| "Only the Young" | |
|---|---|
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| Promotional single byTaylor Swift | |
| Released | January 31, 2020 (2020-01-31) |
| Genre | Synth-pop |
| Length | 2:37 |
| Label | Republic |
| Songwriters |
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| Producers |
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| Lyric video | |
| "Only the Young" onYouTube | |
"Only the Young" is a song by the American singer-songwriterTaylor Swift. It was released on January 31, 2020, throughRepublic Records, as apromotional single forMiss Americana, a 2020Netflixdocumentary on Swift. In the film'sclosing credits, the song is featured. Held back from being included on Swift's seventh studio album,Lover (2019), the song was both written and produced by Swift andJoel Little, inspired by the2018 United States elections.
The song is asynth-pop tune and features backing vocals from Little's daughters. As aprotest song, "Only the Young" discusses subjects such asschool shootings,Donald Trump, andvote-tampering concerns in its lyrics. Upon release, music critics praised Swift's lyricism onUnited States politics, addressing matters such asgun violence andmass shootings. Some critics have noted it as Swift's mostpolitically charged song yet.
"Only the Young" won thePeople's Choice Award for the Best Soundtrack Song of 2020. The song entered the charts in several countries worldwide, reaching the top 20 in Scotland and the Netherlands, top 40 in Australia, Hungary, and Ireland, as well as the top 50 in Belgium and the US. It debuted at number one on theBillboard Digital Song Sales, becoming Swift's record-extending nineteenth number-one song on the chart. The song was used in a video advertisement for theBiden/Harris campaign in the2020 United States presidential election.
In an interview with Chris Willman ofVariety, Swift revealed that she held back "Only the Young" from being included on her seventh studio albumLover (2019). She also revealed that the song is both co-written and co-produced withJoel Little, who worked with Swift on four songs for the album including "Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince", from which the title of the documentary comes, Swift further said that the song is not intended to be single, but a song for her 2020Netflix documentary,Miss Americana.[1] Little added the song was the last he and Swift worked on during a week inNew York City, following "The Man" and "Me!", and that his two daughters contributed backing vocals to the song.[1] Swift released "Only the Young" on January 31, 2020, as apromotional single. She wrote the song after the2018 United States elections.[2] Prior to the elections, Swift broke her political silence by endorsing twoDemocrats: CongressmanJim Cooper for re-election to theHouse of Representatives, and formerTennessee governorPhil Bredesen for theSenate.[3] Swift also criticized the voting record of Bredesen's opponentRepublicanMarsha Blackburn.
It was hard to see so many people feel like they had canvassed and done everything and tried so hard. I saw a lot of young people's hopes dashed. And I found that to be particularly tragic, because young people are the people who feel the worst effects of gun violence, and student loans and trying to figure out how to start their lives and how to pay their bills, and climate change, and are we going to war – all these horrific situations that we find ourselves facing right now.
Although Tennessee governor Phil Bredesen lost the Senate race against Marsha Blackburn, Swift helped to motivate young voters to get registered to vote.[4] Around 65,000 Americans, ages 18 to 29, registered to vote in the 24 hours after Swift's Instagram post urging her followers to vote. By noon the next day that number was up to 102,000.[5]
"Only the Young" has been described as a "synth-pop tribute to the next generation of political activists."[6] Swift's vocal range in the song spans between E♭3 to B♭4.[7] The song is written in the key ofE-flat major and has a moderately fast tempo of 94beats per minute.[8] The backing vocals to the song are a kids choir that features Joel Little's two young daughters harmonizing with themselves.[1] "Only the Young" incorporatespolitical lyrics, in contrast to Swift's earlier works that were politically neutral. Swift urges young citizens to get involved in politics if they want things to change. She does this by alluding to 2017–2021US PresidentDonald Trump, the2016 presidential election, the succeedingvote tampering allegations, and issues likegun violence andschool shootings in the United States.[9][10][11][12] Willman termed the song "an anthem formillennials who might've come away disillusioned with the political process".[2] Joel Little said "Lyrically, that song has got so many gut punches in it — just really important lines, I feel. As that song was coming together and we were realizing what it was saying, it was a very emotional aura. The energy in the room was really intense. Knowing the way things have been going in the States lately with all these horrible shootings and everything, for her to be saying these things made it all the more powerful.”[1]
Entertainment Weekly writer Lauren Huff dubbed "Only the Young" a "political anthem" with lyrics aimed at American youth.[13]Billboard's Gil Kaufman called the song an "urgent, clear-eyed" tune that sees Swift "giving voice to her disillusionment about our stuck society". He described the theme as "a sad concession and a defiant warning" to older generations on how "their greed and failure to act has given rise to a youth movement determined to turn the page".[14]Vulture's Zoey Haylock found the song to be urging the listeners to "get out there and participate in democracy", and added that it exudes Swift's faith in the American youth.[10]
Rolling Stone writer Claire Shaffer wrote that the song documents the singer's "recent political awakening" as seen inMiss Americana.[15]Stereogum's James Rettig opined that the song finds Swift "reckoning with the current political climate and her place in it".[16] Writing forTaste of Country, Jacklyn Krol commented that the song could be Swift's most politically charged song yet.[17]Slate's Chloe Hadavas compared the lyrics of "Only the Young" to those of Swift's other politically charged songs: "The Man" (2019) and "Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince" (2019), adding that it is the latest addition to her "budding canon ofprotest songs", focusing "less onfeminist andqueer issues than on the cause of rallying younger generations".[18]Paper's Jael Goldfine defined the song as the musical accompaniment to Swift's "newly radicalized political identity"—"the Democrat-voting,Dixie Chicks-defending, nice-girl-no-more that she crafts inMiss Americana".[11]Cosmopolitan's Starr Bowenbank also labelled the song as Swift's most political song to-date.[12]Nylon's Layla Halabian termed the song a hopeful anthem "over a shimmering pop production", encouraging the youth to "challenge the establishment and secure a safer future".[19]
Empire critics Ella Kemp and Ben Travis listed "Only the Young" as one of the best soundtrack songs of 2020.[20] Michael Ordoña, writing forLos Angeles Times, listed "Only the Young" as one of 2021'sOscar-contending songs, remarking that it underscores Swift's status as a "significant cultural figure", evolving from her former "sugar-pop queen" image. Ordoña described the song as an "unabashedly political-while-still-catchyearworm".[21]
| Year | Organization | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | People's Choice Awards | Soundtrack Song of 2020 | Won | [22] |
| 2021 | Hollywood Music in Media Awards | Best Original Song – Documentary | Nominated |
In the United States, buoyed by 30,000 sales in its first week, "Only the Young" debuted at number one on theBillboard Digital Song Sales chart, becoming Swift's record-extending 19th number-one song on the chart. The song also debuted at number 50 on theBillboard Hot 100 chart, becoming her ninety-seventh Hot 100 entry.[24] In New Zealand, it peaked at number two on theOfficial New Zealand Hot Singles chart.[25] Elsewhere, "Only the Young" reached numbers 13, 20, 31 and 40 onScottish Singles,[26] the Netherlands'Single Tip,[27] Australia'sARIA Singles[28] andIrish Singles, respectively.[29] In May 2022, the song debuted at number 23 on theBillboardPhilippines Songs chart, following the results of the2022 Philippine presidential election.[30]
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As acountry musician, I was always told it's better to stay out of politics. TheTrump presidency forced me to lean in and educate myself. I found myself talking about government and the presidency and policy withmy boyfriend, who supported me in speaking out. I started talking to my family and friends about politics and learning as much as I could about where I stand. I'm proud to have moved past fear and self-doubt, and to endorse and support leadership that moves us beyond this divisive, heartbreaking moment in time.
— Swift on finding her political voice,Vanity Fair[31]
"Only the Young" was soundtracked in an advertisement as a part of Democratic campaigns in2020 United States presidential elections.Californian representativeEric Swalwell revealed that Swift allowed the usage of the song for theBiden/Harris campaign free-of-cost, marking the first time Swift has lent her music to be used in a political advertisement.[32][33]
The video advertisement was released on October 30, 2020. It opens with a quote fromvice presidential candidateKamala Harris wondering why "so many powerful people are making it so difficult to vote". The rest of the video features a montage of "chaotic and hopeful" scenes from the past four years in the US: Clips of#MeToo andBlack Lives Matter protesters, President Trump removing hisface mask following a hospitalization forCOVID-19, JudgeAmy Coney Barrett being sworn in as aSupreme Court justice, a 75-year-old protester in Buffalo being pushed to the ground by police, and a scene of young voters and supporters of Democraticpresidential nominee (and eventual winner)Joe Biden organizing and taking part inearly voting. The lyrics "And the big bad man and his big bad clan / Their hands are stained with red / Oh, how quickly, they forget" are timed to play over photos of Trump, SenatorsMitch McConnell andLindsey Graham, andAttorney GeneralBill Barr. The video ends with the motto: "You've marched for four years. Now it's time to run", and many popular hashtags, including #MeToo,#ICantBreathe,#WearAMask, #BidenHarris2020,#SaveUSPS and #Vote. Harris responded with thanks to Swift, and added that the singer is showing the American youth "what's at stake" in the election.[33][32][34]
On November 6, 2020, South Korean channelJTBC used "Only the Young" as its closing song for the day'sJTBC Newsroom—the evening newscast on the channel.[35][36] The song has also been widely used in the2022 Philippine presidential election campaign of the 14thVice President andLiberal Party presidential candidate,Leni Robredo.[37] In November 2024, the song was performed atKoncerthuset by theDanish National Symphony Orchestra,DR Big Band and the Danish National Vocal Ensemble, withMiho Hazama as the conductor and Stine Hjelm as the vocalist. The song formed part of the program of a two-night concert by theDanish Broadcasting Corporation's "Stjerner og Striber" (Stars and Stripes) podcast as part of their coverage for the2024 United States elections.[38]
Credits adapted fromTidal.[39]
| Chart (2020–2022) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[28] | 31 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[40] | 45 |
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[41] | 57 |
| Croatia (HRT)[42] | 82 |
| Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[43] | 86 |
| France (SNEP Sales Chart)[44] | 35 |
| Hungary (Single Top 40)[45] | 31 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[29] | 40 |
| Netherlands (Single Tip)[27] | 20 |
| New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[25] | 2 |
| Philippines (Billboard)[30] | 23 |
| Portugal (AFP)[46] | 139 |
| Scotland Singles (OCC)[26] | 13 |
| Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[47] | 89 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[48] | 57 |
| USBillboard Hot 100[49] | 50 |
| USRolling Stone Top 100[50] | 30 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[51] | Gold | 35,000‡ |
| Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[52] | Gold | 20,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Country | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | January 31, 2020 | Republic | [39] |
