Live While We're Young

"Live While We're Young"
"Live While We're Young"
Single by One Direction
from the album Take Me Home
Released	28 September 2012
Recorded	2012
Studio	Kinglet Studios (Stockholm, Sweden)
Genre	Bubblegum pop
Length	3:20
Label	Syco
Songwriter(s)	Savan Kotecha; Rami Yacoub; Carl Falk;
Producer(s)	Rami Yacoub; Carl Falk;
One Direction singles chronology
One Direction EP chronology

"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".

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.