God, I ha-lo-ha-lo-ha-love-hate this song! It's catchy, it's fun, it's digestible. It's annoying, it's dumb, it's clumsy. Oh god, where to begin with this one?
Well, a little history might help. I already talked about Carly Rae's career briefly in my "I Really Like You" review, but now that we're focusing on her biggest hit, I can go a little more in-depth with the history of that hit specifically. "Call Me Maybe" was originally penned by Jepsen and Tavish Crowe as a folk song, which... would not have been a huge departure from her earlier stuff, but... really? This was written as a folk song? Somehow I believe this works better as the digestible pop hit that it is.
Anyway, the brains behind that decision belonged to Marianas Trench lead singer Josh Ramsay, who produced the song as a pop song. It was released in late 2011 off her first international release, Kiss, gained a startling amount of buzz in Canada, and went on to conquer the U.S. charts in the summer of 2012. Why, why, why?
Well, whether you like or hate the song, and I've been on both ends of the spectrum, it's not difficult to see why this became a hit. It's catchy, it's got a decently relatable storyline, Carly Rae is just so gosh darn cute for the 26-year-old she is, and it's got a memorable hook that you can sing along to. It's also a decently produced song. I like what they do with the strings in the chorus. They could probably be doing more in the verses, but for what it is it's serviceable.
So I've listed all the good points about this song. Now the bad stuff. Starting with, oh, god, these lyrics.
Hey, I just met you
And this is crazy
But here's my number
So call me maybe?
No, no, no, that's not the bad part. Here's the part that always gets to me.
Before you came into my life
I missed you so bad
GOD DAMN IT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
That doesn't make any sense! How can you miss someone you haven't even met? Where's the logic? What are you talking about? Ugh.
A lot of these lyrics seem like they were written on first draft, especially in the chorus.
It's hard to look right
At you baby
I see Carly Rae's gone to Ambiguous Complimenting 101. Man, that class really helps with insomnia. But go on.
And all the other boys
Try to chase me
...good for you? Where does this fit into the song? What's the point? Are you trying to impress this guy? Even if you are, how does it fit with the tone? Your most famous line in this song sends a cutesy, teenage girl vibe and I guess this sounds just as immature, but it really takes away from the charm.
So my main problem with the song is, in fact, the lyrics. But it's also the way she sings them. Maybe it's just that these lyrics shouldn't be put to music, and should instead just be left as the clumsy pickup lines that they are.
So, I'm on two sides of the coin with this song. Some days I love it for its catchy production and surprising amount of clout and star power. Other times I hate it for its clumsy lyrics and its awkward presentation of said lyrics. So, final verdict? I... I guess it's okay.
I mean, all things considered, no matter how much I hate this song at times, there are always pop songs that are worse. And with all the good things this song has going for it, I honestly can't be inclined to hate on it too badly. At the same time though, it's not perfect, and I can't overlook the flaws I see in this song to call it one of my favourites. I think part of the reason I hated it so much when it came out was the fact that it was everywhere, but now that it's been a few years I can look back and really analyze whether or not the song is truly hateable. Eh... it's fine. "Call Me Maybe": a monstrous summer hit that's just okay. Wonder why they don't use me to promote these things.
Also, that video's still funny. That's all.
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