This Kiss (Carly Rae Jepsen song)

Background and composition

"This Kiss" was written by Jepsen, Kelly Covell, Matthew Koma, and Stefan Kendal Gordy, also known as Redfoo from electropop duo LMFAO, through e-mails, text messaging and telephone calls. Jepsen explained that she had "never written a song that way before so I'd definitely say it was new," adding that "there was something really exciting about being on the phone and singing ideas to each other and then calling each other back and re-writing lyrics in your BlackBerry and iPhone and seeing it all being exchanged." The singer also revealed that she was pleased with the creative process of the song, commenting that "despite all this craziness, [it] remains the same. And that same exciting feeling that I had before anybody knew me, when I was just beginning to work on 'Call Me Maybe', is the same feeling I had today with Redfoo from LMFAO. You can sense the people who really have it are about writing that right word or that right melody to make it lift and make you feel that perfect emotion." "This Kiss" was recorded at Party Rock Studio with Redfoo in 2012 after Redfoo recorded ideas at Sonic Vista Studios Ibiza, Spain, and was released as the second single from Kiss on September 10, 2012. "This Kiss" is a mid-tempo dance-pop track which lyrically speaks about a kiss being something Jepsen can't resist and the lips of her beloved, featuring lyrics such as "This kiss is something I can't resist/ Your lips are undeniable/This kiss is something I can't risk/Your heart is unreliable" during the chorus. Carl Williot of Idolator compared the lyrics to the ones of Hall & Oates' "Kiss on My List" (1981).

Critical reception

"This Kiss" received mostly positive reviews from music critics. Amy Sciarretto of Pop Crush rated the song four out of five stars, describing it "as sweet and as cavity-causing" as Jepsen's debut international single "Call Me Maybe" (2011). Sciaretto added that it was possible that "This Kiss" could be one of the biggest songs of the fall of 2012. Billboard critic Jason Lipshutz deemed the song "as undeniable as the lips of the lyrical object of affection who (gasp!) isn't the boy she has back home." Heather Phares of Allmusic wrote that "This Kiss" is musically similar to "typical pop" songs, but added that the lyrics are "better written than the work of most of her competition." Carl Williot of Idolator was sure that the song would "monopolize" radio stations like "Good Time" (2012), and added that "with the dance beat and vocal effects," the singer was "going for dance floor domination as well."

Commercial performance

Following its release as a single, "This Kiss" failed to match the success of Jepsen's previous singles, debuting at number 86 on the US Billboard Hot 100 on the week ending September 29, 2012, before falling off the chart the following week. The song managed to stay for one week on the New Zealand Singles Chart at number 39, and on the French Singles Chart at number 173. In Japan, it reached number 65 on the country's Hot 100 chart, while peaking at number 23 on the Canadian Hot 100. As of November 30, 2012, the song has sold over 115,000 downloads in United States according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Music video

Filming for the music video began on September 20, 2012, with shots of Jepsen on set of the music video surfacing online the same day. She was pictured wearing a pair of leather pants along with a red-black corset and a silver chain hanging from her waist. The singer said she is aiming to show a more mature side with the music video. On October 8, 2012, a 24-second teaser was uploaded to YouTube featuring Jepsen performing the track at a party, falling for a guy in a grey beanie and then jumping into a swimming pool with him for a kiss. Two weeks later, the singer tweeted, "the music video for This Kiss is coming soooo soon! Until then here is a little preview. Hope you enjoy it! Mwah x," followed by the link of the teaser. A lyric video, which "channels the familiar opening credits of the classic show Saved By The Bell" as noted by Carl Williot of Idolator, was released on October 18, 2012. The music video premiered first on October 26, 2012, at the Fun Size film premiere, and then released online on October 28, 2012. Directed by Justin Francis, the video starts with Jepsen and her fellow friends driving a Fiat 500. After they come out of the car, they follow to a '80s inspired warehouse, where Jepsen starts flirting with a guy (actor Kurt Collins). The guy is immediately attracted to her, and, as the video comes to a close, they both take a dive in a pool and kiss. Fun Size's star Thomas McDonell make cameo appearance.

Live performances and usage in media

Jepsen's first performance of "This Kiss" was on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on September 18, 2012, and later the same day on So You Think You Can Dance season 9 finale. On October 25, 2012, the singer performed the song on the Late Show with David Letterman. For the performance, Jepsen sported a shimmery dress and slick jacket. Jepsen also performed the song at the halftime show of the 100th Grey Cup, in a medley with "Call Me Maybe" at the 2012 American Music Awards, and at Walmart Soundcheck. Despite Jepsen not appearing in the film, "This Kiss" was featured in the comedy Fun Size. As a promotion for both the song and the film, people who bought a ticket to watch Fun Size before November 4, 2012 would get a free download of "This Kiss". The singer performed the song on the television show 90210 on episode "Till Death Do Us Part" that she guest featured.

Formats and track listings

1. "This Kiss" — 3:49

1. "This Kiss" (Jason Nevins Remix) — 4:11
2. "This Kiss" (Digital Dog Radio Edit) — 4:13
3. "This Kiss" (Brass Knuckles Remix) — 4:05
4. "This Kiss" (Mathieu Bouthier Remix) — 6:45

1. "This Kiss" — 3:49
2. "This Kiss" (Digital Dog Radio Edit) — 4:13
3. "This Kiss" (Brass Knuckles Remix) — 4:05
4. "This Kiss" (Mathieu Bouthier Remix) — 6:45

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Kiss.