• Darby VanDeVeen

"To Be Young" is a Tribute to the Youth of Today

Anne-Marie’s latest single perfectly captures the feelings of the youth of today. 

We all know what it’s like to be young. Either you were young once, or you’re still young and growing up now. Anne-Marie’s second single off of her second album is a tribute to her own youth and feelings as well as her fans. Collaborating with Doja Cat, who rose to fame after her song “Say So” became a viral hit on Tik Tok,the collaboration appeals to both sets of fans and makes a great listen.

The chorus of the song is filled with short phrases that get right to the point: “Fall in love/Broken heart/Break the rules/Drink too much.” However it seems to reference the outspokenness of millennials and Gen Z on social media lately with the line “give a f*ck.” While we tend to give a f*ck about a lot of causes, we also appear to care more about the minutiae of life in general since it’s been made readily available for consumption on multiple platforms.

The production of the song is understated, with simple music backing Anne-Marie and Doja Cat’s vocals. With that, more focus is put to the lyrics and overall theme of the song. Lyrics such as “we drinkin' all the liquor/Every night tryna feel something bigger” reference the tendency to try and lose yourself in the process of trying to find something bigger. Doja Cat’s verse also speaks to the culture today when she sang “Wanted to fit in when I didn't, I would know/And I just want freedom, can't be lonely/Heart that's hopeful, stupid from me/Say they love me but won't show me.”

Overall, not a lot of songs can reflect the culture around them with accuracy and “To Be Young” is a song that takes key elements from the youth culture of today and boils them down to the simplest terms. Anne-Marie and Doja Cat capture what it feels like to be young.


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