"Young" | ||||
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Single by Tulisa | ||||
from the album The Female Boss | ||||
Released | 29 April 2012 | |||
Format | Digital download | |||
Recorded | 2012 | |||
Genre | Eurodance | |||
Length |
4:12 (album version) 3:35 (single version) |
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Label | All Around the World | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | STL | |||
Tulisa singles chronology | ||||
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"Young" is the debut single by British singer Tulisa from her debut solo album, The Female Boss. It was released as the album's lead single on 29 April 2012. "Young" peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart, as well as number five in the Republic of Ireland.
"Young" was written by Peter Ibsen, Ali Tennant, and Contostavlos's former boyfriend and N-Dubz member Fazer. It was produced by Andres Chevalle and the duo STL, which consists of Fazer and Peter Ibsen. "Young" is Contostavlos's first solo single outside of group N-Dubz, following 10 top 40 singles with the group. It is an uptempo Eurodance song with house and trance music influences.
The song was originally titled "We Are Young", but it was changed to simply "Young" in order to avoid confusion with Fun's "We Are Young". "Young" was intended for another artist, but Tulisa was determined to record the song when she heard it for the first time: "They didn't even get a chance to pitch it to the [other singer]. It wasn't even finished and I was like, 'I'm having that song, give it to me!'". Although it was not written by Tulisa herself, the singer said the song represents everything she's about: "[...] It was written in such a way that I could have wrote it anyway – I could relate to it that much so I went 'yep, that's fine give me that record – I want to take it'."
Robert Copsey of Digital Spy gave the song four out of five stars, writing "[...] Musically she couldn't have picked a more certain path. "I make mistakes that I learn from/ 'Cause I'm young," she calls over a well-trodden mix of pulsing beats helmed by her former beau and bandmate, before a chorus of glorious strobing trance ensues. Its timing might initially seem suspicious, but by the song's final chorus, we honestly couldn't care less."Daily Star's John Earls referred to the song as "quality rave" and wrote, "it's more universal than N-Dubz but still sharp enough for her young crew." Amy Dawson of Metro wrote, "‘Forgive me for what I have done, ’cause I’m young,’ belts out the former N-Dubz, X Factor judge on her debut solo single, a brain-witheringly generic serving of Ibiza trance-pop. We forgive her that; but surely she’s old enough to know better than this?".