Okay, this is a late review. But honestly, I couldn’t help but fall in love with the track as it made getting through the past lonely, sick night so effortless for me! But later when I listened to it a few more times the next morning, I realized my ‘love’ for the song was more than just a casual ‘musical hookup,’ and in fact, a more serious ‘long-time affair!’
Wondering why am I throwing so much of modern relationship lingo? Well, it’s because I am talking about a coming-of-age melody that defines relationships in a whole new realistic light. And yeah, it is — Attention by the incredibly talented, Charlie Puth!
The song starts with his signature sad beats as the guitar creates some magic and then… Charlie’s drops his ‘Oohs’ — already set you in the mood. The track goes full funk and the bass kicks in, and you know that you are up for a treat!
With its dark yet emotional undertones, ‘Attention’ has your attention from the very beginning. The lyrics present a picture of love, of course, but perhaps more of the jilted or lost variety. Charlie sings, “You just want attention. You don’t want my heart.” He seems to sing these lines with so much honesty and conviction that you cannot save yourself from sympathizing with his character. And why wouldn’t you? Our Charlie is such a cute, goodie-good guy and he stars opposite the Australian bombshell, Samara Weaving, who seems to be giving him a tough time. Poah Charlie had to be heartbroken. Sigh!
‘Attention’ paints a real picture of modern love & relationships where true love is not necessarily two-sided — it could very well be one-sided too. The track depicts how love changes with different seasons and how ex-lovers behave with each other. I was compelled to think that maybe the past of a relationship doesn’t really fade away because two people who once were in love cannot forget the things that brought about the break-up at the first place.
Broken hearts, lost love, abusive partner, one-sided love, relationship insecurity — easily relatable elements; these are what make Puth’s single all the catchier, especially among the youth.
The ‘We Don’t Talk Anymore’ singer doesn’t disappoint one bit because his ‘Attention’ has the perfect sync of kickass music, his amazing vocals, huge relatability factor, and an all-around great feel to the track. It’s pretty impossible to not sing along as the beats certainly impress you from start to finish.
Attention is a sensuous product in the backdrop of real emotions in Puth’s organic style of churning out heart-broken, realistic numbers. It celebrates modern love which is a far cry from the age-old ‘forever love’ concept our ancestors deluded us into believing. It is essentially a song of regret, blame, lasting feelings, unforgiven experiences — all gathered in a blanket of love — complicated but relatable, right? But you know what earns Charlie’s ‘Attention’ the real brownie points? It’s the character’s visibly strong intention to move forward and keep his dusty past in the past! A very powerful message, Puth gives his character time to accept his loss and also mourn it, but then he pushes the gears of his life and moves ahead.
In real life too, we need to give ourselves time to mourn the pain, but then not dwell on it for long and go about accomplishing what you set out for. Empowering, pretty much! Good work, Charlie!