Carly Rae Jepsen’s career has an interesting trajectory. After scoring one of the best-selling songs of the decade, she transitioned into a “pop renovator” with indie credibility. Although now largely shunned by the general public and radio playlisters, she boasts an army of die-hard fans which many top sellers can only dream about. If you are one of them, chances are that on 4th February you were at the Olympia Theatre in Dublin, Ireland where Carly kicked off her European tour. And if you joined the queue early enough, I’m sure you enjoyed the pink wristband granting you closer access to the stage!

Support act Lewis OfMan went on at 8pm sharp with “Boom Boom”. As the energetic, mostly instrumental set progressed, he took off his elegant white blazer and introduced more vocal songs, including “Dancy Boy” and the swooning French track “Je pense à toi”. Lewis comfortably switched between playing two synthesizers and dancing around the stage. His camp, disco-inspired act couldn’t be a better match for Carly. So much so that she later invited him back on stage for their recent duet “Move Me”.

Carly was greeted by a rapturous applause the moment her silhouette appeared atop the stairs. The opening number “Surrender My Heart” was a good example of her trademark sound – a heart-on-the-sleeve love song with an infectious melody and synth-driven production. By the time she hit the chorus, Jepsen was bouncing around the stage, making much use of the two platforms placed on both sides.

“If I love you, then I love you too much!”

She was charged with energy! Her stamina was admirable as she went through the 26-track setlist in about 90 minutes, barely taking breaks between songs. Her interaction with the audience was minimal, but that gave the show a fast, constant pace. Supporting her was a 6‑piece band: backing vocalists Sophi Bairley and Julia Ross, guitarists Tavish Crowe and Abe Nouri, drummer Nik Pesut, and keyboardist Jared Manierka.

Monster hit “Call Me Maybe” is an obligatory fixture in Carly’s live repertoire. You may assume that it was the climax of the show – but you’ll be wrong! It was “Run Away with Me” that enjoyed the most ecstatic response. The fans absolutely lost it to the saxophone intro, and then again when confetti cannons went off during the chorus. Other highlights were the global earworm “I Really Like You”, the cheeky fan favourite “Want You in My Room”, and the humorous “Beach House” about nightmare dates with men who at best are going to “hurt your feelings” and at worst “harvest your organs”.

The overhauled setlist added some of the best songs from the new album, such as the breezy “Bends” and the synthpop standout “Bad Thing Twice”. But it also sneaked in the average track “So Nice” which, oddly, this tour is named after. Slightly disappointing was the absence of fluffy clouds that adorned the stage on the North American dates, and the round video projector. They would have added to the narrative of the show and made it an even more escapist experience. I particularly missed the giant full moon welcoming you into “a safe place to feel whatever it is you need to feel”. But I understand that technical restrictions were most likely at play here – Olympia is much smaller than the arenas she was touring last year.

After 14 songs Carly disappeared backstage. When she re-emerged, the pink skirt with ribbons and oversized safety pins has been swapped for a green blouse and wide purple trousers. There was a little hiccup when the blouse wouldn’t tie at the back, but Carly dealt with it so smoothly that it didn’t affect the run of the show. Quite a candid moment.

“I’m in your head now, from every second now, is your love growing?”

She paused unexpectedly during “Emotion” (with fans continuing to sing its chorus) before segueing into “Favourite Colour”, one of only a handful of ballads in the set. Another one was the country-esque “Go Find Yourself or Whatever”. It had Carly sat on a high stool, looking dreamily into distance as she sang the intimate breakup lyrics.

“…and I’ll wait for you. Tell me that we’ll meet up someday”

Carly had not one, not two, but THREE songs up her sleeve for an encore, including “The Loneliest Time” with its viral singalong bridge. But she left the best for last, closing with the euphoric smash “Cut to the Feeling” as another portion of confetti was fluttering down.

“I wanna cut through the clouds, break the ceiling!”

Setlist: “Surrender My Heart”, “Summer Love”, “Run Away with Me”, “Talking to Yourself”, “Too Much”, “Julien”, “Bends”, “Western Wind”, “Bad Thing Twice”, “Emotion”, “Favourite Colour”, “Call Me Maybe”, “Stay Away”, “For Sure”, “So Nice”, “I Really Like You”, “Want You in My Room”, “Shooting Star”, “Now That I Found You”, “Move Me”, “Go Find Yourself or Whatever”, “Beach House”, “When I Needed You”, “I Didn’t Just Come Here to Dance”, “The Loneliest Time”, “Cut to the Feeling”

“When I’m close to you we blend into my favourite colour”

“Honey, hold my hand, you like making me wait for it!”

“Where were you when I needed someone, when I needed you?!”