We Are the Youth

Last updated

"We Are the Youth"
We Are the Youth by Jack River.png
Single by Jack River
Released10 September 2021 [1]
Length3:33
Label I OH YOU
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Jack River singles chronology
"Multiply"
(2020)		"We Are the Youth"
(2021)
Music video
"We Are the Youth" on YouTube

"We Are the Youth" is a song by Australian singer songwriter, Jack River. It was released in September 2021.

Contents

In November 2021, Rankin performed the song on The Sound . [2]

In December 2021, River partnered with Sydney's The Artist Studio to launch We Are the Youth Day where the song was reinterpreted by 14 up-and-coming artists. [3]

At the 2022 Rolling Stone Australia Awards, the song was nominated for Best Single. [4]

The song was also nominated for the inaugural Environmental Music Prize in 2022. [5]

Background

Holly Rankin (Jack River) said she was inspired to write the track after performing at the 2019 School Strike for Climate rally calling gate song "a protest anthem that forefronts a new generation of advocates and activists fighting for change". [6] Rankin said "I played to 80,000 young people, and I realised that I didn’t have an anthem for them, and myself – to express how we felt about the times." [6] Rankin told Broadsheet, "I had the concept for a really long time, over six or seven years, but being at that march made me realise I didn't have the song to give to these students and to my generation about how I'm feeling and how they're feeling." [7]

Rankin was empowered by this moment and inspired by multiple global social movements and Rankin's own experiences as well as forebears of the 'political pop' style of music such as Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and Neil Young. [8] [9]

Rankin said she began writing the song about "climate action", but released "...it needed to be about everything that everyone is feeling, which is, I think, a really persistent frustration with our leader and global leaders on climate action, on First Nations' rights and respects, on women's rights and respects. It feels like we’re at a cultural turning point. A lot of us feel like it can be tipped, but we're exhausted and the change needs to be urgent – especially with impending climate doom." [7]

Music video

The music video was directed by Rankin and Nyikina Warrwa and Wangkumara-Barkindji filmmaker Marlikka Perdrisat. It begins with a card dedicating the track to "the billions of young people driving urgent political and social change. We are living in the anthropocene. The actions of this generation will define the destiny of humanity and the planet for the rest of time." [8] It is assembled from archival footage and focuses on global change-makers such as Jean Hinchcliffe, Grace Tame and Brittany Higgins, in addition to global advocates like Amanda Gorman, Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim and Autumn Peltier. [8] [6] [10]

Reception

Tyler Jenke from Rolling Stone Australia called it "likely one of the most important songs of her career, unveiling the uplifting and powerful protest anthem." [8]

Sose Fuamoli from Australian Broadcasting Corporation said "The new Jack River single comes at us hard, but in the unique way only her music can. On the surface, it lands like a hazy folk-pop dream, yet stripping away those layers, we find some propulsive and honest songwriting from Jack River that can really strike a chord." adding "'We Are The Youth' is glimmering and pumped up with guitars and percussion that properly capture the essence behind the song's message." [10]

Emma Joyce from Broadsheet said "'We Are the Youth' can be described as 'political pop'. It's a shimmering mix of warped guitars and stomping drums." [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Rubens</span> Australian alternative rock band

The Rubens are an award winning 5 piece alternative rock band from Menangle, Australia. The band comprises the three Margin brothers, Zaac, Sam and Elliott, and friends Scott Baldwin and William Zeglis. Their debut self-titled album The Rubens gained them domestic success with it reaching number 3 on the ARIA Charts and being nominated for a J Award for Album of the Year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bad Dreems</span> Australian rock band

Bad Dreems are an Australian rock band from Adelaide, South Australia. The band comprises Ben Marwe, Alex Cameron, Alistair Wells and Miles Wilson (drums). The band first formed in 2011, releasing their debut EP in 2013. Since then, they have released three studio albums to date, with all three reaching the top 40 on the ARIA charts. The group have also performed alongside the likes of Midnight Oil, DMA's, Scientists and The Chats, and have toured internationally on numerous occasions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xiuhtezcatl Martinez</span> American rapper and climate activist

Xiuhtezcatl Roske-Martinez, also known by the initial X, is an American environmental activist and hip hop artist. Martinez was formerly the Youth Director of Earth Guardians until 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack River (musician)</span> Australian pop musician

Holly Isabella Rankin, who performs as Jack River, is an Australian singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer. Her debut album, Sugar Mountain, peaked at No. 11 on the ARIA Albums Chart. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2018 she received nominations for Breakthrough Artist, Best Pop Release and Engineer of the Year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tones and I</span> Australian pop singer

Toni Watson, known professionally as Tones and I, is an Australian singer, songwriter, and record producer. She is best known for her breakout single "Dance Monkey", which reached number one in over 30 countries including Australia. In November 2019, it broke the ARIA record for the most weeks at number one on their singles chart by any artist with 16 weeks. In mid-January 2020, "Dance Monkey" ended its 24th and final week at number one, beating Bing Crosby's all-time Australian record for his version of "White Christmas", which spent an equivalent of 22 weeks at the top in 1943. "Dance Monkey" was certified 18× platinum by ARIA for shipments of over 1,260,000 units by April 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Only the Young (Taylor Swift song)</span> 2020 promotional single by Taylor Swift

"Only the Young" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released on January 31, 2020, through Republic Records, as a promotional single for Miss Americana, a 2020 Netflix documentary on Swift. In the film's closing 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 and Joel Little, inspired by the 2018 United States elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">On the Line (San Cisco song)</span> 2020 single by San Cisco

"On the Line" is a song by Australian indie pop band San Cisco, released on 21 May 2020 as the lead single from their fourth studio album Between You and Me (2020).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">JK-47</span> Indigenous Australian rapper and activist

Jacob Paulson, known professionally as JK-47, is an Indigenous Australian rapper, musician, and activist from Tweed Heads South, New South Wales.

<i>Terra Firma</i> (Tash Sultana album) 2021 studio album by Tash Sultana

Terra Firma is the second studio album by Australian singer-songwriter, Tash Sultana. The album was released on 19 February 2021, through their own record label, Lonely Lands Records.

<i>0202</i> 2021 studio album by the Rubens

0202 is the fourth studio album by Australian alternative rock group the Rubens, released on 12 February 2021 by Ivy League Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Send It!</span> 2020 single by Hooligan Hefs

"Send It!" is a song by Australian hip-hop musician Hooligan Hefs, released as a standalone single on 18 November 2020 through DB Music and Warner Music Australia.

<i>Shyga! The Sunlight Mound</i> 2021 studio album by Psychedelic Porn Crumpets

Shyga! The Sunlight Mound is the fourth studio album by Australian psychedelic rock band Psychedelic Porn Crumpets. It was released on 5 February 2021 by What Reality? Records and Marathon Artists.

<i>Rehearsal</i> (album) 2021 studio album by Skegss

Rehearsal is the second studio album by Australian surf music and garage rock band Skegss, released on 26 March 2021. The album debuted at number one on the ARIA Albums Chart. Upon announcement, Skegss' Ben Reed said he was "not expecting it", and CEO of ARIA Annabelle Herd remarked that the band's "good time energy is exactly what we need right now".

"Love Songs Ain't for Us" is a song recorded by Australian singer-songwriter Amy Shark, featuring Keith Urban. The song was released on 19 February 2021 as the fourth single from Shark's second studio album, Cry Forever.

Flynn Sant, known professionally as Flowerkid is an Australian producer, singer/songwriter from Sydney, New South Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apple Crumble (song)</span> 2021 single by Lime Cordiale and Idris Elba

"Apple Crumble" is a song by Australian alternative rock duo Lime Cordiale and English actor and musician Idris Elba, released through Chugg Music and 7Wallace Music on 23 September 2021 as the lead single from their collaborative extended play, Cordi Elba (2022). "Apple Crumble" was recorded whilst Elba was in Australia filming Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), and was written by Oliver Leimbach, Louis Leimbach, and Elba, alongside the song's producer, Dave K. Haddad.

<i>Surrender</i> (Rüfüs Du Sol album) 2021 studio album by Rüfüs Du Sol

Surrender is the fourth studio album by Australian alternative dance group Rüfüs Du Sol, released on 22 October 2021.

<i>Forever</i> (Flight Facilities album) 2021 studio album by Flight Facilities

Forever is the second studio album by Australian electronic duo Flight Facilities, released on 12 November 2021 by Future Classic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glow (Jessica Mauboy song)</span> 2021 single by Jessica Mauboy

"Glow" is a song by Australian recording artist Jessica Mauboy. It was released on 5 November 2021 and is the first release on Warner Music, following her departure from Sony after 14 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Problems (Matt Corby song)</span> 2022 single by Matt Corby

"Problems" is a song by Australian musician Matt Corby, released on 3 November 2022 as the lead single from his third studio album, Everything's Fine (2023).

References

  1. ↑ "We Are the Youth – Single by Jack River on Apple Music". Apple Music AU. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
  2. ↑ "Season 3 Episode 4 Craig Reucassel". iView. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  3. ↑ "Jack River partners with Sydney studio for 'We Are The Youth Day'". The Music Network. 9 December 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  4. ↑ "The Sailor Jerry Rolling Stone Australia Awards Have Announced Their 2022 Nominees". Rolling Stone Australia . 13 January 2022. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  5. ↑ "Environmental Music Prize Searches for Green Theme Song". The Music Network. May 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  6. 1 2 3 Doria, Matt (9 September 2021). "Jack River champions young activists on powerful new single "We Are The Youth"". NME Australia . Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  7. 1 2 3 "We Are the Youth: Jack River's New Single Is a Rallying Cry for Young Activists With an Urgent, Powerful Video" . Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Jenke, Tyler (9 September 2021). "Song You Need to Know: Jack River, "We Are the Youth"". Rolling Stone Australia . Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  9. ↑ Gallagher, Alex (9 September 2021). "Jack River Returns with Soaring Protest Anthem "We Are the Youth"". music feeds. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
  10. 1 2 Fuamoli, Sose (9 September 2021). "First Spin: Jack River's new track is a shimmering anthem for today's generation of activists". Australian Broadcasting Corporation . Retrieved 15 January 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.