Last month, when Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen released their duet “Good Time,” I was not having it. As you may recall, I said that obviously geeky, laptop-obsessed Owl City (née Adam Young) was trying too hard to seem like a party dude, dropping half-hearted lyrics about beaches and Prince songs, but still sounding kind of mopey.
However, compared to the video for “Good Time,” which just premiered today, the song sounds like a straight-up club banger featuring five of Nicki Minaj‘s personalities. Just look at this thing:
Good lord! It’s the most irritating party in the history of beaches! Everyone’s just so… coiffed. So perfectly, beautifully styled. Yet Owl City and Carly Rae are singing about what a happening time they’re having.
And honestly? I prefer parties where everyone’s got great hygiene and is maybe wearing a cute button down. But when I attend parties like those, I don’t pretend they’re back room nights at the Man Hole. That’s what drives me so crazy about “Good Time:” It’s just so damn phony. Super-sweet pop songs are fine and so are rebellious dance hits, but you can’t be both at once.
This is especially frustrating regarding Jepsen, who has so much spunk in “Call Me Maybe.” Which direction is she going to take after this? Will she go back to feisty playfulness, or will she continue boiling the sex and energy out of party music? I will be watching with terror in my heart.
Previously: I break down why the song gets on my last damn nerve.
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Mark Blankenship tweets as @IAmBlankenship. He’s wearing a cute button down RIGHT NOW.
