Music Review: Jennifer Paige "Crush"

Jennifer Paige

Crush

Album: Jennifer Paige

Year: 1998

        Jennifer Paige calms down an overly enthusiastic guy in the insensitive “Crush.”

        Paige sings “ah, crush, ah” over cordial synths, setting a glazed tone.

From across the room, she glances at him and then he waves. She waves back. He puts his right hand to his mouth and then puts his palm out, his lips pursed. She puts her hand over mouth to hide her horrified expression, pretending to be shy as her cover. She’s going to have to talk with him on the way home from the party tonight. He’s probably thinking she’s overwhelmed with emotion. (“I see ya blowin' me a kiss/It doesn't take a scientist/To understand what's going on baby/If you see something in my eye/Let's not over analyze/Don't go too deep with it baby.”)

In the pre-chorus, she tells him she’s only interested in a casual relationship. For now, they will see where it goes. In the meantime, they are free to see other people. They will treat each date together as their last. (“So let it be what it'll be/Don't make a fuss and get crazy over you and me/Here's what I'll do/I'll play loose/Run like we have a day with destiny.”)

        In the chorus, she thinks he’s handsome. However, when he holds her hand, she doesn’t feel a pull to him. If she stops seeing him, her world will continue on as before. (“It's just a little crush (crush)/Not like I faint every time we touch/It's just some little thing (crush)/Not like everything I do depends on you.”)

Her blood pressure rises as he explains to her he will wait for her forever, whatever she needs. She says she’s not the lovey-dovey type of girl who hopes a fairytale comes true. Possibly, somewhere down the line, she might get married. But that’s not happening anytime too soon. (“It's raising my adrenaline/You're banging on a heart of tin/Please don't make too much of it baby/You say the word "forevermore"/That's not what I'm looking for/All I can commit to is "maybe.”)

          The pre-chorus and chorus are sung again.

In the bridge, he’s already planning their wedding and the building their dream home in his mind. She shudders at the thought. (“Vanilla skies (vanilla skies)/White picket fences in your eyes/A vision of you and me.”)

           The chorus is sung again.

 
       A variation of the chorus ends the single. (“Not like I faint every time we touch/It's just some little thing/Not like everything I do depends on you/Not like I faint every time we touch/It's just some little thing/Not like everything I do/Depends on you.”)

Paige’s disregardful vocals recoil from his affection and puts on a happy face. Her annoyance with him shows during the verses and she’d rather not be bothered with at all. He doesn’t really matter to her and she could care less about his feelings. She just says what she feels without any filter.

         The arrangement, though, does manage to be nice. However, it highlights Paige’s mean-spiritedness even more.

       The deceptive “Crush” may seem sweet and harmless but it will squash out any happiness with its tight fist.