A Gen Z Love Song
If you were born between 1997 and 2010, you are part of Generation Z (according to businessinsider.com). If you were born in this time frame (or are a parent of someone who was), there’s a very good chance that you are familiar with the television series Victorious from Nickelodeon. As of today (11/20/19), you can stream this show on Netflix, Amazon Prime, or YouTube.
“I Think You’re Swell” is a song sung by Robbie Shapiro (Matt Bennett) to Cat Valentine (Ariana Grande) in episode 3x13: “The Blonde Squad.” The two are friends throughout the series, and it is subtly hinted that they like each other in a romantic capacity during the first two seasons. In season 3, however, Robbie sings this song to Cat professing his feelings, making it much more obvious. While these two do not get together in the series, it was confirmed by Grande that the two would have gotten together had the series not been cancelled.
Without further ado, here are the reasons why, after dissecting the lyrics, I believe that “I Think You’re Swell” from Victorious is the most romantic and generally best Gen Z love song.
It’s so personal
The song is called “I Think You’re Swell” which in itself is quite odd, due its slang origins being in the 1930s. Because of this, it should not be used by a teenager in 2012. However, it was used to show how quirky the singer is. Robbie uses other slang from the 30s, such as “oh my” and “oh dear” which Tori (Victoria Justice) mocks him for in episode 3x9, “How Trina Got In.” This makes the song very in tune with Robbie’s personality, and any decent love song should be as personal as possible.
It uses food, literally and metaphorically
The opening line (after the chorus) is “you’re the nugget to my chicken mc.”
Food has always been an important part of any culture. As the years continue, obesity in America increases because Americans (especially children) are loving fast food more and more. Based on the context of being an American growing up in the 2010s, the listener knows right away that the singer (Robbie) cares deeply about the person he’s singing to (Cat), without him outright saying, “I love you.” He also brings up food again at the end of the song. The lyric is: “And later if you’re hungry I’ll make you some spaghetti.” This is essentially Robbie saying, “I know you don’t need anyone to take care of you, but I would like to if you’ll let me.” Using food, literally or metaphorically, is one of the best ways to tell someone that you care about them.
It uses popular culture to make a statement
The second verse is filled with analogies from popular culture. I’m not sure if this is just me or if other people do this as well, but when I’m describing something, I give similes (usually based on my most recently watched TV show or musical) because that’s how I process information. He references Sex and the City (“If you’re Carrie I’m Samantha”), Annie the musical (“If you’re Warbucks I’ll be Annie”), the Beatles (“I am the walrus, you are the goo goo gajoo”), and Shakespeare (“I’m a whole lot of nothing you are the much ado”) which are all from different genres. Rather than sticking to one theme, Robbie chooses to explain his love for Cat in a variety of metaphors. Almost none of them work as analogies for romantic love, which actually works for two reasons. The first reason is humor. Gen Z humor doesn’t necessarily make sense, but for whatever reason it makes someone who was born within this age group giggle. The second reason is that it shows that Cat is not just a romantic love interest. In addition to an ideal life partner, he loves her like family and he loves her like a friend, which is significantly more powerful than if he exclusively loved her as someone he wants to date.
It uses personalized metaphors
Going on the branch of pop culture, he says “I love you more than the original Star Wars trilogy.” A lot of people in love songs have stated that they love the person they’re singing about more than “anything.” This is incredibly vague. Given Robbie’s nerdy personality, it’s safe to assume he’s the kind of person to still have Death Star bed sheets and has dressed as Darth Vader for both Halloween and ComicCon. Therefore, stating that he loves Cat more than this series is more romantic than just about anything else he could have said because not only is it not generic, showing that this song really comes from his heart, but shows how much he loves her.
It shows day-to-day love
One of the most beautiful things about love is how truly ordinary it can be. Real love isn’t declaring your love in a grand gesture every single day because of the passion that overpowers you every second. A lot of times it’s the “boring” stuff like spending a night binging netflix in your pajamas with the person you love or just sharing a meal. Robbie brings some of this realism in the third verse. “And everyday, I’m only thinking about you… and a bunch of other important things, but primarily you.” In his own way, Robbie is saying “I think about you all the time. Realistically, you’re not the ONLY thing I’m thinking about. However, you come up in my mind so much that it’s almost a given that I’m thinking about you in some capacity at all times.”
It shows that it’s okay to unleash your inner child
Being an adult means no one can say a definitive “no” to your childish desires, like having ice cream for dinner or spending $500 on video games. That doesn’t mean these desires do not exist within us. Generally, adults over the age of 30 push away these instincts away and make “healthy” and “responsible” decisions. Millennials and Gen Z’ers have a tendency to mix responsible decisions in with the ones that indulge their inner child. In this song, Robbie says that Cat is “more fun than frisbee in the park” which is generally only something a small child or a pet would think of upon hearing the word “fun.” Cat is shown as immature and childlike throughout the series, and Robbie uses this comparison to demonstrate that he understands her desires and is on her level when it comes to things to be enjoyed.
If you haven’t seen Matt perform this song live at the Ariana Grande concert in Atlanta last night, I highly recommend. If you watch until the end, Liz Gillies (Jade West on Victorious) and Ariana also sing the iconic “Give It Up.”
