Only the Young (Taylor Swift song)

"Only the Young" is a song by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released through Republic Records on January 31, 2020, alongside Miss Americana, a Netflix documentary that follows Swift's life and career over several years, where the song is featured in the ending credits. Held back from being included on Swift's seventh studio album, Lover (2019), the song was written and produced by Swift and Joel Little. "Only the Young" is an electropop song with a whistling synth and trap beats. It received critical acclaim upon release, with praise towards Swift's lyricism on United States politics, addressing issues like gun violence and mass shootings.

"Only the Young"
Promotional single by Taylor Swift
ReleasedJanuary 31, 2020 (2020-01-31)
Genre
Length2:37
LabelRepublic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Joel Little
  • Taylor Swift
Lyric video
"Only the Young" on YouTube

Entering the charts in several countries worldwide, "Only the Young" debuted at number one on the Billboard Digital Song Sales chart, becoming Swift's record-extending nineteenth number-one song on it. It also debuted at number 50 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number two on The Official New Zealand Top 40 "Hot Singles" chart.

Background and composition

Swift wrote "Only the Young" after the 2018 United States elections. Chris Willman of Variety termed the song as "an anthem for millennials who might've come away disillusioned with the political process".[1] Prior to the elections, Swift broke her political silence by endorsing two Democrats: Congressman Jim Cooper for re-election to the House of Representatives, and former Tennessee governor Phil Bredesen for the Senate.[2] Swift also criticized the voting record of Bredesen's opponent, Republican Marsha 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.

— Taylor Swift, "How Midterm Elections Inspired Taylor Swift's New Song, 'Only the Young'", Variety[3]

In an interview with Willman, Swift revealed that she held back "Only the Young" from being included on her seventh studio album Lover (2019). She also revealed that the song is co-written and co-produced with Joel Little, who worked with Swift on four songs on the album including "Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince", from which the title of the documentary comes, and that it is not intended to be a single.[3] Little added the song was the last he and Swift worked on in a week in New York City, following "The Man" and "Me!", and that his two daughters contributed backing vocals to the song.[3]

"Only the Young" incorporates political lyrics, in contrast to her earlier work which was politically neutral. Swift urges young citizens to get involved in politics if they want things to change. She does this by alluding to President Donald Trump, the 2016 presidential election, the vote tampering allegations after the election, and issues like gun violence and school shootings in the United States.[4][5][6][7]

Critical reception

"Only the Young" received acclaim from music critics. Billboard's Gil Kaufman called "Only the Young" an "urgent, clear-eyed" song that sees Swift "giving voice to her disillusionment about our stuck society". He described the song's theme as "a sad concession and a defiant warning to the older generation that their greed and failure to act has given rise to a youth movement determined to turn the page."[8] Vulture's Zoey Haylock wrote that the song "urges you to get out there and participate in democracy", and added that it exhibits Swift's "faith in the youth of America".[5] Rolling Stone's Claire Shaffer stated that the song documents Swift's "recent political awakening" as seen in Miss Americana.[9] Stereogum's James Rettig opined that the song finds Swift "reckoning with the current political climate and her place in it".[10]

Writing for Taste of Country, Jacklyn Krol commented that the song could be Swift's "most politically charged song yet".[11] Slate's Chloe Hadavas compared the lyrics of "Only the Young" to that of Swift's other politically-charged songs: "The Man" and "Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince", saying that song is the "latest addition to her budding canon of protest songs", that focuses "less on feminist and queer issues than on the cause of rallying younger generations".[12] 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 in Miss Americana".[6] Cosmopolitan's Starr Bowenbank also labelled the song as Swift's "most political song to-date".[7] Nylon's Layla Halabian termed the song as a "hopeful anthem over a shimmering pop production", that "encourages the youth to challenge the establishment and secure a safer future".[13]

Commercial performance

In the United States, buoyed by 30,000 sales in its first week, "Only the Young" debuted at number one on the Billboard Digital Song Sales chart, becoming Swift's record-extending 19th number-one song on the chart. Despite not being a single, the song also debuted at number 50 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming her ninety-seventh Hot 100 entry.[14] In New Zealand, it peaked at number two on the Official Top 40 Singles "Hot Singles" chart.[15]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.[16]

  • Taylor Swift – vocals, songwriter, producer
  • Joel Little – producer, songwriter, programmer, recording engineer, keyboards, studio personnel
  • Emmie Little – backing vocals
  • Lila Little – backing vocals
  • Serban Ghenea – mixer, studio personnel
  • John Hanes – mix engineer, studio personnel
  • John Rooney – assistant recording engineer, studio personnel

Charts
Chart (2020) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[17] 31
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[18] 45
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[19] 57
Croatia (HRT)[20] 82
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[21] 86
Hungary (Single Top 40)[22] 31
Ireland (IRMA)[23] 40
Netherlands (Single Tip)[24] 20
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[25] 2
Portugal (AFP)[26] 139
Scotland (Official Charts Company)[27] 13
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[28] 89
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[29] 57
US Billboard Hot 100[30] 50
US Rolling Stone Top 100[31] 30

Release history
Country Date Format Label Ref.
Various January 31, 2020
Republic [16]

See also

References
  1. Willman, Chris (January 21, 2020). "Taylor Swift: No Longer 'Polite at All Costs'". Variety. Archived from the original on January 21, 2020. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
  2. Haas, Susan (October 8, 2018). "Taylor Swift makes rare political statement, backing Democrat in Tennessee Senate race". USA Today. Archived from the original on January 22, 2020. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
  3. Willman, Chris (January 21, 2020). "How Midterm Elections Inspired Taylor Swift's New Song, 'Only the Young'". Variety. Archived from the original on January 21, 2020. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
  4. Brow, Jason; Norwin, Alyssa (January 31, 2020). "Taylor Swift Calls Out 'Big Bad Man' Donald Trump On Inspiring New Song 'Only The Young'". Hollywood Life. Archived from the original on January 31, 2020. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  5. Haylock, Zoey (January 31, 2020). "Taylor Swift's New Song 'Only the Young' Encourages Fans to Get Political". Vulture. Archived from the original on January 31, 2020. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  6. Goldfine, Jael (January 31, 2020). "Taylor Swift Said 'OK Boomer'". Paper. Archived from the original on February 1, 2020. Retrieved February 1, 2020.
  7. Bowenbank, Starr (January 31, 2020). "Taylor Swift Gets Political on Her New Song, "Only the Young," From Her 'Miss Americana' Documentary". Cosmopolitan. Archived from the original on February 1, 2020. Retrieved February 1, 2020.
  8. Kaufman, Gil (January 31, 2020). "Taylor Swift Holds Back Nothing in Urgent 'Miss Americana' Song 'Only The Young': Listen". Billboard. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  9. Shaffer, Claire (January 31, 2020). "Taylor Swift Drops Political Song 'Only the Young' from 'Miss Americana'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on January 31, 2020. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  10. Rettig, James (January 31, 2020). "Taylor Swift – "Only The Young"". Stereogum. Archived from the original on February 3, 2020. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  11. Krol, Jacklyn (January 31, 2020). "Taylor Swift's 'Only the Young' May Be Her Most Politically Charged Song Yet". Taste of Country. Archived from the original on January 23, 2020. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  12. Hadavas, Chloe (January 31, 2020). "Taylor Swift's New Protest Song Compares Our Politics to High-School Drama". Slate. Archived from the original on February 1, 2020. Retrieved February 1, 2020.
  13. Halabian, Layla (January 31, 2020). "Taylor Swift's New Song "Only The Young" Encourages Political Action". Nylon. Archived from the original on February 4, 2020. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
  14. Trust, Gary (February 10, 2020). "Taylor Swift Scores Record-Extending 19th No. 1 on Digital Song Sales Chart With 'Only the Young'". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  15. "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. February 10, 2020. Archived from the original on February 16, 2020. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  16. "Only the Young / Taylor Swift". Tidal. Archived from the original on January 31, 2020. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  17. "ARIA Australian Top 50 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. February 10, 2020. Archived from the original on January 21, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  18. "Ultratop.be – Taylor Swift – Only the Young" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
  19. "Taylor Swift Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  20. "Croatia ARC TOP 100". HRT. Archived from the original on February 24, 2020. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
  21. "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 202006 into search. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  22. "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  23. "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  24. "Dutch Single Tip 08/02/2020". MegaCharts. Archived from the original on June 22, 2020. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  25. "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. February 10, 2020. Archived from the original on February 16, 2020. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  26. "Portuguesecharts.com – Taylor Swift – Only The Young". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  27. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  28. "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 202006 into search. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  29. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  30. "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  31. "Top 100 Songs". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 16, 2020. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
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