, and sweetest, pop albums' in-part due to Jepsen's 'girl-next-door persona.' AllMusic also named Kiss as one of its top 10 albums of 2012.

Benjamin Boles of Now Magazine gave the album four out of five stars, proclaiming Kiss was 'better than what most acts can manage on their greatest hits packages, let alone their second album.'

Evan Sawdey of PopMatters praised Jepsen for her musical talent, writing 'Jepsen proves she has more talent than half of the stars out there, managing to not only sell virtually every word on the album but also managing to make it all sound off-the-cuff and effortless.'

Kiss also received less positive views from critics. Jim Farber of the Daily News rated the album two out of five stars, stating Jepsen was 'confined more than ever, tethering her to a role that renders Kiss this year's most redundant disc.'

## **Gallery**

* *§ Visit the Kiss gallery: Gallery*
* *§ Visit the Kiss photoshoot gallery: Photoshoot Gallery*

#### **Album covers**

Standard edition10th Anniversary EditionDeluxe editionTour edition

## **Album credits**

#### **Writing and production**

* **Written by:** Carly Rae Jepsen • Dallas Austin • Tavish Crowe • Sam Cooke • Matthew Koma • S.K. Gordy • Kelly Covell • Josh Ramsay • Ryan Stewart • Adam Young • Matthew Thiessen • Brian Lee • Bonnie McKee • Josh Abraham • Oliver Goldstein • Kevin Maher • Toby Gad • Justin Bieber Lukas Loules • Max Martin • Clarence Coffee Jr. • Shiloh • Katerina Loules Michael McGarity • Jaden Michaels • David Listenbee • Francesca Richard • Jordan Orvosh • Andre Smith • Klas Åhlund • Jack Antonoff • Sara Quin

* **Produced by:** Dallas Austin • Cory Enemy • Colin Janz • Redfoo • Matthew Koma • Josh Ramsay • Ryan Stewart • Mighty Mike • Adam Young • Josh Abraham • Oligee • Toby Gad • Kuk Harrell • Max Martin • Lukas Loules • GoonRock • Jordan Gatsby • Klas Åhlund

#### **Performance**

* **Vocals by:** Carly Rae Jepsen • Owl City (Adam Young) • Justin Bieber

## **Navigation**

* Discography

**The Loveliest Time** • *2023***The Loneliest Time** • *2022***Dedicated
Side B** • *2020***Dedicated**
*2019***Emotion
Side B** • *2016***Emotion**
*2015*****Kiss****
*2012***Curiosity**
*2012***Tug of War**
*2008*
## **References**

1. ↑ "CURIOSITY comes this Valentines Day <3". January 12th, 2012. Retrieved April 4th, 2021. - Via Twitter
2. ↑ Lanksy, Sam "Carly Rae Jepsen on the Song She Wrote About Mike Tyson That Didn't Make Her New Album". Time Magazine. August 19th, 2015. Retrieved April 5th, 2021.
3. ↑ "Carly Rae Jepsen Rates Her Own Albums | PopBuzz Meets" YouTube. February 14th, 2020. Retrieved March 6th, 2021.
4. ↑ Oyler, Lauren "[1]" VICE. August 18th, 2015. Retrieved June 7th, 2021.
5. ↑ Kiss by Carly Rae Jepsen reviews Any Decent Music, 2012
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Kiss by Carly Rae Jepsen reviews Metacritic, 2012
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Kiss - Carly Rae Jepsen AllMusic, 2012
8. ↑ Billboard Staff Carly Rae Jepsen, ‘Kiss’: Track-By-Track Review Billboard, September 13th 2012
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Farber, Jim Review: Carly Rae Jepsen's 'Kiss' NY Daily News, September 18th 2012
10. ↑ Markovitz, Adam Kiss - review - Carly Rae Jepsen Entertainment Weekly, September 19th 2012
11. ↑ Sullivan, Caroline Carly Rae Jepsen: Kiss – review September 20th 2012
12. ↑ Wood, Mikael Album review: Carly Rae Jepsen’s ‘Kiss’ LA Times, September 18th 2012
13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Boles, Benjamin Carly Rae Jepsen - Kiss] Now; *Toronto*, September 20th 2012
14. ↑ Dolan, Jon Kiss Rolling Stone, September 18th 2012
15. ↑ Douramacos, Yorgo Carly Rae Jepsen: Kiss Slant Magazine, September 17th 2012
16. ↑ Mansfield, Brian Listen Up: Call Carly Rae Jepsen radio ready USA Today, September 17th 2012
17. ↑ Sawdey, Evan Carly Rae Jepsen: Kiss PopMatters, September 18th 2012