Thomas Rhett, Remember You Young | Track Review

Country musician Thomas Rhett shines on the reflective, thoughtful ballad “Remember You Young,” the fourth advance single from Center Point Road.

“Yeah, I hope when we get to heaven / He looks at us like we’re kids / Shameless and painless and perfect and anxious / Forgives all the wrong that we did.” In case you didn’t hear, Grammy-nominated country musician Thomas Rhett is back, less than two years after releasing his third studio album, Life Changes.  The song at hand, “Remember You Young” arrives as the fourth advance single from Center Point Road following the surprising “Don’t Threaten Me with a Good Time”, “Look What God Gave Her”, and “That Old Truck”.

“Remember You Young” is a respectable length, clocking in at exactly three minutes. The record commences with a lovely piano introduction. Eventually, bass, guitars, lush strings, and a drum groove fill out the production. Thomas Rhett delivers a well-rounded, reflective performance.

The chorus serves as the centerpiece, with Rhett asserting:

“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 centerpiece, the verses focus on adulthood and the present.  On the first verse, he sings, “Hey, buddies that I grew up with / All strait-laced and married up now,” while on 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, he explores the past on the first verse (“You ain’t foolin’ me, wasn’t’ that long ago / We tore the roof of that one red light town”), as well as the future on the second (“One day, you’ll move away, but you’re still gonna stay / This innocent after you’re gone”).

Final Thoughts

All in all, “Remember You Young” is a fine mid-tempo country ‘ballad.’  That said, this is a record that goes beyond the country base and feels like it can thrive in the adult contemporary pop audience as well.  Thomas Rhett sings well, and the topic of choice is quite effective.

Thomas Rhett • Center Point Road • Big Machine • Release: 5.31.19

Photo Credit: Big Machine