Girl Crush - Recorded at Metropolis Studios, London

Harry Styles' cover of "Girl Crush" retains the powerful and complex meaning of the original song written by Lori McKenna, Hillary Lindsey, and Liz Rose. The song is a profound exploration of jealousy, obsession, and longing from the perspective of someone whose love interest is with another woman. The term "girl crush" is used unconventionally; it's not about a romantic attraction to the woman but an obsessive desire to become her. The narrator is so consumed with envy that they want to possess everything the other woman has—her smile, her laugh, her long blonde hair, her perfume—believing that by embodying these traits, they might finally win the affection of the man they love.

The lyrics delve into a deep, painful fantasy. Phrases like "I wanna taste her lips, yeah, 'cause they taste like you" and "I wanna drown myself in a bottle of her perfume" are not about the woman herself, but about experiencing a second-hand intimacy with the desired man. It's a story of heartbreak so intense that the narrator's identity begins to blur with that of their rival. The song masterfully articulates the way jealousy can lead to an unhealthy fixation on the person who has what you desperately want. While the original release by Little Big Town sparked some controversy among listeners who misinterpreted it as a song about a same-sex relationship, its core message is a universally relatable tale of unrequited love and the agony of seeing someone you love with someone else.

The narrator begins with a candid, almost reluctant confession: they have a "girl crush." This isn't a simple admiration; it's a profound, heart-pounding obsession that won't subside. This fixation is all-consuming, driving the narrator to an extreme state of envy. They covet everything about this other woman, not for who she is, but for what she possesses—specifically, the affection of a man they desire. The narrator is captivated by the small details that make her the object of his attention, such as "that smile and the midnight laugh she's givin' you now."

This obsession escalates into a desire for sensory immersion. The narrator fantasizes about tasting the woman's lips, not out of a direct attraction to her, but because her lips carry the taste of the man. It's a desperate, indirect way to feel close to him. The fantasy intensifies as the narrator imagines drowning in her perfume, another attempt to be enveloped by her essence, which is intrinsically linked to him. The physical attributes that he finds attractive, like her "long blonde hair" and her "magic touch," become objects of the narrator's deepest yearning. The painful logic is that by embodying her, by becoming her, the narrator might finally receive the same level of affection: "'cause maybe then, you'd want me just as much."

The torment is relentless, robbing the narrator of sleep and peace. Their mind is plagued by intrusive thoughts of the woman and the man together, picturing their intimacy "under your bed sheets." They are haunted by the imagined sounds of her whispering and the vision of her pulling him close. The narrator admits they have tried to break free from this mental prison but cannot escape the pervasive image of her. The core of this agonizing jealousy is laid bare in the recurring fantasy: to taste her lips is to taste him, to wear her perfume is to be close to him, and to possess her qualities is to finally be wanted by him. The song is a cyclical confession of this painful, vicarious desire born from unrequited love and intense jealousy.

Harry Styles' version of "Girl Crush" was officially released on September 27, 2017, as part of the Spotify Singles series. The track was recorded at the prestigious Metropolis Studios in London, England. This studio version followed a powerful live performance of the song just two days prior at Nashville's iconic Ryman Auditorium during his tour. Styles introduced it to the Nashville crowd as "one of [his] favorite songs recently that's come out of this place," showing his appreciation for the city's songwriting scene.

The original song was written by acclaimed country songwriters Lori McKenna, Hillary Lindsey, and Liz Rose and was a massive hit for the country group Little Big Town, released in December 2014. It won multiple awards, including two Grammys for Best Country Song and Best Country Duo/Group Performance. Styles, known for his appreciation of various genres, chose to cover the song during a period when he was establishing his identity as a solo artist. His rendition, alongside an acoustic version of his own song "Two Ghosts," showcased his vocal talent and interpretive skills, introducing the country ballad to a broader, more pop-oriented audience.

"Girl Crush" employs a relatively simple and direct lyrical structure, allowing the emotional weight of the words to take center stage. The rhyme scheme is not strictly formal but generally follows a pattern within its verses and choruses, often using couplets or near-rhymes to create a sense of cohesion without sounding overly poetic or forced.

For instance, in the first verse, "down" and "now" create a concluding couplet. The chorus relies more on the repetition of key phrases ("I wanna...", "I gotta girl crush") than a complex rhyme scheme, which emphasizes the obsessive nature of the narrator's thoughts.

The song's rhythm is one of its most defining features. It is set in a slow 3/4 time signature, characteristic of a classic waltz. This triple meter gives the music a gentle, swaying quality that contrasts sharply with the intense and painful emotions described in the lyrics. This juxtaposition creates a haunting effect, as if the narrator is trapped in a slow, melancholic dance with their own jealousy. The slow tempo allows each word and note to be delivered with deliberate, aching emotion, giving the performance a raw and intimate feel.

Harry Styles' rendition of "Girl Crush" is notable for its minimalist and soulful arrangement, which sets it apart from Little Big Town's more polished country production. His version primarily features a clean, melodic electric guitar and his emotive vocals, creating an intimate and raw atmosphere.

Musical Techniques:

• Vocal Delivery: Styles' performance is the centerpiece. He employs a soft, almost breathy tone in the verses, conveying vulnerability and quiet obsession. In the chorus, his voice swells with power and desperation, using higher notes and a more strained timbre to emphasize the emotional agony of the lyrics. This dynamic vocal range builds the emotional arc of the song from a quiet confession to a painful cry.
• Instrumentation: The arrangement is stripped-back, often beginning with just Styles' voice and a simple guitar line. Subtle harmonies from female backup singers add a haunting, ethereal quality, echoing the narrator's fixation. The instrumentation builds gradually, with drums and bass entering to lift the chorus, but it never overwhelms the raw emotion of the vocal.
• Tempo and Rhythm: The song maintains a slow, waltz-like 3/4 time signature, giving it a swaying, melancholic feel that enhances the sense of obsessive, circular thinking.

Literary Techniques:

• First-Person Narrative: The song is told from a deeply personal and confessional point of view, creating a direct and intimate connection with the listener's own feelings of jealousy or longing.
• Imagery: The lyrics are rich with sensory imagery (tasting lips, the scent of perfume, the sight of hair), which makes the abstract emotion of jealousy feel tangible and visceral.

While the original song by Little Big Town was a massive, award-winning country hit that sparked cultural conversations due to its misunderstood lyrics, Harry Styles' cover had its own distinct impact. Released in 2017, his rendition introduced "Girl Crush" to a vast global pop and rock audience that might not have been familiar with the country original.

Styles' choice to cover a song written from a female perspective, without changing pronouns, was seen by many fans and critics as a significant artistic choice that aligned with his fluid and inclusive public persona. For his fanbase, the performance became an expression of queer longing, interpreting the song as a man being jealous of a woman because she is with the man he desires. This interpretation gave the song a new layer of meaning within his community.

The cover was widely praised for its raw emotion and vocal prowess, solidifying Styles' credibility as a solo artist capable of nuanced and powerful interpretations. It became a fan-favorite and a standout track from his early solo career, frequently highlighted in live performances, including a notable unamplified, acoustic version in Japan where the crowd remained completely silent. It demonstrated his artistic range and his ability to bridge genres, earning respect from both pop fans and the Nashville community he admired.

The central metaphor in "Girl Crush" is the concept of the "crush" itself, which is twisted from its usual meaning of admiration into a symbol of obsessive envy and a desire for substitution. The narrator doesn't want to be with the other woman; they want to be her, to usurp her life and her place in the man's affections.

Specific sensory details serve as powerful symbols:

• Tasting her lips: This is the most potent image, symbolizing a desperate and indirect way to achieve intimacy. Since the narrator cannot kiss the man directly, they fantasize about kissing the woman who has kissed him, just to get a residual taste. It represents a longing for connection, no matter how vicarious.
• Drowning in her perfume: Perfume symbolizes identity and presence. The desire to "drown" in it is a metaphor for wanting to be completely enveloped and consumed by the rival's essence, effectively erasing the self to become the object of desire.
• Long blonde hair / Magic touch: These physical attributes symbolize the specific qualities the narrator believes are the source of the rival's appeal. They are not just physical traits but are seen as talismans of desirability that the narrator wishes to possess.

The most significant recurring phrase in the song is the title itself, "I gotta girl crush." This line is repeated at key moments, functioning as the central thesis of the narrator's confession. Its repetition serves to reinforce the core conflict: an admission of an obsession that the narrator hates to admit. Each time it's sung, it carries a weight of resignation and helplessness.

Another recurring motif is the phrase "I wanna..." which opens the key lines of the chorus: "I wanna taste her lips," "I wanna drown myself," "I want her long blonde hair, I want her magic touch." This repetition highlights the depth and breadth of the narrator's desperate yearning. It transforms the chorus from a simple musical section into a litany of painful desires, cataloging every aspect of the rival that the narrator wishes to possess. The repetition emphasizes the obsessive, almost cyclical nature of these thoughts, showing how the narrator is trapped in a loop of wanting what they cannot have.