The popular song “Girl Crush” by Big Little Town was issued as the band’s second single off their sixth studio album, titled “Pain.” Listeners all across the world fell head over heels in love with Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna, and Liz Rose’s emotionally packed track almost immediately after it was released.
“Girl Crush” prompted a range of interpretations, with some believing that it was a narrative about a girl obsessing over another female who had taken her lover. Others believed that it was a story about a girl who was obsessed with another girl who had taken her lover. Some others interpreted it as a story about pining after a man who was already involved with another lady. The song is not about a female having a crush on another girl, despite the fact that the title of the song may give that impression.
Regardless of the various ways in which the song can be interpreted, Big Little Town was able to achieve tremendous commercial success with it. The record had already amassed more than 2.5 million sales in the United States by the time November rolled around, propelling it to the top place on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in 2014, where it remained unchallenged for an astounding 13 weeks in a row. Additionally, it peaked at position number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, which is an all-genre chart; this makes it the band’s highest-charting single on that list.
Despite this, “Girl Crush” was not released without its fair share of debate. Because they believed it encouraged “lesbianism,” some listeners demanded that the song not be played on country music radio stations. In spite of the controversy, the song continued to strike a chord with a vast audience. It touched a nerve with those who valued the emotional depth and hauntingly beautiful lyrics that it contained.
At the 2015 CMT Artists of the Year special, Adam Lambert and Leona Lewis paid tribute to Little Big Town by performing a stirring interpretation of “Girl Crush.” The performance took place in 2015. The mood was set with an emotional intensity by Lambert’s soulful vocals, and when Lewis joined him on stage, their combined talent took the song’s already heartbreakingly beautiful message to an even higher level.
When it was presented as a nominee for “Performance of the Year” at the CMT Music Awards in 2016, their spellbinding live performance received the praise that it richly deserved. The vocal abilities of both Lambert and Lewis were on full display, which added an additional level of allure to an already engaging tune.
Music has a wonderful ability to cut through the noise of debate and speak to the emotions of those who give it their full attention. The song “Girl Crush” exemplifies the ability of songwriting to convey a story, as it elicits a variety of feelings and may be interpreted in a number of different ways, and it eventually establishes a meaningful connection with its listeners. The video that follows is a monument to the enduring impact that this song has had on people’s lives, and it features a live performance by Lambert and Lewis that is nothing short of fantastic.