Carly Rae Jepsen is no longer lonely. Her The Loneliest Time era is a disco-infused good time. First, Jepsen manifested a collaboration with Rufus Wainwright for her sixth album’s title track, and Wednesday (December 14), she made good on last week’s promise to give fans “a little holiday gift.”
The video for “Surrender My Heart” is directed by Brantley Gutierrez, but Jane Krakowski deliciously plays the caricatured, egotistical director in the six-minute visual. It starts with scenes of classic New York City, such as the Empire State Building, before viewers are taken inside a Broadway theatre. Jepsen looks on as preparations are being made when Krakowski busts through the doors and exclaims, “Sorry I’m late! My trainer blasted my quads!”
Jepsen showers the five-time Emmy nominee with thanks for directing, but Krakowski shushes her. “I don’t do this for the thank yous,” she says. After Krakowski makes her artistic demands and gives out-of-touch instructions to the ballerinas, including Isabella Boylston, it’s finally show time. A very sparkly Jepsen takes the stage and gives a stunning rendition of “Surrender My Heart.”
“We wanted to capture a little of the chaos of show business, and the feeling that every time you put on a performance like this, it feels like a mini-miracle,” Jepsen told USA Today in an exclusive interview published alongside the video’s premiere. “This shoot was no different. We had a lot of moving parts, but it all came together in the end.”