Kids: A modern classic already lost in the history books

It sort of feels like OneRepublic have been around forever. Being a band driven by reinvention, they arguably define what it means to be a success in the 21st century, without being remembered for any particular sound or song. One song that doesn’t deserve to be in the ‘forgotten’ bracket however is ‘Kids’, the second single from the band’s fourth studio album ‘Oh My My’ (released 2015).

The whole album, with this song at the forefront, describes a coming of age that’s inevitable to everyone, but is also a reminder to never let go of your inner ‘kid’. The band’s members spoke to Genius Lyrics; “This song is about the perceived invincibility of youthfulness. We were 19 or 20 spending the summers in between college feeling unstoppable and doing whatever we wanted with whomever we wanted.” This is certainly reflected in the cheesy chorus, but in simple terms, it’s a harmless celebration of what deserves to be, and should be celebrated - youth and life. You almost get a sense of victory after listening to it, which is ironic as there is an underlying antithesis within the song that implies Ryan Tedder (lead vocals) and his fellow band members have unfortunately grown up, also giving the song a rather eulogic feel.

Released in 2015, it’s no secret that this review is late to the party, but considering the age of the song, it only has 63 million streams on youtube (a tiny fraction compared to the viewership on the site for the biggest and best songs today) and you can’t help but feel like it deserved more recognition. It takes a lot to dislike the sound of the song, but it never seemed to hit the ground running, or even leave the plane.

Tedder really shows off, but quite frankly his advanced vocal range allows him to do so. His crisp control of the upper register phrases give a burst of energy to the melody (especially the pre-chorus and chorus) that makes the song so sophisticated and original. It’s almost a shame that it’s so hard to sing along to. “I refuse to look back thinking days were better just because they were younger days” is a particularly prominent lyric, as it is a reminder to us all that ‘new’ is always exciting, no matter how old you are.

Whether you enjoy 21st century music or not, this is a song that you will appreciate for what it represents, including in this the melody, sound and lyrics, as all are equally important to the anthem (hard to say about most songs written after the turn of the millennium). If you’re ever after a pick-me-up, it’s hard to find a sound better at giving off a positive vibe, and you certainly do finish the song in a better mood than you started it in, if a little annoyed that it wasn’t longer - a common theme with all of the tracks on the album. Regardless, don’t let it stop you from listening just because it isn’t as long as Queen's ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’.