Having a crush is insanely insane. It starts with someone you barely noticed before, someone who keeps passing by yet you didn't bat an eye—until this moment, they are everywhere. You start looking for them in familiar places, watching their reposts, and wondering whether that eye contact meant something at all. Now, a person who once knew nothing about your existence begins holding the entire mood of your day in their hands.
Olivia Rodrigo released Drop Dead on April 17 as the lead single from her upcoming album You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love. Within days, the track climbed to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. She described the track as by far the most joyful of love songs in the album.
Since its release, Drop Dead has gotten mixed reactions from netizens. Some listeners described it as catchy and emotionally relatable due to its portrayal of early-stage attraction. Others also say that this sounds like familiar pop stars such as Chappell Roan and Taylor Swift. At the same time, the song trended in videos that show their relationship from one kiss to getting married.
With that, the stages reflected in Drop Dead closely resemble what psychology refers to as limerence—a state of involuntary obsession on the uncertainty of whether the feeling is returned. Unlike love, which develops through mutual understanding, limerence develops through ambiguity. According to Psychology Today, limerence involves persistent thinking, heightened emotional responses, and a tendency to interpret small interactions as signs of reciprocation.
Stage 1: It Starts with a Search
“One night I was bored in bed and stalked you on the internet”
The first stage of attraction appears in the idea of noticing someone through indirect exposure, particularly online. Modern crushes often begin through digital access wherein a person becomes recognizable through photos, posts, and the brief traces of personality from it before any real connection is established.
Their name starts to appear in places it never mattered before. A hallway becomes memorable because they walked through it once. I love my friends but I somehow get disappointed when the notification comes from them instead.
The interest is most likely driven by curiosity and the thrill that comes with it. At this point, the experience aligns with the early phase of limerence, where thinking about the person brings a sense of pleasure. The connection does not exist yet, though the mind begins to treat it as if it might. Sometimes, a crush is less about the person and more about the possibility of them.
Stage 2: Imagination is taking Over
“I always had a vision of us standing like this.”
This stage develops once curiosity begins to turn into imaginations. When the mind starts to create an image of the person beyond what is actually known. There is an obsessive thinking and idealization, where the person is viewed through an exaggeratedly positive lens.
The mind returns to the interactions multiple times, with imagined additions such as what could have been said or done differently that never actually changed. Conversations that have never been started are already played out in the mind as if they are pending reality. Silence can even be a sign if I tried hard enough.
Reality and imagination overlap until it becomes difficult to separate what is known from what is hoped for. It is usually in this space that longing deepens with no action, only a repetition of thought.
Stage 3: It Hits All at Once
“The most alive I've ever been but kiss me and I might drop dead.”
This is the stage where emotional attachment feels physically overwhelming. A less than one second glance feels loaded with meaning. A simple walk to class turns into a series of whether to look up or look away. Our less than a minute interaction gets to have a 3 minute long voice message sent to my friends.
Individuals in this state often become hyper aware of how they appear and act around the person. The intensity of feeling is as powerful as the object of the feeling itself. The most terrifying part, realizing how easily another person can rearrange your entire world without even trying.
As the opening chapter of You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love, Drop Dead captures attraction at its most fast and furious stage—a stage where everything feels possible and we wish for more, yet nothing is confirmed. A person who once meant nothing to you somehow begins revolving around your entire world.
Written by Czevie Sigue, Insight PH
Czevie Sigue, Insight PH is a dedicated campus journalist and contributor. Their insightful writing sparks meaningful conversations and keeps the community informed.
