Champagne Butterflies – Wild Youth Review

So, lately, I’ve been spectacularly quiet regarding the new era of Wild Youth’s music and with good reason; I was not impressed. For me, this new era of Wild Youth lacked a lot of the charm and soul of the releases that preceded this new era. Champagne Butterflies, however, is a true return to writing form for Wild Youth with the re-emergence of the pop rock element that their last two releases lacked. Champagne Butterflies was the track that I picked out over a year ago as the one to look out for based on one live performance of the song and, as it is a huge departure from the previous two releases, this song has more fizz and pop (pun fully intended) both musically and lyrically which could garner Wild Youth huge radio attention both nationally and, hopefully, internationally as well. This song will easily overthrow the likes of ‘Can’t Move On’ and ‘Long Time No See’ in terms of popularity with something that is truly catchy and a feeling that’s universally known.

Lyrically, this song is about being happy, nearly overcome with those butterflies in your stomach, while with a person and getting those butterflies regardless of whether it is in the most banal circumstances (“Coz it don’t matter what we do tonight / We can chill, it could still be dynamite”) or during the truly amazing moments (“I’ll pick you up / We can fly to Japan tonight”). This song is dedicated to that one person who makes every situation unforgettable and you “only want to feel” that emotion with them. The verses outline the beginning of the whole relationship. “One look at you, I felt everything but confused” shows that there is no doubting the feelings that this person inspires and this a situation that everyone can relate to, we’ve all been there and done that at some point. “Cause I just wanna talk to you” implies that this person also garnered the writer’s undivided attention and perhaps he wanted her attention too with lines like “Tell me that you feel it too” highlighting that hope that the feeling is mutual. The title also implies that just saying the subject of the song inspires those butterflies you get sometimes isn’t enough; these butterflies are a celebration as well as a culmination of nerves, excitement, emotion and the untapped potential of a possible new relationship. This time it’s different and this time it’s truly special.

Musically, Wild Youth has stuck to the retro sounds of the previous two releases but put it to better use in Champagne Butterflies where it better suits the tone and feeling of the song. The first verse builds fantastically to the big beat of the song in the chorus. The use of Dave’s falsetto in the bridge really embodies the feeling of those butterflies the song describes and the very fact that the beat is never far away makes this song bounce. This version of the song is much like the live performance (perhaps a fraction slower) but performed in a confined space rather than on stage and instantly makes you smile. The song genuinely makes you want to get up and dance and, without a shadow of a doubt, it has more raw potential than any of Wild Youth’s previously released songs. I’m glad I highlighted this song a year ago and that it was done well in studio; it has definitely lived up to the hype. The message of this song is clear and the music reflects the hope and possibility of the lyrics. Overall, this song feels like the old Wild Youth has been freed and has come back with a wild, carefree anthem to celebrate with.

With this track, the Wild Youth that we know and love is back and I, personally, am proud of what they have created with this song and hope this version of Wild Youth stays around for a while. Wild Youth, you need more of these songs. E x