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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 of E-flat major and has a moderately fast tempo of 94 beats 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" incorporates political 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 2017–2021 US President Donald Trump, the 2016 presidential election, the succeeding vote tampering allegations, and issues like gun violence and school shootings in the United States. [9] [10] [11] [12] Willman termed the song "an anthem for millennials 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 in Miss 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 for Taste 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 of protest songs", focusing "less on feminist and queer 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 in Miss 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 for Los Angeles Times , listed "Only the Young" as one of 2021's Oscar-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-catchy earworm". [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 the Billboard Digital Song Sales chart, becoming Swift's record-extending 19th number-one song on the chart. The song also debuted at number 50 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming her ninety-seventh Hot 100 entry. [24] In New Zealand, it peaked at number two on the Official New Zealand Hot Singles chart. [25] Elsewhere, "Only the Young" reached numbers 13, 20, 31 and 40 on Scottish Singles, [26] the Netherlands' Single Tip, [27] Australia's ARIA Singles [28] and Irish Singles, respectively. [29] In May 2022, the song debuted at number 23 on the Billboard Philippines Songs chart, following the results of the 2022 Philippine presidential election. [30]
As a country musician, I was always told it's better to stay out of politics. The Trump presidency forced me to lean in and educate myself. I found myself talking about government and the presidency and policy with my 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.
"Only the Young" was soundtracked in an advertisement as a part of Democratic campaigns in 2020 United States presidential elections. Californian representative Eric Swalwell revealed that Swift allowed the usage of the song for the Biden/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 from vice presidential candidate Kamala 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 and Black Lives Matter protesters, President Trump removing his face mask following a hospitalization for COVID-19, Judge Amy Coney Barrett being sworn in as a Supreme 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 Democratic presidential nominee (and eventual winner) Joe Biden organizing and taking part in early 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, Senators Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham, and Attorney General Bill 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 channel JTBC used "Only the Young" as its closing song for the day's JTBC Newsroom—the evening newscast on the channel. [35] [36] The song has also been widely used in the 2022 Philippine presidential election campaign of the 14th Vice President and Liberal Party presidential candidate, Leni Robredo. [37] In November 2024, the song was performed at Koncerthuset by the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, DR Big Band and the Danish National Vocal Ensemble, with Miho Hazama as the conductor and Stine Hjelm as the vocalist. The song formed part of the program of a two-night concert by the Danish Broadcasting Corporation's "Stjerner og Striber" (Stars and Stripes) podcast as part of their coverage for the 2024 United States elections. [38]
Credits adapted from Tidal. [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 (OCC) [26] | 13 |
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100) [47] | 89 |
UK Singles (OCC) [48] | 57 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [49] | 50 |
US Rolling 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] |
Taylor Alison Swift is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her biographical songwriting, artistic reinventions, and cultural impact, Swift is a leading figure in popular music and the subject of widespread public interest.
"Love Story" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released as the lead single from her second studio album, Fearless, on September 15, 2008, by Big Machine Records. Inspired by a boy who was unpopular with her family and friends, Swift wrote the song using William Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet as a reference point. The lyrics narrate a troubled romance that ends with a marriage proposal, contrary to Shakespeare's tragic conclusion. Produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman, the midtempo country pop song includes a key change after the bridge and uses acoustic instruments including banjo, fiddle, mandolin, and guitar.
"Safe & Sound" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift featuring the American musical duo the Civil Wars, taken from the soundtrack of The Hunger Games (2012). Swift and the Civil Wars wrote the track with its producer T Bone Burnett. The track is an indie folk ballad with a spare arrangement evoking Americana, alternative country, and Appalachian music. The lyrics are about the Hunger Games protagonist Katniss Everdeen's empathy and compassion for other characters, even as she fights to survive in the eponymous Games. Swift sings lead vocals with a high-pitched vibrato, and the Civil Wars provide vocal harmonies.
Joel Little is a New Zealand record producer, musician and Grammy Award-winning songwriter. He is best known for his work as a writer and producer with artists Lorde, Taylor Swift, Broods, Sam Smith, Imagine Dragons, Ellie Goulding, Khalid, Elliphant, Jarryd James, Shawn Mendes, Marina Diamandis, Amy Shark, Goodnight Nurse, Noah Kahan, Years & Years, the Jonas Brothers, and Niall Horan.
"Shake It Off" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and the lead single from her fifth studio album, 1989. She wrote the song with its producers, Max Martin and Shellback. Inspired by the media scrutiny on Swift's public image, the lyrics are about her indifference to detractors and their negative remarks. An uptempo dance-pop song, it features a looping drum beat, a saxophone line, and a handclap–based bridge. Big Machine Records released "Shake It Off" on August 19, 2014, to market 1989 as Swift's first pop album after her previous country–styled sound.
"Blank Space" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and the second single from her fifth studio album, 1989 (2014). Swift wrote the song with its producers, Max Martin and Shellback. Inspired by the media scrutiny on Swift's love life that affected her girl-next-door reputation, "Blank Space" portrays a flirtatious woman with multiple romantic attachments. It is an electropop track with a minimal arrangement consisting of synthesizers, hip hop–influenced beats, and layered vocals.
"Look What You Made Me Do" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and the lead single from her sixth studio album, Reputation (2017). Big Machine Records released the song on August 24, 2017, after approximately one year of Swift's hiatus due to the controversies that affected her "America's Sweetheart" public image throughout 2016. While secluding from public appearances, she wrote and produced the track with Jack Antonoff.
"Delicate" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her sixth studio album, Reputation (2017). She wrote the song with the producers Max Martin and Shellback. Inspired by events surrounding Swift's celebrity and personal life, the lyrics depict a narrator's vulnerability when she ponders if her reputation would affect the blossoming romance. "Delicate" is an electropop and synth-pop ballad that features vocals manipulated with a vocoder. Its production incorporates dense synthesizers and beats that evoke tropical house and dancehall.
Taylor Swift has released 61 singles as lead artist, 8 singles as a featured artist, and 39 promotional singles. She had sold over 150 million singles worldwide by December 2016. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), Swift's digital singles have achieved 137.5 million certified units, based on sales and on-demand streaming, as of July 2023. On the US Billboard Hot 100, as of April 2024, Swift has garnered 12 number-one songs and is the female musician with the most charted songs (263), most top-40 songs (164), most top-20 songs (100), most top-10 songs (59), most top-10 debuts (48), most top-five songs (36), and most number-one debuts (7).
"You Need to Calm Down" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and the second single from her seventh studio album, Lover (2019). Republic Records released it for download and streaming on June 14, 2019. Written and produced by Swift and Joel Little, "You Need to Calm Down" is a midtempo electropop and synth-pop song that is set over steady synth beats and has a refrain of ascending echoes. In the lyrics, Swift addresses Internet trolls and homophobes and voices her support for the LGBTQ+ community.
Lover is the seventh studio album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, released on August 23, 2019, by Republic Records. It is her first album after her departure from Big Machine Records, which caused a public dispute over the ownership of Swift's past albums.
"The Man" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her seventh studio album, Lover (2019). Swift wrote and produced the song with Joel Little. "The Man" is an uptempo synth-pop and electropop song with flashy harmonies, murky synths, and rumbling beats. In the lyrics, Swift imagines how she would be treated if she were a man. The song received a positive reception from critics, who praised its feminist message for the greater good.
"Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her seventh studio album Lover (2019). She wrote the song a few months after the 2018 U.S. midterm elections to capture her disillusionment with the American political climate. Written and produced by Swift and Joel Little, "Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince" is a synth-pop tune with marching band-styled percussion and background cheerleading shouts. It is a protest song that makes use of high-school imagery lyrically to depict the struggles navigating through a flawed system, with allusions to a troubled love story.
Miss Americana is a 2020 American documentary film that follows the singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and her life over the course of several years of her career. It was directed by Lana Wilson, produced by Tremolo Productions, and released to Netflix and select theaters on January 31, 2020. The film is titled after "Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince", a 2019 song by Swift.
"Enchanted" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for her third studio album, Speak Now (2010). Produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman, the song is a power ballad combining pop, rock, and country. The production incorporates gentle acoustic guitars and crescendos after each refrain, leading to dynamic electric guitars, a steady drum beat, and a vocal harmony-layered coda. In the lyrics, a narrator is infatuated with someone after meeting them for the first time, and she worries about whether the initial feeling will be reciprocated.
"Betty" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her eighth studio album, Folklore (2020). It was written by Swift and Joe Alwyn, and the former produced the track with Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff. MCA Nashville and Republic Records released the song to US country radio on August 17, 2020. "Betty" is an Americana-inspired song combining country, folk rock, and guitar pop. Its production consists of a harmonica, a pedal steel, guitars, and a key change after the bridge.
Gracie Madigan Abrams is an American singer-songwriter. She signed with Interscope Records to release two extended plays, Minor (2020) and This Is What It Feels Like (2021). After performing as an opening act on Olivia Rodrigo's Sour Tour, Abrams released her debut studio album, Good Riddance (2023), which moderately entered the Billboard 200. Throughout 2023 and 2024, she performed as an opening act for Taylor Swift on her Eras Tour, and received a nomination for Best New Artist at the 66th Grammy Awards. In late 2023, Abrams was featured on a remix of the song "Everywhere, Everything" by Noah Kahan, marking her first entry on the Billboard Hot 100. Abrams' second album, The Secret of Us, was released on June 21, 2024, to favorable reviews and commercial success, debuting at number two on the Billboard 200.
"Willow" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her ninth studio album, Evermore (2020). It was released on December 11, 2020, by Republic Records as the lead single from the album. "Willow" is a chamber folk love song making use of several metaphors to convey the singer's romantic state of mind, such as portraying her life as a willow tree, over picked guitars, glockenspiel, flute, strings, and percussion.
"Dear John" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for her third studio album, Speak Now (2010). The title references the Dear John letter, which is a letter written to a man by his romantic partner to inform him that their relationship is over. The lyrics describe a 19-year-old's toxic and inappropriate relationship with an older man. Produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman, "Dear John" is a slow-burning power ballad combining soft rock, electric blues, and country pop; the production incorporates electric guitar licks.
American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift has showed a significant political influence. Examined in an extensive body of reporting and analysis, the magnitude of her fame distinguishes her leverage in the politics of the United States from that of other American music artists. Elsewhere, Swift has inspired or been acknowledged by politicians from Australia, Brazil, Canada, and the European Union, amongst other jurisdictions. Music critics have described some of her songs, such as "Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince" (2019) and "Only the Young" (2020), as political protest songs.