Items15The creator’s order
- 1
Call Me MaybeShe gets as far as handing over her number and has to leave the next move to somebody else. Jepsen sings that little qualification over a chorus emphatic enough to sound like a decision. That gap between what she means and how firmly she can say it is the whole pleasure of the song.0 - 2
DelicateSwift keeps going back over what she’s said and how much she’s let somebody see. The processed voice at the opening makes the first words feel like they’re coming through a screen. Listen for the way the questions start fast and then pull back, as though she can already hear how eager she sounds.0 - 3
I've Just Seen a FaceOne glimpse has the singer halfway to telling everybody he knows. The acoustic guitars make the rush physical, and the lines run into one another as if a pause would give him time to reconsider. It’s the sound of getting ahead of yourself while there’s still almost nothing to report.0 - 4
AskThe singer knows shyness can stop two people from doing what they both might want. He offers the other person permission to ask while leaving the actual question for later. The bright guitar makes the repeated invitation feel easier to give than it would be across a room.0 - 5
A Long WalkScott offers a walk where the two can find a place to talk. The topics in her invitation keep opening up, from the playful to what they believe and where they’ve been. Her melody sits easily in the groove, giving the other person the space to imagine a conversation without having to script it in…0 - 6
ButterfliesMusgraves sees an early attraction by comparing how she thought she was doing before it arrived with how differently she feels now. She lets the melody rise lightly into the refrain. The effect is less a grand conviction than a discovery she’s pleased to be able to say aloud.0 - 7
First Day of My LifeA new love makes driving all night to see someone feel worth the trip. The guitar gives Conor Oberst a steady place to sing from, even as his voice wavers. The song leaves room for both people to speak, and its sweetness comes from the effort of trying to choose each other.0 - 8
i wanna be your girlfriendShe calls Hannah by name and tries saying the part that would change everything if Hannah heard it. Repeating it over the same restless guitar makes the wish feel stronger each time without supplying an answer. Play it for the moment when a hoped-for relationship is still something you can only…0 - 9
Can I Call You Tonight?A simple request to call holds the hope that another person can help him work out what he’s feeling. The guitar keeps offering the same bright figure while his voice drifts around it. The repeating figure gives the uncertainty somewhere to go without settling it.0 - 10
Love and AffectionArmatrading starts by allowing for the possibility of love. She takes the invitation further one line at a time, and you can hear the recording open up around her as she does. It’s a fine choice when you want a song that gives desire room to grow at a pace its singer chooses.0
