"Live While We're Young" is a song by English-Irish boy band One Direction, released as the lead single from their second studio album, Take Me Home (2012).

The track is an uptempo, upbeat bubblegum pop song which features rock undertones, vocal harmonies, hand claps, prominent electric guitar riffs, and repetitive synthesizers.

Directed by Vaughan Arnell, the clip, which has a camping festival theme, was generally well received by critics, who commended its carefree nature.

[2] Globally, the song was made available for pre-order at 24:00 GMT on 24 August, through the iTunes Store, while excluding, Canada, Japan, and the United States.

[10] "Live While We're Young" is an uptempo, upbeat bubblegum pop song which features rock undertones, vocal harmonies, hand claps, prominent electric guitar riffs, and repetitive synthesizers, reminiscent of the musical structures of their debut album.

"[22]Robert Copsey of Digital Spy gave "Live While We're Young" four out of five stars and wrote, "it's little different from what we've heard before – but when you're the world's biggest boyband, it's no bad thing.

Unterberger further highlighted the small lyrical plays for conveying "an incredible amount of urgency and fun without much clunky verbage [sic], making singing along something of an inevitability.

"[25] A writer for The Huffington Post asserted that the song delivers for fans of their debut album: "a poppy, energetic, happy-go-lucky track.

"[17] Sylvie Lesas of Evigshed Magazine gave it a rating of five out of five stars, called it "upbeat, fun and very fresh", and proclaimed that "radios are going to love it.

"[26] Chris Younie of 4Music called it "insanely catchy", lauding its production for combining a "simple" guitar riff with an "anthemic feel-good chorus".

[20] In a detailed review, HitFix's Melina Newman denounced its lyrical content: "Even though they never are so blatant about it that booty call subtext can't go right over their tween audience's head, there's no mistaking lines like "if we get together, don’t let the pictures ever leave your phone" for anyone who's 13 or up.

That's what happens when you're not a boy, but not yet a man: One Direction can't go straight from the G-rated sweetness of "What Makes You Beautiful" to something akin to Enrique Iglesias's "Tonight, I’m F****** You," so instead they’re stuck with this in between clumsiness that the not-so-little girls will understand.

[12] Jason Lipshutz of Billboard felt that its sexual suggestive lyricism "arrives too soon after the more accomplished puppy-love odes of previous hits "What Makes You Beautiful" and "One Thing" to further the conversation.

"[21] "Live While We're Young" debuted on the Irish Singles Chart at number one on 4 October 2012, becoming One Direction's fourth top ten appearance and their second chart-topper in Ireland.

[31] Elsewhere in Europe, the song became a top ten hit in Austria,[32] Belgium (Flanders),[33] Czech Republic,[34] Denmark,[35] Hungary,[36] Italy,[37] the Netherlands,[38] Spain,[39] and Switzerland.

[56] In addition, that tracking week marked the first time two UK artists have simultaneously started in the Billboard Hot 100 top ten, as Adele's "Skyfall" debuted at number eight.

[58] Likewise, the song was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on 23 January 2013,[59] and it has sold 1,248,000 copies in the US as of November 2013.

"[62] According to an MTV News article published on 14 September 2012, the video would feature a "summer music festival vibe" with the group "getting wet and wild, acting silly with props and getting soaked by water guns.

However, a poor-quality version of the music video leaked online on 20 September 2012: the same day it was officially published on One Direction's Vevo channel on YouTube.

[63] In regard, the group released a statement: "We wanted our fans to see the video and hear the single in the proper way so we've moved the premiere to tonight.

Subsequent scenes intercut featuring One Direction performing the song at the camp setting in a circle, on an open field, driving a car, and at a lake where members of the group play in plastic bubbles and boats.

Smith quipped that it has "notable moments," which he cited, "glowstick campfire dances, inflatable pool splashing, four wheeler racing, and an unfortunate blonde streak in Zayn [Malik]'s hair.

[16] Lansky called the "high quality" clip "fairly standard 1D fare", elaborating: "the boys get up to some teenage shenanigans and, well, live while they’re young.

"[15] The Huffington Post characterised it as an "epic summer adventure", assessing: "from a camping trip to the ultimate beach party, complete with a shirtless Niall [Horan] and inflatable banana.

[73] "Live While We're Young" was included in the set list of the group's headlining sold-out show at Madison Square Garden (3 December).

[76] Vena called the clip comedic and assessed: "The brand-new commercial not only allows the group to show off their funny bones, but it also serves as a reminder that their new album Take Me Home, featuring "LWWY," is only a month away from dropping.