We Are Young Deconstructed

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Intimate/Grandiose, Retro/Modern, Artsy/Mainstream, Pop/Rock – these are just some of the diverse terms that describe fun.’s mega cross-over hit – We Are Young.

Written by Antonoff, Dost, Means and Ruess, it was the first single released from their Some Nights album, and to-date has hit #1 on eight charts in five countries throughout the world, including the Billboard Hot 100, Pop Songs, Rock Songs, and Alternative Songs charts in the U.S.

So – just what made a song filled with so much diversity so effective and popular? A few of the many reasons explored in depth within the report include:

  • We Are Young comes across as unique & original in relation to songs topping TODAY’S charts, while also possessing a “familiar” sound that provides the listener with a “comfort level” that quickly hooks them in on a deeper level within the song (think Elton John, Queen, Ben Folds 5 influences.)
  • Effective licensing (Glee, Chevrolet Super Bowl Ad) that led to widespread visibility taking the song (and the band) to a level that would have been difficult, if not impossible to achieve in such a quick time frame in today’s music industry.
  • Strong production and engineering values that fuse intimate/grandiose, retro/modern and Pop/Rock seamlessly under one roof.
  • The listener is provided with TWO strong payoffs within the song – one in the chorus and one in the bridge. (THREE if you include the breakdown chorus that occurs after the bridge. It lends itself to an “audience participation sing-along” in a live setting.)

Check out the full report to see how all of the elements came together in propelling We Are Young to the top of the charts!

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