Released: 2022
In the tune of self-deprecation, “Loser” by Charlie Puth explores a post-breakup narrative, filled with regret, longing, and intense emotion. The protagonist in the song is wrought with self-reproach, convinced he lost out on ‘the one’ due to his own inadequacies.
From the outset, Puth wears his emotions on his sleeve, as he sings “Oh, I’m such a loser / How’d I ever lose her?” He is drenched in regret, questioning his choices, and desperately attempting to understand why he blew his chances with someone he loved deeply. Self-deprecating and personal, he labels himself a ‘loser’, highlighting the depth of his regret and loss.
The lyrics “I just might get a little too drunk / So, I won’t think about us” and “I stay up, like, three or four nights / So I won’t dream about us”, underscore the protagonist’s efforts to numb his pain and emotional distress. Yet, these efforts appear fruitless; his attempt to forget is unrelenting, a testament to the relationship’s significant mark on him.
Charlie sings, “I should’ve seen it all along / She was a one in a million / It hurts whenever someone says her name”. Here, he expresses his regret of not recognizing the gem he had in his midst, his feelings amplified when someone mentions her, a constant, painful reminder.
Further into the song, Puth continues to articulate the extent of his regret with the lyrics, “I just might’ve been a little too gone / When she needed somebody / Up against her body at 2 a.m.” Here, Puth regrets not being there for her and takes responsibility for the relationship’s downfall.
Coupled with the vocals and a catchy melody, Puth captures and communicates the emotional roller-coaster a breakup induces, thus building a connection with those who have felt the same pang of regret and longing after the end of a relationship. He leaves the listener ruminating on their own ‘what ifs’ and ‘if onlys’, and in the shared human experience of regret and loss, finds catharsis.
