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Carly Rae Jepsen on Her Middle Name

Carly Rae Jepsen has shared the story behind the middle name she uses on stage.

On the Therapuss podcast, host Jake Shane noted that when she tried out for Canadian Idol in 2007 she went by Carly Jepsen, only to add her middle name while taking part in the show.

According to Jepsen, the switch came down to a straightforward paperwork mix-up. She said her full name is Carly Rae Jepsen and that her mother had always used both names, while everyone else simply called her Carly – at school, that was all she was known as. When the competition asked contestants to write their full name, she did exactly that, and from the following day the producers were addressing her as Carly Rae.

Instead of setting them straight, the Cut to the Feeling singer figured the longer name might stick in viewers' minds. In a contest, she reasoned, being remembered could only help – and the name has stayed with her ever since.

Jepsen ended up finishing third, a result she looks back on with gratitude. It gave her a platform to build a singing career while leaving her free to sign with whichever label she wanted. She described it as a fortunate position: plenty of attention, but no contract tying her down, which she called a lovely starting point. The exposure also led to a management team and a record deal.

The Canadian singer-songwriter went on to break through with her second album, Kiss, and its 2011 lead single Call Me Maybe.

Photo: Cover Media
Source: Muzland
Added by Frank
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