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• Only the Young Lyrics

Journey - Only the Young Lyrics

Artist: Journey

Album: Frontiers

Genre: Rock

Another night in any town You can hear the thunder of their cry Ahead of their time They wonder why In the shadows of a golden age A generation waits for dawn Brave carry on Bold and the strong Only the young can say They're free to fly away Sharing the same desires Burnin' like wildfire They're seein' through the promises And all the lies they dare to tell Is it heaven or hell? They know very well Only the young can say They're free to fly away Sharing the same desires Burnin' like wildfire Only the young can say They're free to fly away Sharing the same desires Burnin' like wildfire Only the young can say Only the young can say Only the young can say

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Journey - Only The Young Lyrics

In the shadows of a golden age A generation waits for dawn Brave carry on Bold and the strong

[Chorus:] Only the young can say They're free to fly away Sharing the same desires Burnin' like wildfire

They're seein' through the promises And all the lies they dare to tell Is it heaven or hell? They know very well

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Only The Young by Journey

• Another night in any town You can hear the thunder of their cry Ahead of their time They wonder why Shadows of a golden age A generation waits for dawn Brave carry on Bold and the strong Only the young can say They're free to fly away Sharing the same desire Burnin' like wildfire They're seein' through the promises And all the lies they dare to tell Is it heaven or hell? They know very well Only the young can say They're free to fly away Sharing the same desire Burnin' like wildfire Only the young can say They're free to fly away Sharing the same desire Burnin' like wildfire Only the young can say Only the young can say Only the young can say Only the young can say Young can say Only the young can say Writer/s: Jonathan Cain, Neal Schon, Steve Perry Publisher: Hipgnosis Songs Group Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind
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Comments: 2

• Kerri Journey use to rock with Steve as lead. New singer is good. But he is a substitute. Too bad all the old pain will not heal for those 3 guys. They are adults I think.
• Scott from Sc Journey is my favorite band and this is my favorite Journey song. I could listen to it over and over.

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Journey - Only The Young Lyrics

In the shadows of a golden age A generation waits for dawn Brave carry on Bold and the strong

[Chorus:] Only the young can say They're free to fly away Sharing the same desires Burnin' like wildfire

They're seein' through the promises And all the lies they dare to tell Is it heaven or hell? They know very well

Only The Young Lyrics

About only the young lyrics.

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Journey – Only The Young Lyrics

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More journey lyrics.

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• · Oh Sherry
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Only The Young

16 comments.

Lyrics submitted by Sweet_Summoner

Only the Young Lyrics as written by Jonathan Cain Steve Perry

Lyrics © Hipgnosis Songs Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

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no comments on this song? journey is one of the best bands EVER.

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This song apperead in the movie Vision Quest, it's about a high school wrestler, and it's one of my favorite Journey's song.

to jatuab- you should feel that way. This song stuck so well with me when I was 16 (1990). Its the most awesome time in your life. When I hear this song today at age 33 I still remember those incredible times.

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@cropduster I completely agree! And of course I would because I was in my 1st "puppy love" relationship 1986/87 @ 16 1/2 yrs old. Journey's Greatest Hits Album brings me to my knees (emotionally not literally) no matter which song. Teen years are soooo awesome & packed with grand memories.. (For most..) May we all be able to remember our memories & smile about them in the future. :o)

i like how there are 1-15 comments on every song except Faithfully and Seperant ways with like 40 and Dont stop believin' which has like 140

Journey is the best band 2 listen 2 wen ur in the middle or the end of a relationship and makes u realli sad like that episode of just shoot me were they are listenin 2 it and cryin over Xs

I like this song, though I liked Scandal's version a little more. It rocked a little harder.

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@DarkPoo Thanks for mentioning this as I have never heard that version and I'm going to check it out now.. However? Journey's Greatest Hits album holds WAY to much meaning and memories for me to ever think another version of this song (let alone any other) is better. Just my personal pref. Thx again!

@DarkPoo Hey there.. Back again to say that I did really enjoy Scandal's version! I always did enjoy Scandal which is why I decided to check it out & thrilled I did. I also found out & figured I'd share the info. (Whether you see this ever or not.. shrugs shoulders.. lol) But? I guess Journey sold the song to Scandal in 1984 which they released on their Warrior album. Which I liked but can't believe never heard them sing Only The Young.. Anyhow, ... Journey also recorded & released the song & Scandal was given a large settlement in the legal aftermath. Figured I'd share this interesting little tidbit as I was clueless to all this myself.

This song is awesome, one of my favorites by Journey. To me, I think of this song as being about being young and having the freedom to do whatever you want cause its so early in life. I guess this song can also mean dying at a young age as well. Idk, thats what i think.

This song's meaning is clear. It always makes me feel optimistic because I'm only 20.

I just turned 22 and this song makes me feel old...

@AnotherBrick how does it make you feel now?

@AnotherBrick Well 22 years old is not old however? In a blink you'll be 32 and then 42 and then... Lol, well you get it.. It's all good! But if a song makes you feel old, sad or otherwise down, I suggest you change the channel, CD, Video or whatnot to something that makes ya jump around and feel great! No time to be down! :) Age is but a #.... Seriously!

looove this song

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How a Leftover Song Changed Journey Forever

"Only the Young" became an inspirational touchstone, a homecoming spark, then an in-concert triumph. But first, it got left off one of Journey 's biggest albums.

"It was actually written for the Frontiers record," Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain told WCSX in 2018. "And some people, when we put the album together, thought it didn't work on the album and they wanted to put some other song in place of it. And I was kinda like opposed to it and I got outvoted, and it just sat on the shelf there in the vaults."

The first person outside of Journey's inner circle to hear the still-unreleased song was Kenny Sykaluk, a 16-year-old Ohio native battling terminal illness. His mother wrote the Make a Wish Foundation in the hopes that the band could visit Sykaluk.

"Back in 1983, when Make a Wish first began, one of the boys who was sick wanted to meet Journey," Cain told One One 7 in 2013. "He was in a cystic-fibrosis clinic in Cleveland, and we went off to see him. We had no idea how bad he was, but he was dying."

They brought an autographed platinum-album award, a football helmet signed by the San Francisco 49ers, and a Walkman. Inside the Walkman was a cassette recording of "Only the Young."

"Slipping the headphones over Kenny's ears, we watched as the kid began to listen to our unreleased song," Cain said in 2018's Don't Stop Believin': The Man, the Band, and the Song that Inspired Generations . "While the tune played, Kenny looked up and his eyes got huge."

Written by Cain, ex-frontman Steve Perry and guitarist Neal Schon , "Only the Young" eventually saw release, eventually became a hit, eventually turned into a concert staple. But in that moment, it became Sykaluk's song.

"As soon as I stepped out of that hospital room, I lost it," Perry said in the liner notes to the Time3 box set. "Nurses had to take me to a room by myself."

Listen to Journey Perform 'Only the Young'

Sykaluk died hours later. "When we did VH1's Behind the Music ," Cain told One One 7, "I was asked about the most powerful things that happened to me as a member of Journey, and it had to be with Kenny Sykaluk on that last day."

A leftover song suddenly took on deep new meaning within the group. "The lyrics to 'Only the Young' are powerful lyrics," Perry says in Don't Stop Believin' . "I really have to give credit to Jonathan Cain for coming up with the concept to write about, before we even knew about Kenny, about ' only the young can say they're free to fly away .' Because there's a certain innocence that the youth have. That's just a wonderful gift."

Journey was in the midst of a period marked by solo projects and internal strife. "Only the Young" ended up being covered on Scandal's debut album, while the original version – and Journey itself – continued to languish. They'd essentially split following Frontiers .

Then "Only the Young" was released on the soundtrack for Vision Quest on Feb. 12, 1985, and belatedly soared to No. 9 on the Billboard charts. Months later, sessions began for Journey's reunion on 1986's Raised on Radio .

Syaluk's passing put things in perspective. "It changed my outlook on life," Schon said on Behind the Music . "It makes you realize that the things you were making a big deal out of, maybe, were not so big."

Credit a label guy for finally smoothing the way for the release of "Only the Young." "David Geffen somehow got ahold of it and called our manager and said, 'I have this movie, Vision Quest ," Cain told WCSX. "And so we ended up taking it to New York to mix for Vision Quest ."

Journey subsequently opened every show on the Raised on Radio tour with "Only the Young." Later reissues of Frontiers also included it as a bonus track. For Cain, that winding path came to make perfect sense.

"Each song has its place and purpose," Cain said in Don't Stop Believin' , "and 'Only the Young' was meant to stay off Frontiers initially, simply because it belonged to Kenny."

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The top 20 elvis presley songs of all time.

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Elvis Presley performing on his comeback TV special on June 27, 1968.

Nearly 50 years after his death, Elvis Presley is still the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. The world knows him as Elvis, millions flock to Graceland annually to see his home and burial site, and he remains one of the best-selling solo artists of all time. Streams of his biggest hits now total in the hundreds of millions with numbers climbing daily.

Elvis Presley’s Most Popular Songs

The voice and music that first wowed young fans in the late 1950s, has appealed to new ones every generation since. And his long list of greatest hits have only gotten richer with time. We’ve compiled a list of the Top 20 Elvis Songs of All Time. With his vast music library, it’s a list that could seemingly go on forever, but we’ve capped it at twenty. We used a mix of criteria from thir place in music history, his history, and sales and streams today. Whatever the order, every song is just as dynamic as it was when he first released it.

20. “Always On My Mind” (1972)

A number of artists have recorded this song, from Willie Nelson to Brenda Lee, with Elvis tracking his rendition in 1972. Its release followed his break-up with wife, Priscilla, and was included on his album Separate Ways . The Elvis version remains a favorite with streamers.

19. “Amazing Grace” (1971)

Fellow musicians would tell stories of how much Elvis loved to hang out and sing gospel songs during all-night recording sessions in Nashville during the 1960s. The superstar recorded “Amazing Grace” in 1971 for his He Touched Me Album . His version of the song remains a streaming favorite.

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18. “Blue Christmas” (1957)

While other artists, including country star Ernest Tubb, had recorded “Blue Christmas” before him, it was the Elvis version that’s become the Christmas classic. It turns annually on holiday playlists still today. Elvis gave it a bit of a bluesy sound with the Jordanaires providing their exceptional back-up vocals.

17. “(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear” (1957)

Recorded for the soundtrack of his second movie Loving You, this song was a big hit on the pop charts, as well as the country and R&B charts. After its release, it also led to an influx of teddy bears sent to Graceland from adoring fans all over the country It seemed everybody wanted Elvis to “be their teddy bear.”

16. “Kentucky Rain” (1970)

When it was first released, “Kentucky Rain” didn’t climb as high or as quickly as many of his other hits, but it stayed on the charts long enough to eventually go gold. Elvis liked the song and enjoyed performing it live, so it became a staple in his live act.

15. “All Shook Up” (1957)

Written by songwriter Otis Blackwell, Elvis’ version of “All Shook Up” shot to the top of the charts in 1957. Elvis brought it back more than a decade later when he included it in a medley of early career hits for his NBC Comeback Special in 1968.

14. “Blue Suede Shoes” (1956)

Carl Perkins wrote and even recorded this song, but it’s the Elvis’ version people remember. Elvis released it in 1956, and it got a lot of traction after he performed on several TV shows. Elvis later re-recorded it for a scene in the film G.I. Blues.

13. “(You’re the) Devil in Disguise” 1963

Elvis recorded this fun, fast-paced song in Nashville in 1963. The song starts off slowly describing how “you look like an angel,” then picks up the tempo and starts rocking as he discovers “you’re the devil in disguise!” It shot quickly up the charts back then and is still streamed pretty frequently today.

12. “How Great Thou Art” (1967)

Elvis, whose music roots began in Gospel, recorded this at Nashville’s RCA Studios in 1966. It was the title track of his second Gospel album and would end up winning Elvis his first GRAMMY for Best Sacred Performance (in 1968). His rousing rendition of the song would become a high point during his live shows.

11. “Burning Love” (1972)

Elvis recorded this song at RCA’s studio in Hollywood in 1972, not long after his split with wife, Priscilla. At the time, Elvis was feeling depressed and more apt to listen to ballads and slow songs. He wasn’t interested in recording an upbeat song like “Burning Love,” but those around him talked him into it. It would be his last big hit and become a fan favorite during live performances.

10. “In the Ghetto” (1969)

Elvis had never recorded a “message song” when he heard this one written by Mac Davis. Elvis recorded the song during a 1969 studio session Memphis and it became a hit, as well as an emotional favorite during his live shows. His daughter, Lisa Marie, later recorded the song and her vocals were mixed with his for a posthumous father/daughter duet released in 2007.

9. “Suspicious Minds” (1969)

Recorded at American Sound Studio in Memphis, the lyrics touch on the frustration of a shifting relationship due to doubt and mistrust. Brought to life by emotive vocals, it was instrumental in boosting his career in the late 1960s. Elvis later ramped up the tempo of the song when performing it live. “Suspicious Minds” is a timeless favorite and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.

8. “Return to Sender” (1962)

This was a last-minute addition to the soundtrack for the movie Girls! Girls! Girls! Manager Colonel Tom Parker heard it, liked it, and pushed to add it to the film. After the song’s release, fans would send letters to Elvis at made-up addresses just to have the letters returned and marked “Return to sender, address unknown.”

7. “Are You Lonesome Tonight” (1960)

Elvis recorded this song in Nashville during an all-night recording session where he turned the lights down low to set the right tone. The song shot to No. 1 as soon as it was released and stayed there for six weeks. It’s one of seven Elvis songs that have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

6. “Love Me Tender” (1956)

He recorded this song for the soundtrack of his first movie Love Me Tender . Since it was planned for the film, when he sang it during his first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, it hadn’t been released yet. The response to the slow, beautiful ballad was so strong, it sparked more than one million pre-orders, overwhelming RCA. It became the first record to go gold before arriving in stores.

5. “Heartbreak Hotel” (1956)

This was his career first No. 1, coming before any of those iconic performances on the Ed Sullivan Show. The song captured his sound, his electrifying energy, and paved the way for how he was about to change rock and roll. Elvis was sharing the song with fans during his live shows across the country and they loved it. It’s ended up on nearly all of his compilation albums through the years.

4. “Don’t Be Cruel” (1956)

This song recorded at RCA studios in New York City was released as the A-side single, with “Hound Dog” on the B-side. “Hound Dog,” however, made it to No.1 first, then “Don’t Be Cruel” quickly followed. This was another early, fast-paced song well-suited to the highly energized Elvis. The crowd went wild when he sang it during his first performance on the Ed Sullivan Show.

3. “Hound Dog” (1956)

Elvis Presley already had his first No. 1 hit with “Heartbreak Hotel,” but it was “Hound Dog” that caught the attention of music fans around the world. He’d performed the song on TV, first for the Milton Berle Show (which sparked an outcry from concerned citizens), then the Steve Allen show. But it was this short clip during his first appearanc on the Ed Sullivan Show, that launched him into superstar status. (Sullivan had been injured in a car acccident and didn’t host that evening.)

The History Channel has ranked his September 9, 1956 appearance, one of the “10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America.” “Hound Dog” was the first of seven Elvis songs to be inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame (in 1988).

2. “Jailhouse Rock” (1957)

This song, which has one of the most recognizable intros in history, was the title track for the Elvis movie with the same name. The song reached No. 1, and the movie also made a strong showing at the box office. The well-choreographed number shows inmates enjoying the music so much, there was no need to escape. They simply wanted to “rock.” Elvis contributed to some of the choreography.

1. “Can’t Help Falling in Love” (1961)

More than six decades after its release, “Can’t Help Falling in Love” remains one of his all-time, most popular songs, so it’s listed as No. 1. With lyrics promising love and undying devotion, it continues to resonate with music fans around the world, and has been streamed hundreds of millions of times. Elvis recorded the song for the film Blue Hawaii and later used it as a show closer for his live performances. It connected with the crowed every time.

Bottom Line

Elvis had a voice and stage presence like no one else before or since, along with a gift in choosing the songs to showcase both. Musicians recall how he used to go through stacks of demos, tossing out song after song, until he found those that suited him best.

These Top 20 Elvis Songs of All Time are a short list of the vast music catalogue that counts as his music legacy. Proof, he was, indeed, the King of Rock and Roll.

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As in his previous films, Ayouch approaches Touda’s story with an unflinching and gritty realism. Everybody Loves Touda , which the North African director wrote with director Maryam Touzani ( The Blue Caftan ), is a mostly absorbing, if at times formulaic, portrait of a woman determined to change her life. Touda wants to become a traditional Moroccan folk singer, or a sheikha, and to enroll her deaf son in a school better suited to his needs. Their rural town doesn’t have the resources to fulfill either of these desires, so the young mother pins her hopes on Casablanca, a bustling city with famous stages and well-funded schools. To make money for the eventual journey, Touda sings in nightclubs, where she begrudgingly subjects herself to the seedy gaze of men drunk off beer and their own delusions.

In Everybody Loves Touda, Ayouch chronicles Touda’s journey from her rural town to Casablanca with a reverence for our protagonist’s independence. Working with DP Virginie Surdej, the director takes care to show how the young mother pursues her own version of happiness. From teaching her son, Yassine (Joud Chamihy), sign language to setting boundaries with her lover (Lachcen Razzougui), a married police officer whose name we never learn, Touda asserts herself as both a mother and a liberated woman.

Some of the most affecting moments in the film are those in which Touda sings aita , a folkloric genre of Moroccan music rooted in a poetry of liberation. The camera closes in on her face, privileging us with an intimate perspective. The music (by Flemming Nordkrog) is turned down, leaving us only with the ambience of the singer’s surroundings. Touda’s voice trembles as she croons about love, loss and other struggles of the living, as though these ancient lyrics were written with her in mind. Erradi’s performance — marked by a steely resolve softened occasionally by a vulnerable gaze — rounds out these moments. The actress is a gripping screen presence, her portrayal often saving Ayouch’s narrative from its own contrivances.

These narrative choices compromise the subtleties of the central performance and threaten to bury what is ultimately a stirring narrative. The most powerful thread in Everybody Loves Touda is how the singer’s attempts to become a sheikha, a traditional performer whose songs are lamentations for the soul, are thwarted by the people around her. It’s not just the men in the audience with their hungry stares and rapacious touches. It’s the nightclub owner who behaves as though he owns her; her parents who plead for her to return to the country; and fellow musicians (usually women) who accuse her of snobbery. Touda’s interactions with all of these figures clarify the irony of the film’s title. Yes, everybody loves Touda, until she chooses herself.

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Top K-Pop of the Week: Stray Kids, Lim Young Woong, ARTMS, BM, KINO, tripleS & More — Vote!

From globally focused crossover hits to modern-classical compositions, which of these 11 standout releases gets your vote?

By Jeff Benjamin

Jeff Benjamin

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Every week, the Korean music scene delivers outstanding songs across various genres and styles, and the past week was no exception, with a heavy-hitting selection of hits with global-pop potential, emotionally stirring compositions, and refreshingly honest storytelling.

Marking major crossover moments in their careers, Stray Kids and PENTAGON ‘s KINO teamed up, respectively, with fellow chart-toppers like Charlie Puth and Lay Bankz to bring two unforgettable and unexpected musical fusions that can transcend boundaries and new audiences. Meanwhile, solo stars like BAEKHO, Kim Jae Hwan and D.O of EXO are embarking on exciting sonic transformations to showcase new facets of their musical identities in this fast-paced industry. Alongside rising girl groups like ARTMS and tripleS, which set their sights on connecting international audiences, there’s also the solo sensation Lim Young Woong, who brings a modern take on classical and gospel music for the world to enjoy.

The 2024 Billboard K-Pop Artist 100

As the K-pop industry moves at a rapid pace, it’s important to pause and appreciate the innovation and diversity it offers across its different acts. Take a moment to explore these 11 new songs that embody the spirit of the scene and deserve a permanent spot on your playlist. Then cast your vote in our poll for the top of K-pop for the past week.

Of course, we absolutely love RM ‘s future hit “Come back to me” — both the six-and-a-half-minute original and the radio edit. The fact that  Billboard  readers declared it last week’s best new release and an undeniably cool new pop song of the week tells us that music fans truly know (and love) the track. So listen through these 11 other K-pop releases for your radar now and vote below.

Stray Kids, "Lose My Breath" feat. Charlie Puth

Stray Kids’ first original English single “Lose My Breath” positions the four-time Billboard 200 chart-toppers for their biggest crossover moment yet. A departure from the in-your-face impact of recent singles like “LALALALA” and “S-Class,” the breezy track sees the Kids teaming up with Charlie Puth to display the super-pop powers of two artists so heavily involved in their music. SKZ’s main producing members Bang Chan, Changbin and Han wrote and composed the track alongside Puth, who is the song’s co-producer alongside Hot 100 Producers mainstay Johnny Goldstein.

ARTMS, "Air"

Consisting of former LOONA members JinSoul, Haseul, Kim Lip, Heejin and Choerry, the newly formed ARTMS project has allowed the beloved K-pop stars to continue releasing music as soloists and via this new quintet. After LOONA’s original creative director Jaden Jeong produced new songs “Birth,” “Flower Rhythm” and “Candy Crush,” the latest shape-shifting pop cut “Air” is the fourth and final song to be released ahead of ARTMS’ debut album together Dall , out on May 31.

Yook Sungjae, "Be Somebody"

In his first musical move since departing his longtime label home of Cube Entertainment, Yook Sungjae reminds of his poignant power with vocal delivery and storytelling in “Be Somebody.” The new single unveils a vulnerability in the actor-singer, with Sungjae’s introspective lyrics speaking to a universal journey: “”All of my life I’ve been waging this war, trying to be somebody… / I won’t go back to who I was before because you make me be somebody.” With this first single, Sungjae’s new start leaves the huge promise in sharing stories fans previously weren’t previously privy.

Doh Kyung Soo (D.O), "Mars"

Embracing a transformative new chapter in his career by going by his full name professionally and releasing his first new music since establishing a one-man record label SooSoo Entertainment, Doh Kyung Soo — also known as D.O of EXO — invites fans into his world of effortless melodies and introspective lyricism. The easy-listening new track “Mars” has the markings of some of D.O’s best solo work like “I Do” from 2023, but has a newfound lightness heard throughout his new Blossom EP.

KINO, "Broke My Heart" feat. Lay Bankz

As Lay Bankz spends her third week at No. 1 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50, KINO couldn’t have planned a better time to release his new collab with the MC. The lead single off his debut solo record If this is love, I want a refund , the short-and-sweet “Broke My Heart” lets the two effortlessly and charismatically navigate heartbreak over bouncy, easy-listening production. It all indicates a promising start for the PENTAGON member who releases the track under his newly established agency, NAKED.

HYUNJUN, "Backseat"

Originally gaining fame as a member of THE BOYZ, today HYUNJUN has established himself as an actor and singer with his lush new release “Backseat” dropping in both Korean and English, a constant throughout his unexpected R&B departure for solo music that’s included other globally focused tracks like “Let Me Down” and “VO!D.” Infusing this new track with the same undeniable allure that helped him resonate with audiences early in his K-pop idol career, “Backseat” further affirms his status as a rising star on the global stage.

tripleS, "Girls Never Die"

tripleS is an incredibly ambitious girl group where they’ve grown into 24 total members and broken into different splinter groups for their releases since kicking off the project in 2022. For tripleS’ full-length album, ASSEMBLE24 , everyone was involved. Lead single “Girls Never Die” not only boasts a must-see live performance stage with all 24 stars but tripleS ingeniously splits the song and music video, ensuring that each member gets the moment to shine in her own right.

BAEKHO & BigOne, "Love or Die"

Former NU’EST member BAEKHO showed off his emo-rock prowess by releasing Love or Die , a collaborative EP with indie rap-rock sensation BigOne. The title track not only lets BAEKHO and BigOne seamlessly infuse their sections with each of their distinctive flair, but undergoes a metamorphosis with both EDM and unplugged renditions. Released under the esteemed K-pop producer label Prismfilter Music Group, the refreshing handling of a new single allows listeners to experience the track in different dimensions and further highlights the collaborative synergy between the pair.

BM, "Nectar" feat. Jay Park

Realizing a dream collaboration manifested years ago, BM lets his wild side out with “Nectar” alongside Jay Park. Over the light Afrobeat-inspired production, both rappers are audibly having fun on the sexy record. Depending on your standards, it’s almost NSFW with thinly veiled metaphors (“Take you down, down, make it spread wide/ Give me one taste of your nectar”) but as the KARD member has joked in the past, he’s in the business of “adult K-pop.”

Kim Jae Hwan, "Amaid (Prod. Dynamicduo, Padi)"

While his J.A.M (Journey Above Music) album was named one of Billboard ‘s best K-pop releases of last year, Kim Jae Hwan continues to show musical excellence and versatility with his first EP this year. The former Wanna One star’s latest collection I Adore is centered around the new single “Amaid,” produced by Korea’s hip-hop legends Dynamicduo and experimental hitmaker Padi, letting KJH wade into uncharted territory with a shape-shifting gem that allows his vocals to groove and dance with an unprecedented fluidity.

Lim Young Woong, "Warmth"

With two gorgeous new songs, Korea’s sensational powerhouse Lim Young Woong proves once again he’s a musical force to be reckoned with thanks to “Warmth” and “Home.” While both tracks showcase his unparalleled vocal prowess, the epic, gospel-tinged “Warmth” is emerging as the standout hit with a short film music video featuring actors Ahn Eun-jin and Hyun Bong-sik for an added layer of depth and emotional impact. LYW’s involvement in the lyrics and composition of “Warmth” adds an additional personal touch to the track to allow for more authentic storytelling to shine.

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Only the Young

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Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco by former members of Santana and Frumious Bandersnatch. The band has gone through several phases; its strongest commercial success occurred between 1978 and 1987, after which it temporarily disbanded. During that period, the band released a series of hit songs, including 1981's "Don't Stop Believin'", which became in 2009 the top-selling catalog track in iTunes history. Its parent studio album, Escape, the band's eighth and most successful, reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and yielded another of their most popular singles, "Open Arms". Its 1983 follow-up, Frontiers, was almost as successful in the United States, reaching No. 2 and spawning several successful singles; it broadened the band's ap… more »

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Billie Eilish finally remembers who she is

Leila Fadel

Phil Harrell

Billie Eilish's third album, created as always alongside her brother and collaborator Finneas, is titled Hit Me Hard and Soft. William Drumm/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Billie Eilish's third album, created as always alongside her brother and collaborator Finneas, is titled Hit Me Hard and Soft.

Billie Eilish has won nine Grammys, two Oscars and two Golden Globes, and every single album she's released has hit No. 1. You'd be forgiven if you forgot she's just 22 years old. But that swift and early rise also means she's grown up in the public eye, and the spotlight of social media.

On Eilish's new album, Hit Me Hard and Soft , her voice resounds with new confidence when a song calls for it, though she can still return to her signature whispered vulnerability when she wants to devastate. The song "Lunch" is one of the catchiest songs she and her brother and collaborator Finneas have ever served, with openly lustful lyrics that are equal parts silly and sultry. "Skinny," meanwhile, is a delicate masterpiece, with Eilish exposing inner thoughts about her body while turning the public's gaze back on itself.

Morning Edition host Leila Fadel talked with Billie Eilish and Finneas about how their years of collaboration have changed them, as artists and as people, and the new sides of their creativity that have surfaced on Hit Me Hard and Soft . Hear the radio version at the audio link, and read more of their conversation below.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Leila Fadel: I want to start with your voice, Billie: You seem more confident pushing your voice in different ways. What's different about this album?

Billie Eilish: So many things. You know, I started recording when I was 13 — my voice was very young, and I could only do so much with it. And of course, at the time, the way we always do, I was like, "This is my voice, and this is how it's going to sound forever." I didn't think about how you grow up and everything changes. Over time, touring for many years and getting back into voice lessons, my voice has completely matured and changed and grown. I'm able to do things that I never thought I would be able to. It's been the most amazing journey ever.

Hit Me Hard and Soft was really the first time that I was aware of the things that I could do, the ways I could play with my voice, and actually did that. That's one thing I feel very proud of with this album — my bravery, vocally.

Billie Eilish: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert

Fadel: Is there any one song where you were like, "Hey, I did that with my voice?"

Eilish: "The Greatest" — that one, for sure. But I think the main one that I couldn't even believe that I hit was "Birds of a Feather" — there's a belt on the last chorus. I was playing around with different melodies because I wanted it to be a little different than the others. And I remember being like, "Oh, I should probably go up there , but I really don't think I can," and trying everything else that I could possibly do instead of that, to get away from it. Then I was like, "You know what? I'm just going to have to try."

Fadel: You told Rolling Stone about the making of this album, "This whole process has felt like I'm coming back to the girl that I was. I've been grieving her." What do you mean by that?

Eilish: I think that a big part of us being able to finish this album was me needing to be shoved out of my comfort zone: I had to be pushed out of it to figure out what I was doing and what I wanted and who I was. I started out really young, and people decided who I was for a long time, and that made me feel insane — so I really wanted to prove everyone wrong all the time. For this album, I finally got over the need to prove everyone wrong. I just figured it out myself, and it wasn't about explaining myself — it was about expressing myself. I think that's what we did.

Fadel: Has that been hard? I mean, it's kind of incredible what you've done at just 22, all that you've already created and been recognized for. But you've grown up very much under scrutiny in the public eye.

Eilish: You know, so much of my life is f***ing awesome, and I'm so aware of how privileged I am. But becoming an adult in front of everyone is very scary and stressful and really means that you never grow up, in a way. I'm not complaining, but I also am: It's kind of horrible, you know, starting at 13, and then " Bad Guy " came out when I was 16. It was a lot, and it still is a lot. Every day I struggle with figuring myself out. Instead of just getting to feel how it feels to learn something about myself, I have to hear about what everyone else thinks about it.

Fadel: Finneas, some of these arrangements are spare; some are very lush and layered. I'm interested to know about the secret sounds a producer layers into a mix.

Finneas: What I always try to go for when I'm working with any artist — but Billie and I obviously work the closest, she's really in the room for 99.9% of everything that I'm doing, production-wise — it's to inspire her. If there's drums that we're writing on a song like "Lunch" — or "Skinny," where I'm sitting with an electric guitar playing as we're sitting there writing — to me, it's just about helping to articulate the story and the sentiment of the song. If there's a line that I think should suddenly be three-part harmony, it's because of the content or the emotionality of it. I think production is all about context.

The thing that was novel for me on this album, as opposed to our other albums, was the incorporation of a string quartet [the Attacca Quartet ]. I've spent a fair amount of time in the last two years composing for film and have had the opportunity to write parts for string quartets and have loved doing it, learning that craft.

Fadel: How has your approach to working together changed since " Ocean Eyes ," that first single of yours?

Finneas: I think that it hasn't changed in some ways — and it's changed immensely. The real truth is that we've just gotten better and better at communicating and articulating. Like Billie is talking about with her vocal confidence, I had barely ever produced anything. Now, we've made her albums together, I've produced music for other artists, and I feel more confident. I've just had more hours behind the keyboard, so to speak.

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Billie eilish can't wait to see the future.

Making this album felt, for me, like two people who had the opportunity to learn their craft over the last seven years. We were just kind of having fun with it, with all the tools that we developed.

Fadel: I'm one of five kids — and I love my siblings, but we also fight like crazy. I feel like that's part of love. Do you guys ever get sick of each other? Do you ever fight over the process?

Eilish: We don't get sick of each other, but we definitely fight — I mean, we're siblings, that's going to happen. But honestly, it's almost better that it happens. I feel like when you work with somebody who isn't a sibling, when you have a disagreement, it's really hard to say it. You really don't want to offend them. What if they never want to work with you again? With your family, it's much harder to burn a bridge and break up. It takes a lot of effort. I think that when Finneas and I have a disagreement, we don't waste time trying to be nice. We, politely- ish , say, "I don't like that." And then, if we do get into an argument, we're siblings and we'll get through it because we love each other. It's nice, honestly.

Fadel: Is there any specific song on the album where you kind of duked it out, and the finished product was a product of you guys working through it?

Finneas: I feel like "Blue" was a song that really puzzled us.

Fadel: And I hear you singing on that one, right?

Finneas: No — we wrote that part in a different key, and then we shifted it into the key that it was in. When you shift the vocal, it changes the formant. It's just Billie's voice pitched down — but I'm prepared for everybody to think it's me.

"Blue" has elements of a piece of music from before Billie's first album came out. It has elements of a piece of music from Billie's second album that never came out. I don't know that we had it out or anything, but we were both so puzzled by it that we had a debate about what to do for various parts. It was something that was driving Billie crazy. We always knew we loved the second half, but the first half, we were like, "It doesn't feel right." I remember I just layered tons of drums on it, and it changed the whole vibe.

Fadel: We have to ask about "Lunch." It's about raw, animal attraction. What inspired that song?

Eilish: This was one of the first ones that we made for the album. We only had the hook, and then, honest to God, like a year later, we came back and we wrote the rest of it.

As soon as we wrote that hook, it was like, "Oh, OK, we got something here!" — but we were stumped on it for a long time. It's really hard to know that something could be really good, and also could be bad if you make it bad. We put a lot into that one once we finally got back to it. I love that song. It's so fun and it's silly and it's ... I don't know. Life is so unserious. It's important to remember to have a little fun with it.

Best Music Of 2019

Billie eilish is the weird achiever of the year.

Fadel: How do you stay so open and vulnerable in your music as you also deal with being so public, because of what you chose to do in life?

Eilish: When we write a song, I'm not really thinking about, "Everyone's going to hear this and have something to say!" That headspace can really block you. I think it's important to write songs with the idea, "I don't have to put anything out if I don't want to." You should just be as vulnerable as you can without thinking about how people are going to hear it, and then go from there. Make the song while thinking, "No one's going to hear this." Then, if you love it and you feel comfortable, you discuss if I'm OK with this out in the world.

Finneas: Two things. One: She makes music with her brother. You know I'd never play anyone anything that she was uncomfortable with. And then the other thing is, sometimes a song can feel incredibly vulnerable the day that you write it, because you're living through it. And then that song comes out a year later, and you have perspective. The situation has become history.

Fadel: It must be a blessing to have that safe space with somebody you've known your whole life, that you know you can trust in those moments when you're figuring it out with the music before anybody else ever hears it.

Eilish: Oh my God, it's such a blessing. I can't even. When I talk to fellow artist friends of mine and they say they're in the studio with some random person they don't know for the next two weeks, I'm like, "How the hell are you going to do that?" It's so crazy to me.

Having Finneas is the coolest thing in the world for me. I'm an open book — maybe to a fault — in my life. But I also am not super-comfortable with vulnerability or weakness. Being with my brother and having him be someone who knows me so well, sometimes he can see something that I'm doing or feeling before I even know that I'm doing or feeling it, and that is really powerful and special. I think without that, it would be really different.

This story was produced for broadcast by Mansee Khurana and adapted for the web by Phil Harrell.

• Billie Eilish

Billie Eilish embraces sex, love and heartbreak with candor on new album. Here's the best song.

Billie Eilish is in love.

Or maybe it’s just lust.

And by the closing song on her new album, “Hit Me Hard and Soft” (★★★ out of four), out Friday, Eilish is “Blue,” calling back to the nine tracks that precede it and questioning all of the feelings she unloads with bracing, stomach-roiling candor.

The third studio release from the princess of dark pop – a nine-time Grammy winner and recently minted Oscars victor – comes three years after “Happier Than Ever” and a lifetime for Eilish, 22, as she continues to navigate young adulthood while embracing her recently disclosed sexuality .

All of the 10 tracks on this refreshingly economical album are written by Eilish and her brother/producer Finneas O’Connell. But it’s also her first release to feature outside musicians: Andrew Marshall on drums and the Attacca Quartet on strings, whose work is laced throughout but featured prominently on “Skinny.”

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Eilish is still the mistress of ethereal backdrops paired with breathy vocals, which she carried to tremendous commercial success with her “Barbie” soundtrack standout , the award-magnet heartbreaker “What Was I Made For?”

She and Finneas continue to mine her penchant for quirkiness (“La Amour De Ma Vie” – translation, “the love of my life” - which rolls along sadly before kicking into a dance floor rave) and dreamy introspection (“Wildflower” and “The Greatest,” on which her simple declaration “I loved you and I still do” shudders with piercing sadness).

Billie Eilish sings about sex, friendship and love

Eilish notes in the release for “Hit Me …” that she specifically didn’t release a single before the album drop because she wants this new music to be experienced as “a family of songs.”

She has shared the intoxicating anthem “Lunch” at listening parties this week, an obvious hint it will be the first single once the album arrives. But the throbbing tune might be a bit too ribald for radio with lyrics such as “I could eat that girl for lunch/she dances on my tongue/tastes like she might be the one.”

Eilish teases over a propulsive beat as unrelenting as her hormones and slays with a lyric tailored for a T-shirt at the merch stands at her fall tour: “It’s a craving, not a crush.”

But before she gets there, the first words we hear from her on opening track “Skinny” are “fell in love for the first time/with a friend it’s a good sign.” Eilish’s salvo lays the groundwork for the album’s female-centric journey through friendship, love, sex and anguish and she traverses it all with lyrical grace.

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‘Birds of a Feather’ is the best song on Billie Eilish’s new album

While moody pop is Eilish’s signature , her musical growth bursts through on “Birds of a Feather.” The glistening melody, the insinuating bass line that adheres to the soaring chorus, the flecks of soul in the DNA of the song all mesh to form a bop that feels like love.

While it’s a classic take on the “I’ll love you until I die” trope, Eilish’s hopeless devotion somehow makes death - “’Til I’m in the casket you carry” – sound sweet.

In the second verse, she is desperate to bestow a compliment (“I want you to see how you look to me”) as her upper range flutters. The layered vocals at song’s end are buoyant, but also so airy they might mask the most poignant verse: “I knew you in another life/You had that same look in your eyes/I love you, don’t act so surprised.”

It's a testimony to adoration with a hint of the macabre − Eilish specialties bundled in a perfect package.

Willow Smith Looks Ahead to Touring With Childish Gambino, Looks Back on ‘Whip My Hair,’ and… Baby Turtles?

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When we last heard from Willow — the mononymous title for Willow Smith , daughter of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith — she was bald, boldly rocking out, and conquering the prog-power-pop game with 2022’s loud “Coping Mechanism” for Roc Nation, her label home since 2010’s pop hit, “Whip My Hair.”

With her just-released new album “Empathogen,” Willow made radical changes to her music resulting in dreamy, complex, jazzy strain of R&B with equally intricate, soul-searching lyrics and a more nuanced vocal approach. The 23-year-old also left Roc Nation — her label since 2010 — and signed with Three Six Records for “Empathogen.” She also published her debut historic novel — “Black Shield Maiden ,” tale of African warriors in the world of the Vikings, written with Jess Hendel — and earlier this week was announced as the opening act on the North American leg of Childish Gambino’s “New World” tour, all just days after attending NYC’s Met Ball with a surprisingly minimalist look in the face of that ceremony’s ostentatiousness. Variety caught up with Willow in Los Angeles to discuss “Empathogen” and the rest of her busy spring schedule. How are you feeling about touring with Childish Gambino?

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I think that the best, most striking art – music or fashion – has the spirit of simplicity and elegance about it. I’m super grateful to be able to have worked with Dior and Vernon Francois who did something sculptural for my head. You’re very much your own person. At this point, do you exist far from the life of your parents – as an artist and as a woman?

I will love my family with all of my being and my spirit forever. I think that as soon as you’re born, you’re an individual who needs to make their own decisions. We all have to figure out how to be adults and live our lives as individuals. But I will forever wish to be close to my family in every way.

With your second album, “The 1st” (2017), you began to write and produce almost every element of your records — really quite young. What led to that decision?

I knew that I didn’t want to put a full album out that was not made in that spirit. Even “Ardipithecus” (2015) was produced by me, for better or worse, with several songs produced by my brother Trey. When ‘The 1 st’ came about, I had cellists, violinists and other musicians come in to co-create the album with me. Dev Hynes, too, worked with me on one of the songs – an amazing musician who I’d love to work with again. I knew from the beginning that I didn’t want to start making albums if they weren’t coming directly from me. The covers of “The 1st” and “Empathogen” look similar. Was that intentional? No. A friend of mine took that photo for “The 1st” unexpectedly, and it is very candid. For “Empathogen,” someone I really love was on the set with me, said something to make me laugh, and that photo got snapped.  Another candid. That wasn’t what I wanted the cover to be, but I’m happy that we caught that moment. The colors and the tones are similar on both of those albums too. As a writing process, do you write from the rhythm up? That’s very insightful – it’s true, even though the sonic landscapes of those albums are different. When I work by myself, I start with melody. When I work with my good friend and producer Chris Greatti, we usually start with a rhythm. Those rhythms, however, are definitely the throughline between both those albums.

As you went into that sphere of influence and found a smokier sound for “Empathogen,” were you changing the face of your lyrical output simultaneously as the new album has healing and self-acceptance at its center? Yes. The lyrics, the content, of “Coping Mechanism” was about heartbreak and anger – what I was feeling at that time. You have to feel that and let that out. With ‘Empathogen,’ my emotional shift came with a musical shift to something softer and introspective into a more complex space. I was in a place of healing and trying to find the truest expression of healing. Your softer, more nuanced, even whispery vocals follow that feeling of healing. I’m trying to bring people in, rather than explode outwards. “It’s like a turtle in the sand/Making way to the ocean/Almost meeting the end/Because the birds are in motion.” What’s your take on that lyric? Have you ever seen baby turtles hatch? They’re tiny and in the sand. They have to break through the shell, and through the sand to get to the water. And the ocean is a long way off. The birds known when the turtles are going to hatch because that’s nature. Life is fragile. I wanted to create that imagery. I’ve no idea in what order the songs were crafted, but “b i g f e e l i n g s” feels like a finale, a perfect last song. The making of “b i g f e e l i n g s,” as such, was completely intentional. I usually go into the studio without knowing exactly what I’m doing, but that songs came to – and stayed with – for nearly two weeks before the session. I had opportunities to record it earlier, but waited until the right moment and the right musicians to do it. It really does feel like the confusing, slightly ominous, but extremely beautiful complexity of the human mind. I’m proud of it. It’s my favorite song of mine to date.

In terms of observing and preserving empathy, why did you choose an album title connected to psychoactive drugs, MDMA, and the possibilities of the therapeutic? I love this. Empathogens are certain molecular compounds like MDMA and psilocybin. Certain plant medicines, when you ingest them, they have a deep connection to life. They open your heart to a deeper sense of empathy. While making this album, I was going through a healing process. Going to a deeper place and experiencing different ceremonial environments. Soaking in the beauty of ancient traditions. I wanted my title to express that. Why did you choose St. Vincent and Jon Batiste to work on “Empathogen?” For all of my teenage and adult life, St. Vincent has been an insane inspiration.  I just knew that for this album, I was finally at a place where I was comfortable singing with her. She’s so insightful, and she felt that as well – it was a real meeting of hearts. Jon? I have such affinity for the boundless joy he brings to his music. Starting my album with his voice… what a beautiful open door to the story I wanted to tell with this album. Their hearts inform my message. Other than “Ancient Girl,” can you draw a line between “Empathogen” and your novel “Black Shield Maiden” and its connection to African warriors in the world of the Vikings? I wasn’t intentionally thinking that. What I’ve been realizing is that both the album and the novel are expressions of my love of being a Black woman in so many ways. Even me with my natural hair on the “Empathogen” cover, and my deep study of Black people who have lifted the culture in such positive ways – that’s a huge throughline. That story got me because I am a nerd, first and foremost, extremely interested in the way humans and societies have evolved, the way culture was created. I’m also obsessed with the show “Vikings” on the History Channel. One day I was just sitting and watching it, and poring over the question of whether there could have been Black Vikings, or did Vikings encounter Black and Brown people. That was a weird thing to think, and I just started to do all the research around Erik the Red and this warrior named Thorhall the Hunter – an amazing huntsman who could hear water and was extremely gifted in the ways of nature. He was said to have been Brown-skinned with Afro-textured hair. When you’re an artist writing historical fiction, you take what you can get. Your professional journey went from being the youngest person to sign to Roc Nation to leaving there this year for independence and Three Six Records. Do you feel as if you had the benefit of empathy from your record labels – the benefit of understanding – to make it all happen for you? I feel as if every artist, at one point, has felt misunderstood. That is why we persist and evolve – hopefully for the better. I definitely think that I am way better now at expressing exactly what it is that I want. Also, it is no one’s responsibility but your own to make your vision come to life in the way you want it to.

Thinking of your upcoming tour and the complexity of your new material, do you plan to rearrange your older material? I think that I have always tried to tell the truth in my music, whether I was 13 or 23, or 8 and 23. I even look back at “Whip My Hair” and, when I listen to its lyrics, the message is the same as now, the same as I always wanted to say: Live through your heart and don’t allow people to tell you that’s wrong. Encouraging others to be true to themselves has always been my case, no matter what book, album or genre I do that in.  That’s only if I stay authentic, which… well, I’m not planning on getting fake any time soon.

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