wrote the lyrics for "Young" with STL, a production duo comprising Pete Ibsen and Fazer. While in studio with Fazer, Tulisa overheard the song being developed for another singer and was determined to record it herself. In an interview for BBC Radio 2 she recalled, "They didn't even get a chance to pitch it to the , they were preparing it, it wasn't even finished and I was like, 'I'm having that song, give it to me'." When Tulisa first recorded the track in 2011, she envisioned it in Ibiza and at summer festivals with young people jumping and singing along to its hook. In February 2012, Tulisa revealed that she recorded various potential singles and found it difficult choosing which she should release first. She initially had doubts about releasing "Young" and wanted to write her debut single herself, but conceded, believing it represented her well. In an interview for Capital, Tulisa said "it was written in such a way that I could have wrote it anyway – I could relate to it that much". Speaking to The Guardian, she explained, "lyrically, musically, it had to be like – boom – here I am And the music had to represent me. So even though it's got that urban edge, it's got an Ibiza edge too, because I'm an Ibiza baby." Originally "We Are Young", the song's title was promptly shortened ahead of its release to prevent confusion with Fun's "We Are Young" which charted at the time.
Critical reception
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 Stars 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?".
Chart performance
In the United Kingdom, "Young" entered at number one on the UK Singles Chart on 6 May 2012 ― for the week ending dated 12 May 2012 ― with first-week sales of 122,000 copies, becoming the fastest selling single of 2012. The song has sold 385,000 copies in Britain as of December 2012. Meanwhile, in the Republic of Ireland, the song peaked at number five on the Irish Singles Chart.
The music video premiered on 23 March 2012 and lasts 3 minutes and 40 seconds. The video has received over 20 million views. The video features Tulisa hanging out with friends, dancing and partying in different places, singing about always being young. It was filmed in Miami, and rapper Chipmunk makes a cameo appearance in the video.
