Carly Rae Jepsen Seeks to Build on "Call Me Maybe" Success - East Idaho News
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Carly Rae Jepsen Seeks to Build on “Call Me Maybe” Success

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070512 CarlyRaeJepsen?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1341526855554Chris Polk/Getty Images via ABC(NEW YORK) — Even though her smash hit single “Call Me Maybe” has been dubbed the anthem of the summer, Canadian pop sensation Carly Rae Jepsen said she already feels “pressure” to prove she isn’t a one-hit wonder.

“My main concern is getting out an album that I feel really proud of and that is the project of my life right now,” Jepsen told Nightline. “This is an opportunity I’ve been waiting [for] and [I’m] hoping…I’m not going to freeze under the pressure. I’m hoping I can stand up to it.”

Jepsen, 26, was a struggling singer until fellow Canadian Justin Bieber, his girlfriend Selena Gomez and teen star Ashley Tisdale tweeted about her song, “Call Me Maybe,” in February.

“I had never really met [Justin Bieber] before and to get his stamp of approval was something that changed the game,” Jepsen said. “His girlfriend Selena was also putting out tweets just supporting the song and his friends were all doing it and every week my sister would call and be like, ‘did you see?’”

Now everyone from the Harvard baseball team to Abercrombie and Fitch models to world leaders have covered the song, and the music video has almost 138 million views on YouTube.

“It’s a little shocking,” Jepsen said of her success. “But it’s exciting to know people recognize the song and they’ve heard it and they know the words so that is cool.”

With its simple rhyming lyrics and catchy melody, “Call Me Maybe” has snagged the top spot on the pop music charts for three straight weeks, catapulting Jepsen’s career in the process. The song, which Jepsen wrote with two friends, was inspired by an early ’90s hit.

“The reference we wanted to use was like a modern day ‘Walking on Broken Glass,’ Annie Lenox style,” Jepsen said. “So we were just using some different instruments that you don’t normally hear, strings and things, and we had a lot of fun creating it.”

But Jepsen, who has been asked to open for Bieber on tour, said she didn’t know why her signature song was so addictive.

“Someone told me one that good songs write themselves and you don’t really have to do anything with it,” she said. “I think it’s sort of how we feel about this one. We were kind of there and it happened.”

Jepsen left home at age 17 and worked as a barista, among other odd jobs, before her former high school drama teacher encouraged her to try out for Canadian Idol. She placed third, and scored a record deal out of it.

As her global popularity continues to grow, Jepsen said she is ready to keep going.

“I think if I had been any younger I probably wouldn’t be, but I feel like the timing is perfect for me,” she said. “It’s a lot to take on but I’m excited for that challenge and ultimately I just feel lucky to be in this position.”

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

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