Live While We're Young
"Live While We're Young" is a song by English-Irish boy band One Direction, released as the lead single from their second studio album, Take Me Home (2012). Written by Savan Kotecha and its producers, Rami Yacoub and Carl Falk, the number was released by Syco Records on 28 September 2012. Falk, Kotecha, and Yacoub had collaboratively helmed One Direction's previous hits, "What Makes You Beautiful" and "One Thing". The track is an uptempo, upbeat bubblegum pop song which features rock undertones, vocal harmonies, hand claps, prominent electric guitar riffs, and repetitive synthesizers. The chorus of the song is predominantly featured alongside the bridge and is backed by wordless chants. Its opening guitar riff bears similarities with the Clash's 1982 single, "Should I Stay or Should I Go".
"Live While We're Young"
The track received mostly positive reviews from critics, who centred on its omnipresence and jubilant nature. The only negative feedback the song got was centered on the lyrics, which were interpreted as a thinly veiled euphemism for sexual intercourse. A commercial success, the song became a top ten hit in fifteen countries, while reaching the top of the charts in New Zealand and Ireland. In the United States, "Live While We're Young" debuted at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, marking the second-highest bow among all UK acts, outpaced only by Elton John's number one arrival with "Candle in the Wind 1997".
Following an unauthorized internet leak, the accompanying music video was officially released on 20 September 2012, four days earlier than the intended release date. Directed by Vaughan Arnell, the clip, which has a camping festival theme, was generally well received by critics, who commended its carefree nature. Upon release, it broke the Vevo record for having the most views in a 24-hour period with 8.24 million, besting the previous record which had been set by Justin Bieber's "Boyfriend" (8.00 million). Bieber subsequently regained the record with his music video for "Beauty and a Beat" (10.6 million). One Direction performed "Live While We're Young" on televised programs and during their two major concert tours: Take Me Home Tour (2013) and Where We Are Tour (2014). The track was featured in a Pepsi television commercial for the United States and was performed on an episode of Glee. This song is the first track on Now 45.
Background and release[edit]
"Live While We're Young" was written by Rami Yacoub, Carl Falk, and Savan Kotecha, and was produced by Yacoub and Falk.[1] The trio had collaboratively helmed One Direction's previous hits, "What Makes You Beautiful" and "One Thing".[2] In early 2012, the group confirmed a follow-up release for their debut album, Up All Night (2011), was in development. "In the summer, we’re going to get back and start a new record. We want to bring out a record nearly every year, every year and a half," member Niall Horan said, revealing they were arranging "meetings and stuff with different writers and producers."[3] The band began recording the album in May 2012, in Stockholm, Sweden, at Kinglet Studios—"Live While We're Young" is a result of those recording sessions.[1] In June 2012, Horan spoke to MTV News, elaborating that the lead single would probably be released in September 2012.[4]
The band confirmed the single by uploading a video to YouTube on 23 August 2012.[2] Globally, the song was made available for pre-order at 24:00 GMT on 24 August, through the iTunes Store, while excluding, Canada, Japan, and the United States.[5] The artwork was revealed on 14 September.[6] Jocelyn Vena of MTV News described it as portraying "the fivesome enjoying the outdoors during a camping trip, goofing off outside a tent."[6] On 28 September, Sony Music Entertainment released it digitally in Australia, New Zealand, and most of Europe.[7][8][9] It impacted the United Kingdom on 30 September, while in the United States it was released on 1 October.[10] Due to a processing error, the US iTunes Store was selling the track for 99 cents – instead of the general $1.29.[10] Label sources indicated the initial price was a mistake, but could not be corrected until midday 1 October.[10] By the afternoon, the price had changed from 99 cents to $1.29.[10]
Commercial performance[edit]
"Live While We're Young" debuted on the Irish Singles Chart at number one on 4 October 2012, becoming One Direction's fourth top ten appearance and their second chart-topper in Ireland.[30] In the United Kingdom, the single became One Direction's fourth UK Singles Chart top ten hit in twelve months, entering at number three on 7 October 2012.[31] Elsewhere in Europe, the song became a top ten hit in Austria,[32] Belgium (Flanders),[33] Czech Republic,[34] Denmark,[35] Hungary,[36] Italy,[37] the Netherlands,[38] Spain,[39] and Switzerland.[40] It was certified gold by the Federation of the Italian Music Industry (FIMI).[41] Additionally, it attained top forty positions in European territories such as Belgium (Wallonia),[42] France,[43] Germany,[44] Sweden,[45] and Slovakia.[46] The single debuted at number two on the Australian Singles Chart dated 14 October 2012, with first-week sales of 58,659 copies.[47][48] The single marks the group's highest peaking song in Australia, passing up the number-three peak of "One Thing", and their third top ten hit.[49] The track was certified double platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), denoting shipments of 140,000 copies.[50] The track made its New Zealand Singles Chart debut at number one on 8 October 2012, marking the group's first number-one hit, and their second top-five charting song in New Zealand.[51][52] "Live While We're Young" has received a platinum certification from Recorded Music NZ (RMNZ), indicating sales of 15,000 copies.[53] After three days of digital availability, the song made its Canadian Hot 100 debut at number 78 on 4 October 2012.[54] It surged to its peak position of number two the following week, recording the highest number of digital downloads in the tracking week for a song in Canada.[54]
In the United States, One Direction made US chart history by achieving the biggest opening one-week sales figure for a song by a non-US artist ever;[55] the track entered the Digital Songs chart at number one on 10 October 2012, selling 341,000 copies in its first week.[55][56] Additionally, it was the first time since January 2012, when Adele's "Set Fire to the Rain" was the top seller that a single by a British act had led that list and its weekly sales is also the highest by a British act since another Adele track "Rolling in the Deep", sold 353,000 units in a week in May 2011.[57] The single's opening sales is also the third biggest debut ever for a download by a group, surpassed by the arrivals of Maroon 5's 2012 single "Payphone" (493,000), and the Black Eyed Peas' 2009 single "Boom Boom Pow" (465,000).[56] "Live While We're Young" debuted at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, marking the highest bow by a British group and the second-highest debut among all UK acts, outpaced only by Elton John's number one arrival in 1997 with "Candle in the Wind 1997".[56] In addition, that tracking week marked the first time two UK artists have simultaneously started in the Billboard Hot 100 top ten, as Adele's "Skyfall" debuted at number eight.[56] Billboard correspondent Keith Caufield noted its "huge sales" spurred its high entry on the Billboard Hot 100, which blends sales, airplay and streaming data.[56] "Live While We're Young" also became the act's highest-peaking single, passing up the number-four peak of "What Makes You Beautiful". In the week ending 20 January 2013, the song topped the one million mark in US sales.[58] Likewise, the song was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on 23 January 2013,[59] and it has sold 1,248,000 copies in the US as of November 2013.[60]
Live performances and usage in media[edit]
One Direction performed the track along with songs of their debut album at the 2012 BBC Radio 1 Teen Awards (7 October).[68] The group performed "Live While We're Young" on The X Factor Italy (1 November)[69] and on the X Factor Sweden (2 November).[70] They also performed "Live While We're Young" and "Little Things" on The X Factor USA (8 November).[71] The group performed "Live While We're Young" and "Little Things" on the BBC's Children in Need 2012 telethon (16 November).[72] One Direction also performed the track at Germany's Bambi Awards (22 November).[73] "Live While We're Young" was included in the set list of the group's headlining sold-out show at Madison Square Garden (3 December).[74] It also was incorporated on the set list of the group's worldwide Take Me Home Tour (2013), utilised as the show's twentieth song.[75]
"Live While We're Young" was featured in a Pepsi television commercial for the United States that featured both One Direction and the American football player Drew Brees.[76] It premiered on Fox in the United States on 10 October 2012.[76] Vena called the clip comedic and assessed: "The brand-new commercial not only allows the group to show off their funny bones, but it also serves as a reminder that their new album Take Me Home, featuring "LWWY," is only a month away from dropping."[76] It was one of the songs covered by the cast of Glee during the 29 November 2012 episode "Thanksgiving".[77] The fictional character Sebastian Smythe, portrayed by Grant Gustin, sang lead vocals while the fictional Dalton Academy Warblers sang back-up.[77] The version was released on the studio album, Glee: The Music, Season 4, Volume 1.[78] The track was also used for the opening scene of the Miss Universe 2012 pageant.[79] An instrumental version of the song is featured in the exergaming video game Fitness Boxing.[80]
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Take Me Home.[1]