That’s the Method of Modern Love: The B-Side to Cheryl Cole’s “3 Words,” “Boys.”

Well, this sounds nothing like 3 Words.

“Boys” was written by Adele, which provokes a kind of “Oh, really? Adele?!” response until you think about it a little, forget why it was all that surprising in the first place, and then swiftly move on with your life.

The song, to me, is a three-play grower. By this, I mean I remained unconvinced on the first play, intrigued by the second, and all but addicted upon the third.

The hypnotizing swirl of the synth-pads, lonely echoing guitar plucks, and the semi-melancholy, lovesick lyrics (“Boys, this is not our choice / We can’t help that opposites attract / But where’s the fun in that, for a hopeful romantic kind of girl?”) all lend themselves to a perfect addition to the already not-so-mainstream package that is the “3 Words” single.

I like it very much, though it does make me a bit sad to think that “Boy Like You” trumped this “Boy” for a spot in the final tracklisting of 3 Words.