Entertainment

"I Really Like You" Might Be "Call Me Maybe" 2

by Maitri Suhas

Did Carly Rae Jepsen sell her soul to the devil for the key to the most infectious pop songs of all time? On Monday, she dropped her new single "I Really Like You," about how she's really, really, really crushing on her crush. She's not crazy, though: she's fully aware and cognizant that this ISN'T love. But from the likes of the lyrics, she's ready to take things to the Next Level, heavy petting wise. So is "I Really Like You" a sequel to the anthem of 2012, "Call Me Maybe?" I would say yes, but not in the literal way of being about the same dude (pretty sure she's moved on from Mr. Ripped Jeans, since it's been three years). Rather, it's a song about the Spiritual Journey that Carly Rae is on, packaged into a pop song that will never leave your brain.

Obviously we've gotta look at the context and the subtext of the lyrics of each. In "Call Me Maybe," a coy Carly Rae takes an impulsive plunge and gives her number to a cutie that she just met, (and it's crazy). She's finally becoming more bold, doing things she never thought she would do! And yet, this mysterious dude she met on a hot windy night totally captures her attention, and she's fallen real quick. Poor Carly Rae, she even had a premonition of looking for love in all the wrong places—before you came into my life, I missed you so bad, she laments. She's smitten! She's captivated!

JOHANNES EISELE/AFP/Getty Images

And then we have "I Really Like You," which sounds like it would be more aggressively monogamous than "Call Me Maybe." But it isn't! Carly Rae is with a dude that she wants. Does he want her too? Probably. She's pretty cute, and she's got great bangs. She's taking control of the situation, so obviously that boldness that was just starting to bloom in "Call Me Maybe" has reached a peak —she's an independent lady that knows what she wants. Also, "sipping on your lips, hanging by a thread" is weirdly sexy? Am I totally held under the CRJ spell?

But I digress. Another clue: we know that the music video is starring Tom Hanks ( Tom Goddamn Hanks ). in this sneak peak of the filming of the video that was dropped last week, you can see Carly Rae leading a bunch of dancers bopping along the street, and the number one bopper beside her is America's Sweetheart Tom Hanks. They just wanna have a feel-good time! Nothing too serious!

It looks like Carly Rae has finally conquered her crushing, and has taken matters into her own hands. She knows it's not love, but what the hell! As a wise man once said, you only live once. We're proud of you, Carly. We see how you've grown. You can listen to the song on Spotify, forever on loop without even realizing it, until you forget what time it is. That's the power of Carly Rae Jepsen.

Image: Getty