E-MO-TION
by Carly Rae Jepsen
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 24 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 24
  3. Negative: 0 out of 24
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  1. Pretty Much Amazing
    Aug 17, 2015
    91
    Emotion is so good, it’s formed sky-high expectations out of thin air.
  2. Entertainment Weekly
    Aug 13, 2015
    91
    Her effervescent follow-up [is] an ’80s-inflected collection of sweetly breezy dance-pop baubles.
  3. Drowned In Sound
    Sep 22, 2015
    90
    It's so proud to be pop and hopefully this'll make others realise it's never a guilty pleasure to enjoy songs that make you happy; songs that make you wanna dance your ass off and songs that perfectly fit the criteria for pretending to be in a music video.
  5. Absolute Punk (Staff reviews)
    Aug 20, 2015
    85
    Emotion goes to great lengths to prove the advantages of being manufactured, with every piece interlocking with machine-like precision with its surroundings. It’s astonishingly effective, and like the best pop, demands to be listened to ad nauseum in order to gawk at the sheer audacity of the accomplishment.
  6. The A.V. Club
    Aug 21, 2015
    83
    One of 2015’s most interesting, effervescent records.
  7. Consequence
    Aug 14, 2015
    83
    Emotion rolls out banger after banger, all while sustaining a remarkable level of complexity and compassion for everyone in Jepsen’s solar system.
  8. Sputnikmusic
    Jun 1, 2016
    80
    E MO TION is no fluke. It doesn’t grip you by the heels but instead lures you into a full-bodied embrace that is iron-clad, it’s simply up to you to give it the chance to do so.
  9. musicOMH.com
    Sep 25, 2015
    80
    Emotion succeeds on its own terms, arguably remaining truer to the spirit of the era, not to mention Jepsen’s stated aim of taking the time to craft an album rather than rushing to cash in on a YouTube sensation.
  10. AllMusic
    Aug 20, 2015
    80
    An even more consistent album than Kiss, E-MO-TION further defines Jepsen as an equally stylish and earnest pop artist.
  11. Boston Globe
    Aug 20, 2015
    80
    An album that’s incredibly enjoyable even as Jepsen stands on the precipice of heartache.
  12. Slant Magazine
    Aug 20, 2015
    80
    With an uncanny melodic gift that enlivens even the most tired sentiments and a chameleonic ability to seamlessly transition between disparate production styles, Jepsen proves she's worthy of those comparisons [to Taylor Swift and Rihanna].
  13. Exclaim
    Aug 18, 2015
    80
    E·MO·TION demonstrates how little improvement could be made on her sharp, consistent songwriting abilities. These are perfect pop songs; a few more rare glimpses of their rougher edges would make them all the more spectacular.
  14. cokemachineglow
    Aug 13, 2015
    80
    The result is a nearly anonymous album of stellar pop music, one where it seems all the attention was placed not on positioning Carly Rae as a cultural force, but on making sure Emotion makes you smile.
  15. The Line of Best Fit
    Aug 19, 2015
    75
    E.MO.TION has all the tenets of a successful pop record, but feels more cultivated than previous work.
  16. Pitchfork
    Aug 17, 2015
    74
    E•MO•TION is as solid and spotless a pop album as you're likely to hear this year, the result of several years working alongside a storied list of contributors.... but E•MO•TION fails to tell us who Jepsen is or wants to be.
  17. New Musical Express (NME)
    Sep 16, 2015
    70
    Emotion is packed with frighteningly relatable songs about love, longing and heartbreak.
  18. Rolling Stone
    Aug 25, 2015
    70
    Almost every track is like a bouncy castle: fun, certainly, but not made for long-term stays.
  19. Spin
    Aug 20, 2015
    70
    This is music for flash mobs, a valentine to crowdsourcing, and a public engagement proposal to the universe.
  20. The Guardian
    Apr 24, 2017
    60
    She doesn’t do anything to stamp her identity on the songs: good as they are, you’re struck by the sense you could be listening to anyone. It’s one problem that all the expensive names in the credits can’t solve, a single glaring imperfection in an album of otherwise perfect pop.
  21. NOW Magazine
    Aug 19, 2015
    60
    For all its unexpected sounds and catchy choruses, Emotion falters in its lyrical blandness.
  22. The New York Times
    Aug 19, 2015
    60
    Emotion is full of pure cotton candy--delicious, distractingly sweet and filling, with a mildly suspicious aftertaste.... [The album is] full of excellent songs that seem to give up about two-thirds of the way through.
  23. PopMatters
    Aug 18, 2015
    60
    E·MO·TION is still a very pleasing album if not just a shade overambitious, clearly trying too hard to make the same genius pop moments that Kiss churned them out with effortless flair.
  24. New York Daily News (Jim Faber)
    Aug 13, 2015
    60
    Due to the era the album fetishes, the music sounds inescapably chintzy.... Jepsen’s improbably young voice helps distract from that.
  25. Under The Radar
    Sep 8, 2015
    40
    Carly Rae Jepsen and her production team try overly hard to be clever. In the end, what's left is a record that takes itself too seriously to be taken seriously by anyone else.

Awards & Rankings

10
#10 Most Discussed Album of 2015
18
#18 Most Shared Album of 2015

User Reviews

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User Score
8.8

Universal acclaim- based on 813 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 746 out of 813
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 813
  3. Negative: 53 out of 813
  1. marbleprince
    Aug 21, 2015
    10
    Carly Rae Jepsen's E•MO•TION is a LEAP forward for, not only Carly herself but also, pop music. Kiss was a GREAT underrated cleverly writtenCarly Rae Jepsen's E•MO•TION is a LEAP forward for, not only Carly herself but also, pop music. Kiss was a GREAT underrated cleverly written and well produced pop record that didn't do well due to the general public losing interest, but E•MO•TION is past trying to chart and please the general public. E•MO•TION is a 17 track collection, handpicked out of over 200 tracks produced for this record. E•MO•TION is 80's pop GOLD, the production is filled with glittering and gleaming synths and beats, the writing is clever and matured, and (unlike with Kiss) it hits the point it was trying to reach perfectly. Highlights on the album include 'Run Away With Me', 'All That', 'Your Type', 'Let's Get Lost', 'Black Heart', and 'Love Again'. Well done Carly, you have a classic pop album under your belt! I'm very excited to see where you will go from here.… Full Review »
  2. lipisticks
    Aug 21, 2015
    10
    E•MO•TION é simplesmente perfeito do começo ao fim, Carly conseguiu trazer tudo o que qualquer admirador de musica pop espera: vocais bons,E•MO•TION é simplesmente perfeito do começo ao fim, Carly conseguiu trazer tudo o que qualquer admirador de musica pop espera: vocais bons, composições boas e produções simplesmente fantásticas. Desde a primeira faixa ''Run Away with Me'' ate a ultima ''Love Again'' podemos enxergar a evolução musical e o amadurecimento da cantora em comparação ao ultimo album ''Kiss''. Ela conseguiu construir um álbum pop maduro e com referencias oitentistas que superou qualquer álbum pop lançado nessa década. A Carly não é uma superstar mundialmente famosa, ou uma hitmarker com inúmeros hits ou uma grande diva do pop mas ela conseguiu sem duvidas trazer um álbum tão bom que qualquer artista pop gostaria de ter em sua carreira. Carly Rae Jepsen lançar um álbum pop tão bom como o E•MO•TION não é surpresa nenhuma, a Carly apenas de Call Me Maybe como é conhecida por muitos lançar um álbum como o E•MO•TION é uma grande surpresa, talvez um dia ela possa ser reconhecida pelo seu trabalho com um excelente álbum como é o E•MO•TION, e não por uma musica pop chiclete como Call Me Maybe, talvez assim eu ainda tenha esperança na humanidade.

    Melhores musicas do álbum: Run Away With Me, All That, E•MO•TION, Gimmie Love e Favourite Colour.    … Full Review »
  3. truerowance
    Aug 21, 2015
    10
    Best songs: Run Away With Me, E•MO•TION, I Really Like You, Gimmie Love, All That, Your Type, Let's Get Lost & When I Needed You.

    Worst    Best songs: Run Away With Me, E•MO•TION, I Really Like You, Gimmie Love, All That, Your Type, Let's Get Lost & When I Needed You.

    Worst song: LA Hallucinations    … Full Review »
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