Surrender My Heart is the first track on Carly Rae Jepsen's fifth studio album, The Loneliest Time (2022). It was released on October 21st 2022, through 604, School Boy and Interscope Records.
Lyrics[]
Verse 1
So I've been trying hard to open up
When I lost someone it hit me rough
I paid to toughen up in therapy
She said to me, 'soften up'
I'm sorry if I push your good away
Especially when I'm needing you to stay
I know you hate that I still test your love
I'm trying not to fuck this up
Pre-Chorus
But the benefit of all the broken hearts
That I broke before they could break me
Is a little bit of life regrets
I won't bring that mess to you when you’re with me
And I wanna be brave enough to show you my not-so-perfect family
And I wanna be brave enough for everything
Chorus
Surrender my heart
(I'm out here in the open)
I wanna get closer
(I believe in you every night)
Surrender my heart
I wanna be open
I wanna be honest with you
Verse 2
I used to soldier through my hardest days
I used to switch it off, ignore the pain
I craved to feel it all entirely in your arms, baby
Pre-Chorus
But the benefit of all the broken hearts
That I broke before they could break me
Is a little bit of life regrets
I won't bring that mess to you when you’re with me
And I wanna be brave enough to show you my not-so-perfect family
And I wanna be brave enough for everything
Chorus
Surrender my heart
(I'm out here in the open)
I wanna get closer
(I believe in you every night)
Surrender my heart
I wanna be open
I wanna be honest with you
Bridge
I believe in you every night
(Na-na-na-na-na-na-na)
Every night
(Na-na-na-na-na-na-na)
Every night
(I believe in you every night)
I believe in you every night
(Na-na-na-na-na-na-na)
Every night
(Na-na-na-na-na-na-na)
Every night
(I believe in you every night)
Outro
Surrender my heart
(I'm out here in the open)
I wanna get closer
(I believe in you every night)
Surrender my heart
I wanna be open
I wanna be honest with you
Song credits[]
Writing and production[]
- Written by: Carly Rae Jepsen • Imad Royal • Max Hershenow
- Produced by: Imad Royal • Max Hershenow • Jordan Palmer
Performance[]
- Vocals: Carly Rae Jepsen
- Background vocals: Imad Royal • Max Hershenow
Instrumentation[]
- Bass: Imad Royal
- Guitar: Imad Royal
- Drums: Imad Royal • Max Hershenow
Technical credits[]
- Mixing: Tom Norris
- Mastering: Chris Allgood • Emily Lazar
- Engineering: Imad Royal • Max Hershenow • Tom Norris
Background[]
Surrender My Heart was first revealed when a snippet of the song leaked online on May 20th 2022, followed by a full demo that leaked on May 31st 2022. The song was officially confirmed as the opening track for The Loneliest Time on August 22nd 2022, alongside the reveal of the album track listing. [1]
Writing and development[]
Surrender My Heart was written by Jepsen alongside songwriters Imad Royal and Max Hershenow during the development of The Loneliest Time. The song was recorded across 2021; likely around the same time as The Loneliest Time outtake Lost in Devotion, which the track leaked alongside, also co-written by Imad Royal.
Initially, Jepsen wrote the song in her personal journal without intending to include it on the album, though was persuaded otherwise by her label, who unexpectedly embraced the song - "I thought, rather than question it, I should just try not to get in my own way." [2]
Demo versions[]
The tenth demo version of Surrender My Heart was recorded in August 2021, according to the song's metadata. Two demo versions were leaked, a snippet and full version, which both saw minor changes compared to the final version of the song.
Announcement and release[]
A snippet of Surrender My Heart was first teased by Carly via social media on October 18th 2022. [3] Upon its release, Surrender My Heart was promoted through Spotify's 'New Music Friday' and YouTube Music's 'Pop Supreme' playlists. [4][5]
Music video[]
- § Main article: Surrender My Heart Music video
On October 31st 2022, it was announced that Jepsen would be partnering with Lenovo to produce a Broadway-inspired music video for Surrender My Heart. The music video was filmed as a live performance in New York City on November 17th 2022. [6] The official music video was announced on December 12th 2022 and premiered via YouTube on December 14th 2022. [7]
Video concept and inspiration[]
Behind the concept of the music video, Jepsen stated she wanted to make it a "crossing of worlds in the best possible way," with the idea of bringing in a ballerina and other Broadway stars. She explained, "I kind of have this idea that we’re all having these hard days sometimes. In Broadway days, there wasn’t really time for you to have a hard day where things were going wrong and chaos was ensuing." [8]
"What I really want to capture in this music video is that there is like a no-good, terrible, horrible bad day going down for a few different women within the production, maybe myself, maybe a ballerina, maybe somebody else involved, and through the support of each other and the behind-the-scenes kind of chaos, that we’re able to pull off the mini miracle of what it is to be in a Broadway situation. And it comes together with a lot of love and a lot of people who get each other and see each other, and that’s sort of the magic that almost the audience doesn’t get to see that I’d love to shine a little bit of light on in this video." [8]
Trivia[]
- Surrender My Heart is the second explicit song in Carly's discography, and her first solo explicit song
- It's the first song to feature Carly swearing - counting unreleased, Carly also swears in Ricochet
- The clean version of the song censors "fuck this up" with "mess this up"
Live performances[]
Surrender My Heart made its live debut on album release night, October 21st 2022, during the North American leg of The So Nice Tour, in Berkeley, California.
Alternate versions[]
Demo versions[]
- Surrender My Heart v10 — Demo version (2021) - 2:58
- Full leaked demo version recorded in August 2021 - song leaked May 31st 2022
- Surrender My Heart — Demo version (2021)
- Additional demo with different vocal takes - snippet leaked May 20th 2022
Final versions[]
- Surrender My Heart 🅴 — Final version (2022) - 2:48
- Final version of the song released in October 2022, explicit
- Surrender My Heart — Final version (2022) - 2:48
- Final version of the song released in October 2022, clean
[]
| The Loneliest Time | Surrender My Heart • Joshua Tree • Talking To Yourself • Far Away • Sideways • Beach House • Bends • Western Wind • So Nice • Bad Thing Twice • Shooting Star • Go Find Yourself or Whatever • The Loneliest Time (feat. Rufus Wainwright) • Anxious • No Thinking Over the Weekend • Keep Away |
|---|---|
| The Loveliest Time | Anything To Be With You • Kamikaze • After Last Night • Aeroplanes • Shy Boy • Kollage • Shadow • Psychedelic Switch • So Right • Come Over • Put It To Rest • Stadium Love • Weekend Love |
| Other releases | Move Me (with Lewis OfMan) • Hello Kitty: Super Style (Theme Song) • Shadow (George Daniel Remix) • Rare (feat. Carly Rae Jepsen) • Tiny Moves |
| Leaked | Lost in Devotion • The Man's Got Music • Like Gold • Down To The Middle |
|---|---|
| Unleaked | Let's Pretend This Never Happened • Waterlines • Don't Kiss the Producer • Devotion • Come Around • Wait For Me • Unconditionally • Sweater Weather • It's Not Over • Water Me Down |
| Electric Guest demos | Clues • Coming Soon • Summer Vibe • Cruising For Hours • Spotlight • Night Out • Why Not? • Only 1 4 Me • 97 • Come Pick Me Up • Ur Love Means 2 Me • Weekend • Next Life • OUCH • You, You, You, You • Emergency Love • Closer • Let's Pretend |
References[]
- ↑ @carlyraejepsen 'Here it is… each and every song that makes up The Loneliest Time. Assembled with the utmost intention and care...' August 22nd 2022 - via Twitter
- ↑ Bell, Keaton "Carly Rae Jepsen’s Loneliest Hour" VOGUE, October 26th 2022
- ↑ @carlyraejepsen 'Surrender my Heart ⚔️ (...) October 18th 2022
- ↑ @604Records 'Watch the official 'Surrender My Heart' lyric video on @youtubemusic - Pop Supreme 💫 (...)' October 21st 2022M
- ↑ @carlyraewiki ''Surrender My Heart' by @carlyraejepsen has been added to 'New Music Friday AU & NZ' (...) October 21st 2022
- ↑ Carly Rae Jepsen Partners With Lenovo to Light up Broadway for a Live, One Night Only Performance Business Wire, October 31st 2022
- ↑ @carlyraejepsen 'A little holiday gift coming your way… (...) Surrender My Heart, premiering on YouTube this Wednesday, December 14th at 9am PT' December 12th 2022 - via Twitter
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Lonsdale, John "Behind the Video: Carly Rae Jepsen Talks Making the Broadway-Inspired ‘Surrender My Heart’" Rolling Stone, November 4th 2022