Photos Courtesy of Teddy Swims Instagram
By Dina Louis
Anne-Marie is a 29 year old singer and songwriter from the UK whose singles reach high numbers not only in the UK charts, but on American charts as well. Anne-Marie was featured in Clean Bandit’s “Rockabye”, which peaked at number one in 2016. On July 17, 2020 Anne-Marie released her track, “To Be Young”, featuring Doja Cat. This single expresses the complexity of being a young adult who does not have all the answers. The track commences with Anne-Marie accompanied by the keyboard then thirty seconds in, a steady snare is introduced. Going into the bridge, the drum becomes more complex, until there is a pause before the chorus. The drums then become more striking and couple with the added bass to give the track more depth and variety. Including the bass in the chorus gives the song a new energy that brings it to life and makes it enjoyable to listen to. Although Doja Cat appears after two minutes of the track, her performance was equally as outstanding as Anne-Marie’s. Doja Cat surprises listeners by singing the same melody but an octave lower than Anne-Marie. This made all the difference as it gave the track variety in its sounds. Not to mention, the noteworthy added violin that is present during Doja Cat’s part. These components make the track sound more solemn, especially before Doja sings the chorus for the second time. Doja switches back to the original octave right after singing the chorus the first time. While she sings, the ad libs become more and more intense as the bass returns. This track is upbeat with a melody that is remarkable and hard to forget. “To Be Young” is a relatable track which shows that it is okay to be indecisive and not know all the answers.