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Anna Wirsch

Professor Cassel

English 1201.B15

24 June 2020

The Similarities and Differences Between Different Versions of “Girl Crush”

“I want her long blonde hair, I want her magic touch, yeah ‘cause maybe then you’d want

me just as much” (Little Big Town). Little Big Town and Harry Styles introduce these words to

listeners in “Girl Crush,” a song of jealousy and heartbreak. Little Big Town made this song into

an impactful music video in 2015 (Little Big Town). Throughout, it is discussed how the

singer(s) has developed strong feelings for a person, but she cannot be with him because he is

intrigued by another. Similarly, Harry Styles sings “Girl Crush” in a music video in 2017 (BBC

Music). In both music videos, the singers simply stare into the camera and sing, leaving the

audience to analyze the difference in the music videos by the way the song is sung. Through

both versions of the song, it can be relayed that when people develop feelings for someone they

become envious of an individual or individuals that receive attention from that certain someone.

Yet, whereas Harry Styles's version entices stronger feelings from listeners, Little Big Town

simply acknowledges these feelings individuals may have.

In Little Big Town’s version of “Girl Crush,” a consistent solemn tone is relayed. Little

Big Town is a quartet made up of Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Phillip Sweet, and Jimi

Westbrook. Together, they have been singing alongside one another since 1998 in Mercury,

Nashville (“Little Big Town”). In fact, their bond is so fluid that Karen Fairchild and Jimi
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Westbrook got married over a decade ago and have a son together named Elijah (Murtaugh).

After countless hits, the group produced the song “Girl Crush.” The song is not monotone

whatsoever, yet, the tone is constant throughout the song. This leaves the song to discuss the

heartbreak in a calm manner. The lines “I got it real bad, want everything she has, that smile and

that midnight laugh, she’s giving you now” (Little Big Town) is sung in a manner in which there

is sadness, but the sadness does not build. The dejection is maintained throughout the duration

of the song. This leaves the heartbroken audience feeling sorrowful, but not overwhelmed with

emotion. Although this version does not encourage tears from its listeners, Little Big Town

utilized their lyrics to create a peacefully distressed feeling.

In Harry Style’s version of “Girl Crush,” there is a growing tone of irritation and

dejection. Harry Styles, a former member of the band One Direction, was embraced by success

in the music industry at just sixteen years old (Lamont). The now twenty-five-year-old, states

that “I just don’t think you need to be a dick to be a good artist” (Lamont). Additionally, Styles

is open about his sexuality. He believes that if he likes a shirt and it is in the women’s section,

he will buy the shirt. Although Styles has never come out to the world, he believes that being of

the LGBT community is not necessarily identifying yourself as bisexual or gay, but it is about

being who you truly are (Lamont). Therefore, when he sings the song “Girl Crush” no lyrics are

changed and it can be believed that he too has gone through the experience of many of these

hopeless romantics. In his version, he allows the song to build by using higher notes throughout

the song. This entices more emotions from his heartbroken listeners. Though Styles did not
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write the song, he made it his own encouraging deeper emotions by utilizing a crescendo of

notes.

Through both versions of “Girl Crush,” similar rhetorical appeals are utilized. The

obvious rhetorical appeal is pathos. Pathos is utilizing the emotions of the reader, listener, or etc.

to make a point. One will find pathos as the singers are describing the pain they feel. The line

states, “I got a girl crush, hate to admit it but, I got a heart rush, it ain’t slowing down” (Little

Big Town). Such lines influence listeners to utilize their emotions to either understand how this

must feel or recall how this heartbreak felt. Another rhetorical appeal utilized is logos. Logos is

using the logical appeal of the audience to understand a specific issue or topic. Logos is found in

“Girl Crush” through the audience using their logic to comprehend why the singers must feel the

way they do. By using the previous quote, the audience may be able to understand the logic

behind the singer’s jealousy of the ‘girl.’ In the song “Girl Crush,” pathos and logos go hand in

hand with one another. The song relays emotional appeals, and through the understanding of

those emotional appeals, logical appeals may be found.

All in all, both versions of the song “Girl Crush” are phenomenal. Where Little Big

Town’s version adheres to a calmer approach, Harry Styles’s version adheres to a more

emotional appeal. One version can only be deemed superior by one’s personal opinion. Both

versions discuss the heartbreak and jealousy one feels when their crush is with someone else.

Therefore, the audience can be found to be individuals who relate to this heartbreak.

Additionally, both music videos contain a performance-like scenario. This leaves the only
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difference in the versions to be the manner in which the song is sung. To conclude, “Girl Crush”

contains the message that one is not alone in heartbreak.

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Works Cited

BBC Music. ​Harry Styles - Girl Crush (At The BBC). Youtube,​ 2 November 2017,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rroc2y9if_Q. Accessed 24 June 2020.

Lamont, Tom. "Harry Styles: 'I'm not just sprinkling in sexual ambiguity to be interesting.'" ​The

Guardian,​ 14 Dec. 2019, www.theguardian.com/music/2019/dec/14/harry-styles-

sexual-ambiguity-dating-normals-rocking-a-dress. Accessed 24 June 2020.

Little Big Town. ​Little Big Town - Girl Crush (Official Music Video). Youtube,​ 8 April 2015,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYZMT8otKdI. Accessed 24 June 2020.

"Little Big Town." ​The Boot​, Townsquare Media, theboot.com/tags/little-big-town/. Accessed 24

June 2020.

Murtaugh, Taysha. "How Little Big Town's Karen Fairchild Found Love With Bandmate Jimi

Westbrook After Her Divorce." ​Country Living​, Hearst Magazine Media, 13 Nov. 2019,

www.countryliving.com/life/entertainment/a21085357/little-big-town-karen-fairchild-jim

i-westbrook-married/. Accessed 24 June 2020.