Want You in My Room

"Want You in My Room" is a 2019 pop song by Canadian singer Carly Rae Jepsen, from her fourth studio album, Dedicated. It was written by Jepsen, Tavish Crowe, and its producer Jack Antonoff. Jepsen released a music video for the song in September, and a live version was included in her Spotify Singles EP in October 2019. "Want You in My Room" was named #32 on Rolling Stone's 50 Best Songs of 2019.^[2][3]

Background

"Want You in My Room" has been described as a "euphoric, Eighties synth-laden" song^[4] with "Daft Punk-like vocal effects and cheer squad vibe".^[5] The song includes sexual lyrics in which the singer invites a partner to join her in bed. Jepsen's vocal performance on the track has been noted as referencing the early work of Cyndi Lauper.^[6][7][8]

After its release, "Want You in My Room" has become a fan favourite.^[9][10] It has made the list of Top 50 Songs of 2019 compiled by Pitchfork readers.^[11]

Critical reception

"Want You in My Room" received acclaim from music critics. It has been described by The Independent as Dedicated's "most distinctive [song], both vocally and melodically"^[4] and Mother Jones named it the second best song on the album.^[12] NME praised the track's "brazen lyrics" and "jubilant instrumentation",^[13] and Pitchfork complimented the "scene-stealing Jack Antonoff production".^[14] Paste ranked "Want You in My Room" as one of the best songs of May 2019.^[15] The song was also selected as one of the best tracks of 2019 by a number of The Guardian journalists.^[16] In October 2022, Rachel Seo of Variety ranked the song as Jepsen's third best.^[17]

In a more negative review from Consequence of Sound, the song was criticized for the "childlike tone" paired with sexual content.^[5]

Year-end lists

Music video

The music video for the song was directed by Andrew Donoho and premiered on YouTube on September 19, 2019.^[19] It begins with Jepsen sitting in her bed, wrapping up a phone conversation with her boyfriend. She then instructs her Google Home device to set timer for an hour and starts singing the song to a hairbrush in bed. The singer walks out of the room, which is pictured surrealistically disjointed in the middle of a green space, and dances her way to a dressing table nearby where she re-applies lipstick. She then proceeds to walk in and out of another room, each time re-appearing in a different outfit and a different setting: on a beach and by the side of a swimming pool. She finally runs back to her bedroom, where she starts dancing to the music played by a band which consists of furnitures with arms.^[20] The video ends with the boyfriend knocking on the door and Carly pulling him inside by the tie.^[2]

References