“Young” by Stalk Ashley is about choosing freedom over commitment. The narrator wants to enjoy being young, keep a relationship light and refuse to settle down before she is ready. Released on 6 December 2019 through Atlantic UK, the song was read by the press as a celebration of single life, and its video turns the idea into a runaway-bride story.
It is also the song many people still find her through: “Young” is the most popular Stalk Ashley page on Genius. Here is what the song is saying, how the video and production back it up, and where it sits in her story.
The meaning of “Young” in brief
- Youth as something to spend, not save. The song treats being young as a time for fun and experience rather than long-term plans.
- Casual on purpose. Rather than begging for commitment, she is the one keeping things loose, and she says so plainly.
- Unbothered by judgment. The tone stays defiant from start to finish. There is no apology and no second-guessing.
- A woman in control. In a genre full of songs about being left, this is a song about doing the leaving.
How Stalk Ashley frames the song
Stalk Ashley wrote “Young” herself. Apple Music credits her as the only composer and Genius lists her as the sole writer, so the point of view is hers alone, not a songwriting camp’s idea of her.
When Audiomack profiled her in 2020, the writer described “Young” as the track where she sets out her boundaries, telling a lover the relationship should stay casual. The same feature placed it next to “OPEN”, a 2020 song where she asks for more honesty from someone she likes, to show the range of moods she writes from. Her own summary of her approach was simple: “I try to put as much of me as possible in my music” (Stalk Ashley to Audiomack).
That is why “Young” lands as more than a party song. It is confident rather than bitter. There is no villain and no heartbreak, just someone who knows what she wants at that point in her life and will not be talked out of it.
How the video turns the theme into a story
The official video makes the idea literal. Stalk Ashley plays a bride in a short white wedding dress who walks away from her fiancé at the altar. DancehallMag described the premise as a bride deciding she is not ready for marriage. According to Rolling Stone, she then drives off in the groom’s car with a briefcase of cash beside her, he chases her in his tuxedo, and the police finally corner her before the clip cuts to black.
The open ending suits the song. We never find out whether she gets away, but the choice she made is never in doubt. For a scene-by-scene breakdown, directors and reception, read our guide to the “Young” music video.
How the sound carries the meaning
Musically, “Young” sits in the Dancehall&B lane Stalk Ashley is known for: a soft, sung R&B vocal over a gentle dancehall bounce. Rolling Stone compared its skipping groove to a Nineties radio record.
The ending is the detail most listeners remember. The beat drops out and an extended electric guitar solo closes the track. Apple Music credits that guitar to Nicolas Groskopf. After a song about refusing to be pinned down, ending on something loose and unresolved makes sense. For the full list of producers, engineers and label details, see who made “Young”.
Where “Young” fits in her story
By late 2019 Stalk Ashley’s profile was rising fast. Her freestyle on Jada Kingdom’s “Banana” challenge had led to their 2018 duet “Wasteman”. She had released the singles “Sin Sex” and “Drunk Text” earlier in 2019, and that September Stormzy brought her onto BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge for his cover of Beyoncé’s “Brown Skin Girl”.
“Young” was her next move and her first single to carry an Atlantic UK release line. Reggae Vibes later called it an ode to staying single when it was picked up for VP Records’ Reggae Gold 2020 compilation. Its self-assured attitude runs through much of what came after, from the 2021 EP Excuses, Pt. I to her 2024 debut album Stalky the Bratt. Follow the full path on her career timeline.
Read the lyrics
We do not reproduce lyrics here. You can read the full lyrics on Genius, where “Young” is her most-viewed song page. For more of her catalogue, visit our Stalk Ashley lyrics hub or browse her music.
If you like “Young”, you’ll love…
- “Drunk Text” – Stalk Ashley (2019): the single before “Young”, with the same late-night R&B softness.
- “Wasteman” – Jada Kingdom & Stalk Ashley (2018): another song with no patience for a man who is not worth the time.
- “Best Part” – Daniel Caesar & H.E.R. (2017): Stalk Ashley blended this duet into her acoustic Bona Carter performance of “Young”.
- “Love Situations” – Jada Kingdom (2017): the debut solo single from the artist whose “Banana” challenge put Stalk Ashley on the map, and another early blend of Jamaican voice and R&B mood.
Want a longer list? Our guide to songs like “Young” has 13 picks.
Frequently asked questions
What is “Young” by Stalk Ashley about?
It is about enjoying your youth and keeping a relationship casual instead of settling down too early. The narrator is confident and unapologetic, and the music video shows her walking away from her own wedding.
Who wrote “Young” by Stalk Ashley?
Stalk Ashley wrote it. Apple Music credits her as the sole composer, and Genius lists her as the only writer, with production by Jaxx and KINGBNJMN.
When did Stalk Ashley release “Young”?
“Young” came out on 6 December 2019 as a single through Atlantic UK, with the official video posted on her YouTube channel the same day.
Is “Young” on a Stalk Ashley album?
No. It was a standalone single and does not appear on her 2021 EP Excuses, Pt. I or her 2024 album Stalky the Bratt. It was later included on VP Records’ Reggae Gold 2020 compilation.
Sources
- Stalk Ashley’s ‘Young’ Video Is an Ode to Staying Single – Rolling Stone
- Stalk Ashley Brings Sultry Vibes With Her Music Video For ‘Young’ – DancehallMag
- Stalk Ashley Is Reimagining R&B From Jamaica (Audiomack feature via DJBooth)
- Stalk Ashley – Young Lyrics – Genius
- Young – Single by Stalk Ashley – Apple Music
- Stalk Ashley – Young | Official Video (YouTube)
- Various – Reggae Gold 2020 – Review – Reggae Vibes
- Reggae Gold 2020 by Various Artists – Apple Music
