Carly Rae Jepsen specializes is giddy, maximalist pop — but, working with producer Bullion on his new single “Rare,” she shifts into a calmer headspace. A thrumming bassline of eighth notes anchors the simplest midtempo beat imaginable, which is the perfect backdrop for soft-focus synth pads and vaguely romantic, mantra-like repetitions of the refrain: “Deep in the heart, deep in the heart.”
For Jepsen, it probes a rarely-tapped dreaminess that she’s previously explored to great effect on “All That” and “Western Wind.” For Bullion, it’s a gorgeous continuation of the Balearic dream pop he explored with Avalon Emerson as co-producer on last year’s excellent & the Charm, and a promising taste of his upcoming album Affection.