Hey internet people! I thought, since I spend so much time talking about things that annoy me, or about how stressed out I am, I should take the time every now and again to talk about something I don’t hate. Shocking, I know.

And okay. Maybe this is a little bit the result of my obsessive tendencies needing an outlet, but I figure it can’t hurt to spread the love, right? When I like something, I REALLY like it. And that means I tend to think everyone else should, too.

So here begins a series I’m going to call “Stuff to Obsess About,” in which I talk about songs, movies, shows and other such things that I love. If nothing else, it’ll give you guys a chance to get to know me a little bit better and maybe even find some new things to enjoy out there in internet land.

Without further ado… I bring you Stuff to Obsess About, Volume 1: Beekeeper’s Daughter.

I’m going to preface the following with this statement: I’ve loved the All American Rejects for a while. I checked them out after “Move Along” and “Dirty Little Secret” got popular and fell madly, passionately in love. I took the CDs with me everywhere. I belted them out in the car with my mom (yep, couldn’t even drive yet. This love is THAT ancient). But this isn’t about that. This is about this:

All American Rejects–Beekeeper’s Daughter

Yes, absolutely you should go listen (AND watch) before you read on. Seriously. Click. The. Thing.

Anyway, trusting that you’ve done that, I’ll go on.

I have been driving my friends crazy for the past few weeks singing this song, talking about this song, talking about the band, and spazzing out at random intervals when I remember I have tickets to their concert in May waiting for me back in the States. I freaking LOVE this song. If this song were a person, I would marry it. If this song were food, I’d eat it for every meal for the rest of my life. Yeah. Even dessert.

Okay. Maybe I’m overreacting. But me and music have a somewhat strained relationship generally. I have this thing where I hate new music because I can’t sing along. I recognize it’s illogical, but I can’t sit and just LISTEN to a new song. It bores me to tears. But with the Rejects, it’s never been like that. When “Gives You Hell” came out, I knew the first time I listened to it that I loved it (and not just because it’s fun to pretend I’m singing it to all of my ex boyfriends). And this time around, I clicked on the music video expecting to be blown away.

I was. I’m not exactly a musician, so I can’t give you the technical musical reasons why I love this song. I AM a writer, so I can tell you that I love some of the lyrics. Even if the whole bees and flowers thing ought to make me cringe for being a cliche, it works here somehow. Something at the heart of this song really strikes at “the human condition,” to use an overused term. I mean, yes. It makes Tyson seem like kind of a jerk–but that’s why it’s so real. It’s unapologetic about something that really happens: the one night stand, the feeling of just wanting someone there wanting you, even if you have no intention of calling them. The upbeat music in the background even makes it sound like fun. (Which, admittedly, it isn’t. Except maybe for the bee in this scenario.)

Of course the lyrics are by no means the only thing I love. The music is definitely catchy. I’m a huge fan of songs that bring in a little bit of a big band feel, with the brass and the heavy drum line. It makes me want to get up and dance (and yes, I do fantasize about learning the choreography to the music video). And of course, Ritter has an amazing singing voice and just the right tone to pull this song off. I especially love the “la da da da da” bits.

So there you have it. My completely fan-girlish demonstration of why I love this song and why you should love it, too. Hopefully you’ve enjoyed the positive tone and the geeking out, and do let me know what you think of the song. Unless you hate it. Because then, of course, we’ll have a problem.