Only the Young

"Only the Young" arrived in January 2020 as a standalone promotional single, released through Republic Records and tied to the closing credits of Swift's Netflix documentary Miss Americana. Co-written and co-produced with Joel Little, the synth-pop track was originally considered for Swift's seventh studio album Lover (2019) but ultimately held back. Little's children appear on backing vocals, a subtle reinforcement of the song's core message about generational hope.

The lyrics draw directly from the 2018 United States midterm elections, a period when Swift broke her long-standing political silence to endorse Democratic candidates in Tennessee. The song addresses school shootings, gun violence, and concerns about election integrity, but its refrain turns toward resilience: the young will keep fighting. Critics noted it as Swift's most overtly political song at the time, with the Los Angeles Times calling it an "unabashedly political-while-still-catchy earworm."

"Only the Young" won the People's Choice Award for Soundtrack Song of 2020 and received a nomination for Best Original Song – Documentary at the 2021 Hollywood Music in Media Awards. Despite some Oscar buzz, it did not make the Academy's shortlist. Empire critics Ella Kemp and Ben Travis named it one of the year's best soundtrack songs. The single stands as a pointed, earnest moment in Swift's catalog, signaling her shift toward using her platform for civic commentary. [edit]