Carly Rae Jepsen describes moment Heated Rivalry inspired her son’s name
Carly Rae Jepsen took inspiration from Heated Rivalry for her son’s name (Getty Images)
Carly Rae Jepsen has revealed that her son Ilya Blue’s name was inspired by Connor Storrie’s character Ilya Rozanov from gay hockey drama Heated Rivalry.
Jepsen, 40, and her husband, music producer Cole MGN, 41, welcomed their first child in March. She said she took the naming process seriously, explaining in a People interview: “We were looking for something that felt original, and I was crazy – it almost felt like the most important creative decision I’ve ever made.”
Jepsen, who said she’d love to write a song for the show, said the name clicked during a moment at home while she was streaming Heated Rivalry. “[My husband] just walked in while I was hormonal and watching it, and I was like, ‘Ilya’s beautiful,’ and he was like, ‘Yes, it is really great,’” she said.
She also described how she and MGN searched for inspiration in everyday life before landing on the full name. “We were just really looking through books and talking to friends, and anytime I’d see a street name, I was looking for inspiration, and I knew that when I heard it, it would be clear. My husband was doing the same thing, and he named our son his middle name, and as soon as he said it to me, it was right,” Jepsen said.
The singer previously teased Heated Rivalry had inspired her son’s name in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. She said: “Iya is the name of my son. Maybe, not maybe because of that show.”
Carly Rae Jepsen’s new chapter
Jepsen released her new double album Day and Night on 18 September. She said she worked on the project before and during her pregnancy, and collaborated with MGN on the record.
Reflecting on where she is now, Jepsen said: “I’ve had other chapters that have been lonelier, like I was on a journey not knowing where it was leading,” adding: “It feels like a really fresh new chapter that I’m in now, with a family that I couldn’t be more grateful for.”
Why Heated Rivalry hit so hard
The Jepsen and Heated Rivalry crossover has been building for a while. Showrunner Jacob Tierney has said Jepsen was on his wish list for the season one soundtrack, but the budget didn’t allow for it. “I was even gonna ask her to write a new song,” he said on the What Chaos! podcast.
Jepsen also praised the series that sparked the name inspiration, saying: “It is incredible, and I laughed, I cried, all of the things,” adding that she “can’t wait for the next season to come out because I will be watching”.
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