Carly Rae Jepsen's Favorite Songs

"Ultimately I'm big on words," Jepsen recently told Teen People of her musical tastes. "I'm obsessive about listening to every lyric. I'll stop a song and start it again if someone talks during the lyrics."

Don't interrupt these tracks.

John Mayer - "Shadow Days"

It's unclear which John Mayer tracks really make Carly swoon, since most of her fangirl compliments have been about his style ("I'm stoked and digging his new brown hat") and his general... appeal ("He's definitely really dreamy"). Jepsen's compliments didn't go unheard: Mayer recently sent her an inspirational letter. Let this mutual admiration society not go the way of Taylor Swift.


Joni Mitchell - "Both Sides Now"

Carly can't stress enough how much she admires folk hero Joni Mitchell, whose album A Case of You is among her all-time favorites. She even covered this classic Joni song, although Carly's version sounds kind of like it's been hijacked by Max Martin. It sure is lively.



Gotye featuring Kimbra - "Somebody That I Used to Know"

It's hilarious and fitting, somehow, that Jepsen would list the most overplayed song of the year as one of her current favorites. She told Capital FM that she's really into Gotye's occasionally avant garde collaborator Kimbra, gushing, "I think she's just got this real amazing uniqueness to everything she touches." She's also expressed a fondness for the New Zealand native's music videos, noting, "She always has that edge and that theatrical element, which is really cool. For me, having a creative video is really, really important."


Hoodwinked Films - "Call Me Maybe Obsessed"

Carly's big hit lends itself to all kinds of ridiculous pantomime, making it the perfect subject for YouTube covers and lipsync videos galore. But Jepsen has a special place in her heart for this parody video produced by a couple of guys from Abbotsford, British Columbia, near her own hometown. Obviously the lady has a sense of humor about her own work. Let's wait for the big follow-up.Carly Rae Jepsen attends The Capital FM Summertime Ball 2012 at Wembley Stadium on June 9, 2012 in London, United Kingdom. (Getty Images)more pics »Carly Rae Jepsen is practically a household name thanks to her breakout single "Call Me Maybe," a pop confection so gleefully sticky your grandmother probably has the chorus memorized. But Jepsen, a former Canadian Idol contestant, comes from folksier roots than one might expect, counting Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan among her most valued musical inspirations.