Carly Rae Jepsen Hints She Named Her Baby After a ‘Heated Rivalry’ Character & Wants to Pen Song for Season 2

Carly Rae Jepsen might have more in common with Heated Rivalry than just being a fan of the hit hockey romance series: She was once approached to write a song for the show.

In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter ahead of the release of her upcoming double album Day and Night, Jepsen shared that she was asked to contribute a song to the first season of Heated Rivalry. The collaboration didn’t happen, though, due to the series not having the budget for it.

Still, Jepsen hasn’t ruled out joining the show’s soundtrack in the future. She said writing a song for the second season would be a “dream,” although she has yet to hear from the series creator Jacob Tierney about the possibility.

“It was an incredible show,” Jepsen told THR of the hockey romance that aired HBO Max in the U.S.

Her admiration for the series may run even deeper than fans realized. While discussing the show, Jepsen also revealed that her first child, a son whom she welcomed earlier this year with husband Cole M.G.N., is named Ilya — the same name as the character played by Connor Storrie in Heated Rivalry.

“Ilya is the name of my son. Maybe, not maybe because of that show,” Jepsen teased, leaving the connection very playfully ambiguous.

Tierney previously shared that he had wanted Jepsen to write an original song for the first season, but the production couldn’t make the collaboration work financially. Now, with Heated Rivalry returning for a second season, Jepsen appears more than ready to make it happen.

Until then, fans can soon listen to Jepsen’s latest project, Day and Night, which is set to arrive on Sept. 18. The double album is split into two contrasting halves, with the Day side leaning into psychedelic pop and the Night side embracing synth-heavy electropop — another example of the creative freedom that has defined her career beyond “Call Me Maybe,” Jepsen’s first entry onto the Billboard Hot 100 chart back in 2012.

This article was first published by Billboard U.S