Curiosity (song)

Background and release

Before "Call Me Maybe" became a global hit, it was only available in Canada starting in September 2011. The following January, Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez heard it on Canadian radio and posted about it online, which quickly brought Jepsen international fame and a deal with Scooter Braun's label. Interscope Records then handled the song's worldwide release, and it topped charts in several countries. Riding that wave, Jepsen put out her second project, the EP titled Curiosity, on Valentine's Day 2012, but only in Canada. It entered the charts at number six. The title track itself came out as the EP's second single on May 1, 2012.

Composition and reception

"Curiosity" was written by Jepsen, with song production and additional writing by Ryan Stewart. The song features dance beats and catchy hooks, with Jepsen singing about being poorly treated by a bad boy and begging for more of his love. The track received generally positive reviews from contemporary critics. Ben Norman of About.com noted it as the obvious follow-up to "Call Me Maybe" but stressed the beats more than he would personally like. Jon O'Brien of Allmusic called both "Curiosity" and "Picture" convincing forays into infectious synth pop, while Fiona Eadie of Cadence Canada described the song as still amazingly upbeat. Jen Appel of idobi Radio considered it similar to "Call Me Maybe", bringing the same lighthearted vibe while touching on a more personal note.

Promotion

A music video for "Curiosity" was filmed on June 5, 2012, directed by Colin Minihan. It was never officially released and appeared online on November 25, 2012. According to the leaked description, the video was set aside because it was considered "too sexy" for Jepsen's emerging tween audience. The clip opens with Jepsen in a taxi during rain, typing a text that says, "Where are you?

I'm outside". She exits the cab and dashes into a house. After knocking with no response, she lifts a carpet to find a key, unlocks the door, and enters a long hallway lined with doors, spotting a version of herself in different clothes at the far end. Opening doors only leads to more hallways.

The scene shifts to a bedroom where she meets her love interest, and they have sex. Back in the hallway, she opens another door to see a wedding video featuring the same man. The bedroom reappears, now with another woman watching them sadly. Jepsen and her love interest argue outside in the rain, where she learns he cheated with that woman.

She then runs back to the taxi. On March 26, 2012, Jepsen appeared on WBBM-FM's Morning Show, performing "Call Me Maybe" and "Curiosity". In late January 2013, she recorded an acoustic version of the song in Tokyo for Billboard. The track was also included in the setlists of her first two concert tours: The Summer Kiss Tour in 2013 and the Gimmie Love Tour from 2015 to 2016.

Commercial performance

While it didn't match the success of its predecessor, the track found a modest audience in Jepsen's native Canada. There, it reached number 18 on the Canadian Hot 100, marking her second top 20 appearance on that chart. It also landed at number 14 on the CHR/Top 40 list, number 11 on the Canada AC chart, and climbed to number 6 on the Hot AC chart. By the close of 2012, it held the 55th spot on the Canadian Hot 100 year-end ranking. Music Canada awarded the song a Gold certification for 40,000 equivalent sales within the country. Internationally, the single placed at number 10 on South Korea's International Singles chart.