13 Songs Bound to Make You Feel Young Again features Brothers Osborne, Imagine Dragons, Jack Harlow, Sleepy Hallow & Taylor Swift.

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hen you’re a kid, you want to grow up – it’s the aspiration.  Particularly when it comes to freedom, you don’t want your parents or other adults telling you how to live your life.  That said, once you reach adulthood, and you realize adulting is hard, well, you desire your youth back – oh, to feel YOUNG again.  This musical compendium, 🎧 13 Songs Bound to Make You Feel Young Again is all about young-oriented songs.  Every song in this sequel to 🎧 Celebrate Youth with These 13 Young Songs features some form of the word YOUNG.

With a plethora of youthful songs, 🎧 13 Songs Bound to Make You Feel Young Again features songs courtesy of 🎙 Brothers Osborne, 🎙 Imagine Dragons, 🎙 Jack Harlow, 🎙 Sleepy Hallow, and 🎙 Taylor Swift among others.  As always, this list keeps things eclectic, incorporating country music, alternative, rap, and pop.  So, without further ado, let’s start re-channeling that youth on 🎧 13 Songs Bound to Make You Feel Young Again, shall we?

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1. Brothers Osborne, “Younger Me”

💿 Skeletons (Deluxe) • 🏷 UMG Recordings Inc. • 📅 2022 

“Younger me / Hanging out but not quite fitting in / Didn’t know that being different / Really wouldn’t be the end…”It’s rare that country music and LGBTQ+ are mentioned in the same sentence. Is it even possible? Well, yes, and it’s become more frequent even if country music still seems to be incredibly heteronormative. 🎙 Brothers Osborne join the select few country musicians who add an entry to the LGBTQ+ catalog with 🎵 “Younger Me”.🎙 TJ Osborne took a big risk coming out as a major label country musician. The good news is, it seems things have worked out for TJ and 🎙 John Osborne, with TJ, most importantly, living his truth, and the duo continues to have success.  “Younger Me,” deservingly, earned Brother Osborne their first 🏆 Grammy award, something that’s more significant when you listen to the song and read the lyrics.

Congrats Best Country Duo/Group Performance winner – "Younger Me" @brothersosborne

WATCH NOW 🎶: https://t.co/iZP2mSPJkJ #GRAMMYPremiere #GRAMMYs pic.twitter.com/iQklxItdMl

— Recording Academy / GRAMMYs (@RecordingAcad) April 3, 2022

“Younger Me” is gay but not loud or unapologetic.  Honestly, this is a song that can appeal to different fan bases without offending anybody.  It’s not sanitized, but rather, incredibly classy and refined. This very thoughtful record finds TJ Osborne reflecting on his past and how it’s shaped him now. The word gay is never uttered, nor does it need to be.  Osborne had already come out before the song was released in 2021, and these lyrics speak to his journey without labeling it – skilled songwriting by him, John, and 🎼 ✍ Kendell Marvel.

“Yeah younger me

Overthinking losing sleep at night

Contemplating if it’s worth the fight

If he only knew he’d be all right

Yeah, younger me.”

Hopefully everyone, regardless of sexuality or being ‘different’ are inspired by this gem.

 

Appears in 🔻:

• Brothers Osborne, “Younger Me”: LGBTQ Bopz 🌈🎶 23 (2022)

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2. Jack Harlow, “Young Harleezy”

💿 Come Home the Kids Miss You • 🏷 Generation Now / Atlantic • 📅 2022

🏆 Grammy-nominated rapper 🎙 Jack Harlow came into his sophomore album, 💿 Come Home the Kids Miss You, with an exorbitant amount of hype. Unfortunately, the album doesn’t necessarily show growth artistically. It has its entertaining moments, mind you, but far too often, the Kentucky-bred boy, who everyone wants to succeed, underwhelms.  Arguably, even the ‘young’ song at hand, 🎵 “Young Harleezy,” doesn’t quite hit the way Harlow intended.

In the beginning, his flow is relatively agile, riding a smooth beat, well, smoothly – that’s what he does.  A change of pace occurs, led by a beat switch and a 🎙 Snoop Dogg interlude hyping him up (“Ayy, Jack, I mean, Mack, ‘cause Jack is the Mack, and he’s back, believe that”).  Jack follows with an agile, yet low-key performance emulating a mix of 🎙 Drake and 🎙 Lil Wayne.  The idea and vibe are cool but also a missed opportunity; you’d like more bite, oomph, and punch from Jack, all told.

Appears in 🔻:

• Young: 5ive Songs No. 27 (2022)

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3. Sam Smith, “Young”

💿 Love Goes • 🏷 Capitol • 📅 2020

🏆 Grammy and Academy Award winner 🎙 Sam Smith delayed his new studio album in 2020.  After releasing singles far in advance of the album release date, Smith scrapped their original third album, eventually releasing 💿 Love Goes on October 30, 2020.  Though Love Goes fails to supplant Smith’s past work, it yields some great moments, including opener, 🎵 “Young.”

“If you wanna judge me, then go and load the gun / I’ve done nothing wrong, I’m young…” Smith commences Love Goes with tremendous authenticity and honesty on “Young.”  Furthermore, they serve up something totally different than we’re accustomed to hearing from them: an a cappella record. “Young” does a sound job of establishing the contrast that characterizes Love Goes, while maintaining Smith’s ‘heart on my sleeve’ persona.  Admittedly, they’ve made mistakes and done stupid things, but they blame it on being young.

Appears in 🔻:

• 13 Y Songs: No Rhyme or Reason

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4. Sleepy Hallow, “Die Young” (Ft. 347aidan)

🎵 “Die Young” • 🏷 Winner Circles Entertainment • 📅 2022

“Lookin’ through my memories, fallin’ into jealousy / How can I miss you? You’re really just my enemy.” Woo! Teen Canadian rapper 🎙 347aidan kicks off the short but sweet vibe that is 🎵 “Die Young”.  347aidan is responsible for the intro and eventual chorus of this 🎙 Sleepy Hallow-led single.  Young 347 continues, “Breakin’ apart, but I gotta hold my legacy / And I don’t wanna die-I don’t- I don’t wanna die young.”

347aiden sets the tone. 🎛 Great John, likewise, stitches up the production.  Both give Sleepy Hallow ample fuel for his fire though I suspect, the Jamaican-born, NYC drill rapper was already locked-in. “Ayy, I don’t wanna die young, so I stay with a stick / Still on that shit, fuck two times six.” Woo! Over the course of two verses, he exhibits a confident, kick-ass flow (“When I’m cookin’, I’m not in the kitchen / I’m probably somewhere outta town doing business”).  He shouts out his close friend, Sheff G early on in the first verse.  As to be expected, the rhymes are street savvy and unapologetic – Sleepy don’t play! He references sex, multiple times, and of course, he’s tough – “Fear nobody, I’m ready to bleed.” “Die Young” is an enjoyable two-and-a-half-minutes all told. Bonus points for the entertaining music video.

Appears in 🔻:

• Young: 5ive Songs No. 27 (2022)
• Awesome Songs: June 2022

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5. Taylor Swift, “Only the Young”

🎵 “Only the Young” • 🏷 Taylor Swift • 📅 2020 

🎙 Taylor Swift keeps things short and sweet on 🎵 “Only the Young” from her Netflix documentary,  🎦 Miss Americana.  Written and produced with 🎼 ✍ 🎛 Joel Little, “Only the Young” is a politically charged pop record.  🏆 The Grammy-winner addresses the controversial 2016 presidential election (“The game was rigged, the ref got tricked”), the muted voices of the youth (“you were outnumbered this time”), and school shootings/gun control (“So every day now / You brace for the sound you’ve only heard on TV/ You go to class, scared / Wondering where the best hiding spot would be.”

Ultimately, Swift uses unfortunate situations to empower the youth to drive change. This is best exemplified in the chorus, which highlights the titular lyric. Beyond the chorus, on the post-chorus/bridge, she further encourages the young to be resolute:

“Don’t say you’re too tired to fight

It’s just a matter of time.”

#ONLYTHEYOUNG!

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6.Zach Bryan, “Younger Years”

💿 American Heartbreak • 🏷 Belting Bronco / Warner • 📅 2022

“How being young is so painful and strange.” Yes, 🎙 Zac Bryan, being young is truly an experience.  That said, when it’s gone, it’s gone, and you definitely miss aspects of those days (I know I do).  🎵 “Younger Years” appears as the eighth track on the country musician’s 2022 album, 💿 American Heartbreak.  The triple album isn’t the briefest affair – it’s comprised of 34 songs running north of two hours in duration! Woo – Bryan has a lot to say!

“Younger Years” is a solid record. It’s set in a major key and blessed with a driving, country groove, and perhaps more impressively, fine storytelling.  “Deborah’s on the bar and she’s dancin’ again / To an old folk song that reminds her of him,” Bryan sings in the second verse, expressively. Later, “Now I’m drunk and walkin’ home all alone, my honey / Lookin’ for aa better place to spend my money.” Vocally, I love Bryan’s tone.  Regarding form, there are three verses.  The first two verses appear consecutively, followed by the centerpiece, the chorus:

“Lettin’ go, movin’ on

Keepin’ strong and finding God

I find it awfully hard we made it here

A few good friends on the longest night

Getting’ high until we cry

Enjoyin’ all the pain of younger years.”

The final verse follows, with another iteration of the chorus, and an outro coming afterward.  “Younger Years” is a worthwhile listen!

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7. Asbjørn, “Young Dumb Crazy”

💿 Boyology • 🏷 Embassy of Music • 📅 2022

🎙 Asbjørn (Asbjørn Toftdahl Terkelsen) is a talented pop musician from Denmark. The Danish artist proves he’s no slouch, shining on 🎵 “Young Dumb Crazy”, the promo single from his third studio album, 💿 BOYOLOGY.  In “Young Dumb Crazy,” which Terkelsen wrote himself, he speaks from the perspective of an ex-boyfriend, but also, reflects on his own poor decisions within a relationship. “I put all the things into the song that I wished he would have said to me,” he says, later adding, “As I wrote the song, I realised the double-perspective, the irony and my own hypocrisy.” “Young Dumb Crazy,” as you might suspect, is a must-hear.

There’s plenty to heart about “Young Dumb Crazy,” period. Produced by Asbjørn and 🎛 Tom Stafford, the backdrop is warm, never crowding the vocalist.  More impressive are the lovely, cutting vocals by Terkelsen.  I love his tone, as well as the vocal production itself.  He delivers an authentic, expressive, and truly nuanced vocal performance.  Adding to the awesomeness is the sheer honesty of the lyrics and the personal tilt, as previously mentioned.  The crème de la crème is definitely the catchy, memorably penned chorus.  Somewhere around the 2:17 mark, “Young Dumb Crazy” picks up intensity with some distinct vocal effects and colorful production touches. It’s a contrast to both what precedes and proceeds. All in all, he delivers the goods on “Young Dumb Crazy” singing fantastically, writing great, personal, and reflective lyrics, and constructing a solid backdrop. Terkelsen adds another gem to the LGBTQ+ catalog and the pop catalog.

Appears in 🔻:

• Awesome Songs: May 2021
• A Must-Hear PRIDE 🏳️‍🌈 Compendium: 2021
• Young: 5ive Songs No. 27 (2022)

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8. Imagine Dragons, “Younger”

💿 Mercury – Acts 1 & 2 • 🏷 KIDinaKORNER / Interscope • 📅 2022

“Keep thinking, what am I supposed to do? / My body’s not working like it used to / And these bills keep piling up on me / Remember when I had no responsibilities.” Ain’t it the truth, 🎙 Dan Reynolds! The 🎙 Imagine Dragons frontman reflects on past, simpler times on the song  🎵 “Younger.” “Younger” appears as the energetic 15^th track from 💿 Mercury – Act 2 and the 29^th overall track on the band’s 2022 double album, 💿 Mercury – Acts 1 & 2. Yeah, that’s a lot of Imagine Dragons!

The sound of “Younger” is quintessential Imagine Dragons – big, bombastic, in-your-face, etc.  The beat is rhythmic, the ideas are layered at times, and Dan Reynolds isn’t a shy vocalist.  In the second verse, Reynolds reflects on the pain of unexpected loss.  In the bridge, he doesn’t want to grow older, but, expectedly, wishes to return to when he was younger.  The chorus does a mighty job of capturing this sentiment:

“So, take me back when I was younger

And I was still hungry

Take me back when I was younger

Yeah, I got the world at my feet

Just try and stop me (Just try and stop me)

Yeah, take me back when I was younger.”

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9. Bazzi, “Young & Alive”

🎵 “Young & Alive” • 📅 2020

“Ridin’ my bike like I’m too young to drive / Careless and free like it’s 2005 / Had to chill the fuck out, take a trip outside /To have fun with my friends like I’m young and alive.” In 2020, twenty-something pop artist 🎙 Bazzi (Andrew Bazzi) was feeling 🎵 “Young & Alive”. He lacks no swagger.  His melodic lines are rhythmic, influenced by hip-hop, incorporating a pop-rap sensibility.  Andrew casually throws in f-bombs that totally match the chill, youthful vibe.  The first utterance of fuck occurs in the chorus, at the top of the track.

The lyrics are reminiscent, as evidenced in various sections of the “Young & Alive.”  In the first verse, Bazzi sings, innocently, “We ain’t gotta fuck or nothing / We could hold hands or somethin’.” The same ‘innocence’ turns into more in the pre-chorus, as he sings, “But when the night gets late and we’re too fucked up / Please don’t tell your mom, don’t wanna mess this up.”  Beyond the colorful lyrics and easy-going performance, the backdrop supporting Bazzi is pretty strong, further bringing out the best of him – in a mellow sort of way.  Relatively simple, Bazzi doesn’t seem to take himself too seriously, and that’s part of the charm.

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10. Thomas Rhett, “Remember You Young”

💿 Center Point Road • 🏷 Big Machine • 📅 2019

🎵 “Remember You Young” appears as the 12^th track from 💿 Center Point Road, the fourth studio album by 🏆 Grammy-nominated country singer, 🎙 Thomas Rhett.  Worth noting, that the title track and album were named after a place where Rhett lived (📍 Center Point Road in Hendersonville, Tennessee).  Focusing on “Remember You Young,” the highlight commences with a lovely piano introduction. Eventually, bass, guitars, lush strings, and a drum groove fill out the production. Rhett delivers a well-rounded, reflective performance.

The chorus serves as the centerpiece:

“And no matter how much time goes by
And no matter how much we grow up
For worse or for better, from now ‘til forever
I’ll always remember you young.”

Prior to the chorus, the verses focus on adulthood and the present.  In the first verse, Rhett sings, “Hey, buddies that I grew up with / All strait-laced and married up now,” while in the second, he sings, “And hey, babies, crawlin’ on the carpet / No, you won’t be that little for long.” Besides focusing on present things, Rhett also explores the past and the future. All in all, “Remember You Young” is a fine mid-tempo country ballad.

Appears in 🔻:

• 11 Memorable Songs You Are Sure to Remember
• Young: 5ive Songs No. 27 (2022)

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11. Ruel, “Younger”

💿 Ready (EP) • 🏷 RCA • 📅 2018

Honestly, very few 15-year-olds that have the ‘chops’ that Aussie pop singer 🎙 Ruel showcased in 2018.   Even back then, his voice oozed with expression, nuance, and the utmost soulfulness.  He delivered a surefire, soulful-pop standout on 🎵 “Younger”,  a single from his EP, 💿 Ready (EP).

“Deep in my heart I / Know that it’s over… / So I can’t call you / Call you my brother / The way we used to / When we were younger, younger.”  Ruel is on-point throughout the record, reminiscing back to a friendship from his youth that has since ceased.   He’s clearly perturbed on the aforementioned chorus and goes on to sing about his efforts trying to rekindle the friendship sans success.  Ultimately, the message he conveys is relatable to everyone – who hasn’t had a friend that they’ve lost contact with or grew apart from?  The soulful, gospel-infused production (🎛 M-Phazes) is fitting given the yearning, regretful, and reminiscent nature of this record.

Appears in 🔻:

• Young: 5ive Songs No. 27 (2022)

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12. Kevin McHale, “Younger”

💿 Boy (EP) • 🏷 Kevin McHale • 📅 2019

🎙 Kevin McHale – the singer and actor, not the basketball player – concludes his 2019 EP, 💿 Boy,  with the reflective, reminiscent 🎵 “Younger.” All in all, “Younger” is a thoughtful, well-rounded mid-tempo pop number.  Like the songs that precede it, McHale showcases his beautiful tone. He never over-sings, providing the right amount of oomph.

Digging deeper into the reminiscence of “Younger,” he’s authentic, candid, and honest; he doesn’t sugarcoat.  It’s intriguing to hear him sing about going to the movies “To see Superbad /… We were young and dumb, we got kicked out…” One of the most interesting lines, however, appears at the end of the first verse: “I called you up like, ‘Bro, no homo, what you doin’ now?’” Of course, the slang phrase, no homo is controversial because it seems to open the door to homophobia. In Teen Vogue, of the use of the line, McHale asserts:

“…It was to represent that time when I was 18 or 19, there’s this guy I’m into, I don’t know if he’s into guys. You’re like, what do I actually say then? …I want it to be super relatable in terms of like, most of us have been in that position where we have a crush on our straight best friend in middle school or high school or something. And you’re gauging the situation, that’s what it was.”

When you’re gay and you don’t know if another guy is gay, well, it’s an awkward situation to navigate.  As “Younger” progresses, we continue to get a compelling tale with intriguing lyrics including, “All of the nights left sleepless, all of the times we’d hide / Poker in my gazebo, your first kiss with a guy.” That doesn’t even entail the chorus where, “We were once kids… back then, we were younger.”

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13. Shawn Mendes, “Youth” (Ft. Khalid)

💿 Shawn Mendes • 🏷 Island • 📅 2018 

When it comes to the song 🎵 “Youth”, featuring 🎙 Khalid, 🎙 Shawn Mendes expressed to Variety, “‘When we talk about the word youth, we’re not describing age, but the feeling of happiness and freedom’.” Additionally, this highlight from his third studio album, 💿 Shawn Mendes (2018), also encompasses the infamous Manchester terrorist attack. It’s safe to say this duet is NOT mere kid stuff or child’s play!

“Youth” is a solidly produced pop track, leaning more on subtlety than overtness.  The palette of sounds is generally ‘kinder gentler,’ including restrained but consistent rhythmic guitar and piano.  Vocally, there is a balance between both 🏆 Grammy-nominated singers. Mendes and Khalid split the first verse, with Khalid singing the first half and Mendes singing the back half. Mendes leads the charge on the pre-chorus (“Pain, but I won’t let it turn into hate. No, I won’t let it change me / Never losing sight of the one I keep inside…”), while Khalid has a couple of lyrics as well.  Both sing together in the chorus which is a relatively simple but effective statement about maintaining youth and perhaps, more importantly, life/living.

“You can’t take my youth away

This soul of mine will never break

As long as I wake up today

You can’t take my youth away.”

Mendes and Khalid ultimately strike gold in this meaningful, thoughtful duet.

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13 Songs Bound to Make You Feel Young Again [📷: Atlantic, Belting Bronco, Big Machine, Brent Faulkner, Capitol, Embassy of Music, Generation Now, Interscope, Island, Kevin McHale, KIDinaKORNER, The Musical Hype, Taylor Swift, UMG Recordings Inc., Warner, Winner Circle Entertainment, cottonbro, Darko Simancas, Dhemer Gonçalves, Pavel Danilyuk, Renata Brant, Rene Barrera, RODNAE Productions, Yan Krukov]

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