I'm most certainly not the first person to announce that the "Billboard's Top 100" is a cesspool of trash. I mean, there are a couple good songs that pop up here and there, but for the most part, it's in one ear and out the other. It's cool for a moment, but is soon forgotten about. I mean, is anybody still talking about "Applause" by Lady Gaga? How about "Rolling in the Deep" by Adele? Gotye has literally become someone that I used to know. However, in the dreadful year of 2015, probably the most important pop song in years has surfaced and deserves staying power. That song is OMI's "Cheerleader."
I do not say this lightly, but OMI's "Cheerleader" is a modern musical masterpiece. The song itself is really amazing. From production to lyrics, it's flawless and so damn adorable and catchy. But the component that makes it much more than the trendy song of the moment is its meaning. How many songs on the radio are just about loving someone in a not-super-serious manner? Most love songs these days either take themselves too seriously, such as John Legend's "All of Me" or are too goofy, like Walk The Moon's "Shut Up and Dance." "Cheerleader" has found the perfect balance.
I don't know about any of you, but I've never been in or seen a romance that I genuinely believed which took itself as seriously as John Legend portrayed it. I have also never seen a real relationship that's as goofy as Walk The Moon's song. That's more like a friends with benefits-type relationship. But I have seen plenty of romances like the one OMI describes in "Cheerleader," where you passionately adore somebody but recognize how silly and happy you are when you are together and how much you kind of miss them when they're gone.
"Cheerleader" captures the spirit of young love in way that not many songs have done. It is packed with such a beautiful notion; that even in the face of the temptation of another person, you remember just how much you adore the one you are with, and you turn it down and remain faithful. Most songs tend to glorify cheating or bragging about how many women the singer can get. OMI brags that he could have any girl he wants, but the person he is with is his everything and he will stick with the person he deems perfect for him.
Th song also keeps it realistic. Nobody is perfect, and the temptation to get with someone else is always going to be there. The line, "Do I make you feel like cheating? No, not really" conveys this spectacularly. It shows the temptation is there, but we always have the choice to say no if it's not really worth it. It is a powerful line and so important for the youth of America to take in.
Lastly, it paints a portrait of the the support system a relationship can give. Relationships are built upon trust and support. I'm not saying all men need a women to be successful or vice versa. I'm just saying it's always nice to have someone to keep you motivated and support you. It's always nice to have a cheerleader to always be there when you need them. Not many songs touch upon that. Most just claim they love someone and leave it at face value. They don't delve into the inner workings of love.
I cannot speak highly enough of this song. It does and says so much that needs to be said and spreads a positive message that doesn't beat you over the head, and all this is on top of already being catchy every single time it plays. So this is my message to the world: don't let this be a lost relic of pop music. The song is too damn good to be gone by the end of another 145 characters. It deserves a place in music history as one of the most important and well-made songs to ever grace one's ears. It's a song that should always be there when we need it.
