Lost Generation

Album: Roaring 20s (2013)
Charted: 6
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Songfacts®:

  • The lead single from Rizzle Kicks' Roaring 20s album was penned by the duo with their producer Ant Whiting. The fourth credited songwriter is Emily Phillips, who also co-wrote four tracks on the pair's debut album Stereo Typical including the single "Traveller's Chant." The song was released on August 19, 2013 via Republic Records.
  • The song finds Jordan "Rizzle" rapping about YouTube users paying to get more hits and quipping about Chelsea footballer John Terry's ugly race row with QPR defender Anton Ferdinand.

    "When I heard people buy views,
    I was more confused than all John Terry's black friends."

    Terry was accused of using racially abusive language towards Ferdinand during a QPR v Chelsea match. The former England skipper was given a four-game ban and a £220,000 fine by the football authorities but was later acquitted in a criminal trial.
  • The song's music video was directed by Jamie Thraves (Radiohead and Coldplay). It finds the Rizzle Kicks pair returning home from a heavy night out, and references several reality TV programs, including The Jeremy Kyle Show, which is mentioned in the lyrics.

    The clip was created with the help of 150 young people between the ages of 16-24 with budding make-up artists, directors and wardrobe designers all contributing. Jordan "Rizzle" said: "We want to give kids the kind of break we got. There are so many talented young people across the UK who all too often don't get the chance to prove themselves in a real work environment."
  • The song finds Rizzle Kicks getting opinionated about several different celebrities. Jordan told Digital Spy: "It is controversial, but we wanted to come back with lyrics that actually say something. It's the last song we made for the record, and we made it with the intention of it being the first single. We're coming back after months and months of dance music and we didn't want people to think we were coming back with gimmicks."

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