Pennies And Dimes For A Kiss

Carly Rae Jepsen “Call Me Maybe”

It’s sort of amazing that Max Martin is not responsible for Carly Rae Jepsen’s surprise smash “Call Me Maybe,” but even if he wasn’t involved in its creation directly, it certainly taps into the spirit of his greatest successes. There’s a wonderful innocence about the song, with highly efficient structure and production flourishes creating a thrilling, effervescent sound at odds with its own scientific precision of craft. Maura Johnston was exactly right when she pointed out that the rapid, graceful escalation of the composition perfectly mirrors the “love at first sight” sentiment of the lyrics. “It’s the sonic equivalent of a cartoon character’s eyes turning into big pink hearts immediately upon seeing someone who came out of their dreams,” as she puts it. This is the pop song to top in 2012.

Buy it from Amazon.