Carl Loid Listens to Charlie Puth!

Welcome to a new low, friends.

Over here in America, we have something called pop music. I listen to it, you listen to it, everyone listens to it whether they want to or not. But over in Korea, someone had the very smart idea of naming Korean pop music KPOP. Dang. But have you ever wondered what happens when you combine the worst of American pop artists with the worst of Korean pop artists? Do two wrongs make a right, or do they make a double wrong? I believe we have sufficient material to answer that question now, and it comes in the form of a song by Charlie Puth and Jungkook of BTS. I’ll let you guess who’s American and who’s Korean.

The song, Left and Right, was created with a pretty cool Easter egg in it, I must admit. The chorus, which goes “Memories follow me left and right

I can feel you over here, I can feel you over here” switches between your left and right earbud/speaker depending on what word Puth is singing.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. You folks all know the drill, we start at the beginning of the song, analyze the lyrics, then the tune, and finally I give my overall rating.

“Memories follow me left and right

I can feel you over here, I can feel you over here

You take up every corner of my mind (what you gon' do now?)” Puth was clearly an obsessive lover. “You take up every corner of my mind.” So there is literally nothing else on his mind? Rather unhealthy to be completely obsessed over another, to forget about career or non-romantic friends. Honestly, I have to say that I’m sick of this obsessive love culture always mistakes for the real thing. Attraction is only maybe a third of the kind of love you’d want to have for your significant other. Neglecting similarity and action when discussing love is a fatal error. Similarity, as in the similarity in belief and in background two people should have to love each other, and action as in the “I will fight for you and for us” type of love that many lazy Gen-Zers are lacking. But, I am certainly not surprised that Puth is joining the hundreds of other obsessive lovers in the world. “Ever since the d-day y-you went away (no, I don't know how) How to erase your body from out my brain (what you gon' do now?) Maybe I should just focus on me instead (but all I think about) Are the nights we were tangled up in your bed.”

The sensual and sexual is an unsurprising snare for many who fall in love. Puth is, of course, unwilling to move on from the best, most intimate parts of his previous relationship. He can’t seem to realize that singleness has benefits too. He needs to just. Move. On. Just be happy, of course. The age old cure for depression.

“Oh no (oh no)

Oh no (oh no) You're goin' 'round in circles Got you stuck up in my head, yeah Memories follow me left and right I can feel you over here, I can feel you over here You take up every corner of my mind Your love stays with me day and night I can feel you over here, I can feel you over here You take up every corner of my mind (what you gon' do now?)

Love is scary, ladies and gentlemen. Obsession is dangerous. And Charlie Puth is empty-headed.

“Did you know you're the one that got away? And even now, baby, I'm still not okay Did you know that my dreams, they're all the same Every time I close my eyes?”

Hmmmm. “I'm still not okay.” Well dang, we got an emo kid. Get over it, Charlie.

Alright, I’ve had enough of those repetitive, idiotic, thoughtless lyrics. How about the melody? It’s okay. Unlike Charlie Puth. It sounds computerized and songs like these are a penny a dozen, but it is catchy and I’d listen to it if it came on the radio. Melody is more suggestive, however, so I won’t overanalyze it.

LOID’S RATING:

4/10. Puth redeems himself in the melody of the song, it’s not as bad as it could be. The lyrics are brainless and no one asked to hear about his love life, but…

…I’ve heard worse.

*POLL*

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