Psychedelic Switch

"Psychedelic Switch"
Song by Carly Rae Jepsen
from the album The Loveliest Time
ReleasedJuly 28, 2023 (2023-07-28)
Genre
Length4:32
Label
Songwriters
  • Carly Rae Jepsen
  • Kyle Shearer
  • Nate Cyphert
ProducerKyle Shearer

"Psychedelic Switch" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Carly Rae Jepsen, released on July 28, 2023 as part of the album The Loveliest Time.

Background and release

"Psychedelic Switch" was originally recorded for The Loneliest Time. Though it would not make the final track list for that album, it remained a personal favourite song of Jepsen's and she was determined to include it on the album's b-sides project.[1] Jepsen described the song as the sister song to "The Loneliest Time", with both being the heads of their respective albums.[2]

The song was first teased by Jepsen on July 18, 2023 alongside the rest of the tracks on The Loveliest Time through a crossword puzzle posted to her social media profiles, where "Psychedelic Switch" was described as "a new love so high that it feels like a mushroom trip."[3] In the days leading up the album's release, Jepsen posted multiple clips of the song to her Instagram profile.[4][5][6] The song was officially released as part of The Loveliest Time on July 28, 2023.

Composition

"Psychedelic Switch" has been likened to the works of Daft Punk and Cher.

"Psychedelic Switch" is a pop song that draws from French touch, house music and synth-pop,[7] and harkens back to Daft Punk's Discovery[8] and Cher's disco recordings.[9] Described as being "both seductively catchy and ready for a dance floor,"[10] the song "evokes the concept of love as transcendence" through lyrics like "I was a sad, sad song before we met / But boy your love is such a trip, it's like a psychedelic switch."[8] It makes direct reference to psychedelic experiences.[3]

Critical reception

"Psychedelic Switch" was met with critical acclaim upon its release, and has been cited as one of Jepsen's career highlights.[7][11] It was awarded "best new track" by Pitchfork, with Jaeden Pinder writing that it was "the highlight of her new B-sides album."[8]

Rankings

Year-end rankings for Psychedelic Switch
Publication List Rank Ref.
Business Insider 20 Best Songs of 2023 16 [12]
Consequence 200 Best Songs of 2023 44 [13]
The Fader 100 Best Songs of 2023 100 [14]
Paste 67 [7]
Pitchfork 50 [15]
Variety 65 Best Songs of 2023 49 [11]

Credits

Credits adapted from The Loveliest Time liner notes.[16]

  • Carly Rae Jepsen - songwriting, vocals, backing vocals
  • Kyle Shearer - songwriting, production, backing vocals, bass, guitar, synthesizer, drum programming, engineering
  • Nate Cyphert - songwriting, backing vocals
  • Ike Schultz - mixing
  • Ruairi O'Flaherty - mastering

Charts

Chart (2023) Peak
position
US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs (Billboard)[17] 29

References

  1. ^ Long, Jen (July 24, 2023). "The Other Side". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
  2. ^ Spanos, Brittany (July 19, 2023). "Carly Rae Jepsen Says Her New Project 'The Loveliest Time' Is Her Favorite — and Freest — Album Yet". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
  3. ^ a b Jepsen, Carly Rae [@carlyraejepsen] (July 18, 2023). "Once upon a time I was the answer in the New York Times crossword puzzle" (Tweet). Retrieved April 22, 2023 – via Twitter.
  4. ^ Jepsen, Carly Rae [@carlyraejepsen]; (July 25, 2023). "Got to see my baby niece- Ivy Rae as a surprise treat on my lay over mid travel last week". Retrieved April 22, 2026 – via Instagram.
  5. ^ Jepsen, Carly Rae [@carlyraejepsen]; (July 26, 2023). "'It's like I'm waking up in a euphoria, my insecurities are things I never was…'". Retrieved April 22, 2026 – via Instagram.
  6. ^ Jepsen, Carly Rae [@carlyraejepsen]; (July 27, 2023). "Home life to stage life is like a Psychedelic Switch!". Retrieved April 22, 2026 – via Instagram.
  7. ^ a b c "The 100 Best Songs of 2023". Paste. December 4, 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
  8. ^ a b c Pinder, Jaeden (July 28, 2023). "Carly Rae Jepsen: "Psychedelic Switch" Track Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on July 28, 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
  9. ^ Uitti, Jacob (July 28, 2023). "Review: Carly Rae Jepsen Showcases a 24-Carat Voice on 'The Loveliest Time'". American Songwriter. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
  10. ^ Dwyer, Matthew (August 8, 2023). "Carly Rae Jepsen's Reclusive Stadium Pop on 'The Loveliest Time'". PopMatters. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
  11. ^ a b Willman, Chris; Horowitz, Steven J. (December 28, 2023). "The Best Songs of 2023". Variety. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
  12. ^ Ahlgrim, Callie (December 9, 2023). "The best songs of 2023". Business Insider. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
  13. ^ "The 200 Best Songs of 2023". Consequence. December 21, 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
  14. ^ "The 100 best songs of 2023". The FADER. December 14, 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
  15. ^ "The 100 Best Songs of 2023". Pitchfork. December 4, 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. ^ Jepsen, Carly Rae (September 8, 2023). The Loveliest Time (Liner notes). B0038405-01.
  17. ^ "Carly Rae Jepsen Chart History (Hot Dance/Electronic Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.