Stateside indie-pop band Glass Animals delivers a quietly devastating piece with Youth, tucked into their 2016 album How To Be A Human Being. Far from a straightforward coming-of-age anthem, the track is a dreamlike lullaby part nostalgic confession, part surreal pep talk that lingers much longer than its runtime.
From the very first line—“Boy, when I left you you were young / I was gone, but not my love”—the song establishes its emotional pull. It’s a voice that exists somewhere between guardian and ghost, addressing a child who’s either long grown or forever rooted in memory. That ambiguity creates its power, grounding the dreamlike production in a deeply felt intimacy.
Musically, Youth floats on pastel-colored instrumentation. Whisper-soft synths and airy percussion paint a hazy atmosphere, allowing each line to hover like a promise. And every return to the refrain—“Don’t you know you got my eyes / I’ll make you fly”—feels less like repetition and more like a vow. It’s encouragement without the gloss of a vocal command—more felt than heard.
The lyricism is both playful and profound. Lines like “get dizzy on caffeine,” or “funny friends that make you laugh,” are miniature worlds of warmth and human detail. These aren’t sweeping metaphors—they’re moments, small truths that sweeten the song’s emotional core.
As Youth reaches its end, it doesn’t fade
it hovers. The final echo reminds you that growing up isn’t about forgetting, but about carrying love forward, in soft but persistent bursts. It’s a song that doesn’t just make you listen—it makes you remember, and then hold tight to whatever hope you glimpse back there.
In Youth, Glass Animals don’t just write a song about growing up. They bottle the fleeting magic of memory, and ask you to fly along with it.