'Call Me Maybe' and Other Annoying Songs We Can't Help Loving

Culture

Depending on who you talk to, popular music stations are a wasteland for pop music in this day in age. What our generation deems “good music” is sometimes frightening. That being said, from time to time those same stations get it right. You all know the type of song I’m talking about, the one that has no sentimental meaning but that you can somehow tie back to your real life problems, the you find yourself singing the “ABCs” over just to get them out of your head or the songs that have the most ridiculous lyrics that you actually find yourself losing brain matter while listening to them.

Yet, we do end up listening to these songs at the gym, or on our walk to work, or to get in a good mood. Thus, these are the songs we all hate to love …

1. "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen

Admittedly, my floor mates and me in our dorm last year made our own music video to this song as soon as it became viral. And you better bet that every other teenager did the same thing, just check YouTube. It is such an effortless song to listen to and became universally known almost immediately. No doubt Carly Rae will be a one-hit wonder, but it was one catchy hit at that.

2. "I Love It" featuring Charli XCX by Icona Pop

This is my go-to song every time I’m on the fence about going out the weekends or not, or debating about going to the gym during the week. It is such a feel good, dance like a crazy person and not care (no pun intended), and upbeat song that it is almost guaranteed to put you in a good mood. It has such simple lyrics that it is likely you’d be able to jump with your hands in the air with the stranger next to you at a club who also knows the song. The music video is filled with further euphoria. At the moment, I’d say this song is on my top five most listened to songs.

3. "Party in the USA" by Miley Cyrus

I’m not a huge fan of Miley Cyrus (at all), so the fact she made it onto this list is telling about the caliber of this song. Her songs are usually just as annoying as her acting, and "Party in the USA" isn’t about the vocals but instead about a tune to sing along to with the windows open during the summer time and have a barbecue to. And odds are when you’re singing along to this Miley song, you’ll sound just as good as she does. Have no shame.

4. "Umbrella" by Rihanna

The general masses these days cannot say the word umbrella without adding an “ella-ella-ay.” Her distinctive voice is nicely balanced with an intro from Jay-Z and the constant drum beat in the background. Rihanna is widely recognized by this song. Still bizarre that a simple household object generated a hit song. 

5. Every song ever created by Ke$ha and Taylor Swift

 

It’s appropriate to group them together, primarily because all of their songs I hate to love. Both sing about absurd things, more so Ke$ha than Taylor, and both have gone off the deep end at least one, again more so Ke$ha than Taylor. Ke$ha sings about drugs and partying at rich dudes' houses and the kid Stephen who will never call her back. Not one of her songs on her album Animal are dull, you will always find Ke$ha playing the party you are at (even if it was put on as a sing-a-long joke), and four out of five songs are so ridiculous they’ll give you a good laugh.

When it comes to Taylor, she’s covered the bases as well: rips every one of her ex-boyfriends apart, appeals to specific ages (sings to ages 15 and 22 in particular), and at least one set of lyrics in her overall sappy songs can be related to a young girl's life event. Enough said about them, it’s embarrassing enough they’re on this list.