what is the song youth by shawn mendes and khalid about
Youth (Shawn Mendes song) The song premiered on Zane Lowe's Beats 1 radio show, where Mendes talked about the collaborating with Khalid. He was in London at the time when a series of terrorist attacks happened there, which was a major inspiration of the song.[6] He texted Khalid: "When we get together, we have to make a statement, we have to move, we have to write about what's going on in life and how the youth is feeling", saying that they "have the voice to do that". They got into the studio in the aftermath of the attacks.[7][8] "You're always terrified going into a session knowing like, 'Okay, this is going to be a big session. I have one day. Is it gonna be a great song or not?' I remember I woke up in the morning and the whole though of my youth trying to be taken away from me [was overwhelming]. Not youth as in my ageâ€”youth as in my love, my happiness, my joy, my purity. It's not even about age; you could be 50 and your youth is there, it's in you. And all of these horrible things happening in the world, all of the headlines, it felt like everyday it would just be pulled more and more out of us, and I was like, 'This is what I have to write about.'"[9][10]
Pumped Up Kicks The lyrics to "Pumped Up Kicks" are written from the perspective of a troubled and delusional youth with homicidal thoughts.[6] The lines in the chorus warn potential victims to "outrun my gun" and that they "better run, better run, faster than my bullet." Foster said in a statement to CNN.com, "I wrote 'Pumped Up Kicks' when I began to read about the growing trend in teenage mental illness. I wanted to understand the psychology behind it because it was foreign to me. It was terrifying how mental illness among youth had skyrocketed in the last decade. I was scared to see where the pattern was headed if we didn't start changing the way we were bringing up the next generation."[9] In writing the song, Foster wanted to "get inside the head of an isolated, psychotic kid"[6] and "bring awareness" to the issue of gun violence among youth, which he feels is an epidemic perpetuated by "lack of family, lack of love, and isolation."[10][11] The song's title refers to shoes that the narrator's peers wear as a status symbol.[12][13]