Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)” rang out across Union Park as crews finished setting up for Carly Rae Jepsen’s closing Saturday night set on the Red Stage. And it was appropriate. Because little did many in the huddled, assembled mass have any idea of the master class in pop music that was about to unfold on stage at Pitchfork.
Jepsen’s biggest hit, “Call Me Maybe,” has defied all odds, nearing 2 billion streams on Spotify, while eclipsing that number in terms of video views on YouTube.
Achieving success first in her home of Canada, “Call Me Maybe” went on to become the single best-selling song of 2012.
“OK … I do sometimes forget the words to this next song,” joked Jepsen with a smirk, setting up the megahit in a restrained fashion. “So, yer gonna have to help me …”
Heading off stage, Jepsen mixed it up with fans up front, jumping up onto the guardrail as the camera followed, offering fans the opportunity to chime in on the lead vocal to one of the single biggest pop songs of the last 15 years.
“Stay Away” followed, fueled early by live drumming and an uber funky bassline, the pair of tracks standing as a potent one-two punch on stage at Pitchfork.
“You sound beautiful!” she said, setting up “Want You in My Room.”
Jepsen jumped in place on a riser before crouching down to get closer to fans during “Surrender My Heart,” with live saxophone soon informing “Run Away With Me.”
Guitar and bass functioned as the early hook during “Talking To Yourself” while guitar poked and stabbed along behind the beat throughout “Bad Thing Twice,” as a pair of backing swingers sang along while swaying together Supremes style.
“This is my favorite time of night right now,” said Jepsen as dusk approached Saturday night in Chicago. “If there’s anywhere in the world I’d like to be, it’s right here with you!”
