Tom: Okay. I’ve been really grumpy about music lately. Everything’s been “meh”. So here’s what I did: I went to the “New Music Videos” section of YouTube, picked the most popular pop song, and just decided that’s what we’re doing today. So here we go. This had better be good.
Tom: Okay, I’m not “meh” about this. Instead, I’m actually divided. There are some amazing bits in here: that profane pre-chorus, nearly all the chorus, and the “totally kidding” gag at the very end of the music video. And you know what, I’ll even give credit for some good celebrity cameos.
Tim: I will agree with you that there are some good bits here, or at least one good bit and a few not bad bits. But to be honest I wasn’t remotely sold on the this song until the chorus came along – it’s that bass-level twisted vocal that really gets me, and marks it out as a song I’m not going to like.
Tom: Bad: the actual “sorry, not sorry” bit. Not the meaning, just the actual line: after such a great build, there could be more there. The very next line starts doing something interesting again, but the key moment feels like it’s wasted.
Tim: Huh, see I have an almost exact opposite reaction – happy with the chorus, including that line, and I suppose the middle eight’s alright, but most of this just gets a bit nope from me.
Tom: And as for the video: if you’re going to do the ‘found footage’ style, at least commit to it. Don’t slap a bizarre, out-of-place 90s VHS filter on your footage and then also film a proper video, that just means you’re not confident. Look, this is how to do it, and no, I can’t believe I’m linking to a Justin Bieber video to prove a point. And let’s not even start about the godawful amount of product placement.
Tim: Yeah, that also put me right off, right from the Jaguar logo at the start. On the other hand, it does look like one hell of a pool party to have been at.
Tom: So there you go. I’m not “meh”. I’m both impressed and annoyed by this song. At least I’ve got a reaction.