YOLO (The Lonely Island song)

This article is about The Lonely Island featuring Adam Levine and Kendrick Lamar song. For the Band-Maid song, see YOLO (Band-Maid song).

"YOLO"
Single by The Lonely Island featuring Adam Levine and Kendrick Lamar
from the album The Wack Album
B-side	"YOLO" (Sam F. Remix)
Released	January 25, 2013 (2013-01-25)
Recorded	2012
Genre	Comedy hip hop
Length	3:08
Label	Republic
Songwriter(s)	Andy Samberg Akiva Schaffer Jorma Taccone Khari Cain Rhiannon Bryan Rhydian Davies
Producer(s)	Needlz
The Lonely Island singles chronology
"3-Way (The Golden Rule)" (2011) "YOLO" (2013) "Spell It Out" (2013)
Adam Levine singles chronology
"My Life" (2012) "YOLO" (2013) "Locked Away" (2015)
Kendrick Lamar singles chronology
"Poetic Justice" (2012) "YOLO" (2013) "How Many Drinks?" (2013)
Music video
"YOLO" on YouTube

"YOLO" is a song by American comedy troupe The Lonely Island featuring American singer Adam Levine of Maroon 5 and American rapper Kendrick Lamar, from the former's third studio album The Wack Album.^[1] The song was released as the lead single from the album on January 25, 2013, worldwide outside North America. The single premiered in North America on Saturday Night Live on January 26, and released as a single the following day.^[2]

Background and composition

The title and lyrics of the song reference the popular motto and internet meme "YOLO" ("You Only Live Once"), a phrase popularized by Drake and Rick Ross on such songs as "The Motto", which were intended to promote a mixtape originally titled YOLO.^[3][4] The phrase has since become a cultural phenomenon and has been reworked to be an excuse for irresponsible and outlandish behaviour, but most of the time it is used sarcastically in this manner.^[5]

"YOLO" parodies the phrase, and once again reworks the phrase to mean something else. The song's lyrics interpret "You Only Live Once" to mean the complete opposite of dangerous and irresponsible behavior, and to instead be over secure and protective of life, in a pessimistic viewpoint. The song urges the public to be fully aware of their surroundings and the hazards of everyday life, since everything, in the writer's viewpoint, is a threat to life. Some of the lyrics would later become relevant during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic such as "Isolate yourself and just roll solo", "There's no such thing as too much Purell, and "Don't go outside, 'cause you don't want to die". The lyrics also satirize basic knowledge of economical events, dangerous activities and life-threatening events, and make reference to famous or not-so-famous acts done by other famous people or citizens ("Then bury all your money in the backyard like a Beagle", "Build a bomb shelter basement with titanium walls"). The song further parodies the acronym of YOLO at the end from "You Only Live Once" to You Oughta Look Out.

Recording and production

"YOLO" was written by all performers of the track, The Lonely Island, Adam Levine and Kendrick Lamar. Also credited for songwriting are Rhiannon Bryan and Rhydian Davies, members of the Welsh alternative rock band The Joy Formidable, whose 2011 single "Whirring" is sampled throughout the song. The song was produced by Needlz, who had previously worked with Lupe Fiasco and 50 Cent.^[6] The song was originally planned to feature Katy Perry,^[6] but two weeks before the song was released, this was changed to feature Maroon 5's Adam Levine, who was hosting Saturday Night Live the same night, and that night's musical guest Kendrick Lamar, who had previously requested NBC to put him in a Saturday Night Live Digital Short or one of its many skits.^[7] The premiere of the song on SNL also marked the temporary return of Lonely Island frontman Andy Samberg, who had left Saturday Night Live the year before, but managed to get an appearance of The Lonely Island for the premiere of the song.^[8]

Release

"YOLO" debuted in North America as a Saturday Night Live Digital Short on the January 26, 2013 episode of the sketch comedy television series Saturday Night Live, which saw Levine and Lamar as the host and musical guest, respectively.^[9] Although the music video and single itself were released a day earlier outside the United States, no announcement was made until the Saturday Night Live airing.^[10] The single was released in North America on January 27, and in further countries on January 29.^[11]

Rolling Stone named it the 27th best song of 2013.^[12]

Track listing

Digital download^[2]

No.	Title	Length
1.	"YOLO"	3:08

7"^[13]

No.	Title	Length
1.	"YOLO"	3:08
2.	"YOLO (Sam F. Remix)"

Chart performance

Chart (2013)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)[14]	31
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[15]	36
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[16]	26
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[17]	26
US Billboard Hot 100[18]	60

Release history

Country	Date	Format	Label
Australia[10]	January 25, 2013	Digital download	Universal Records
Belgium[19]
Brazil[20]
France[21]
Germany[22]
Ireland[23]
Israel[24]
Japan[25]
Netherlands[26]
New Zealand[27]
South Africa[28]
United Kingdom[29]
Canada[30]	January 27, 2013
Mexico[31]
United States[2]
Lebanon[11]	January 29, 2013
Australia	April 20, 2013[13]	7"
United Kingdom
United States

References

1. "SNL: The Lonely Island Returns with a New Digital Short". IGN Entertainment, Inc. 27 January 2013. Archived from the original on January 31, 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
2. "YOLO (feat. Adam Levine & Kendrick Lamar) - Single". iTunes. January 27, 2013. Retrieved January 27, 2013.
3. Shapiro, David (2012-06-12). "Drake Won't Name Rick Ross Mixtape "YOLO," Calls Phrase "Epidemic"". Fuse. Archived from the original on 2018-09-20. Retrieved 2012-11-08.
4. Roberts, Soraya (2011-12-16). "Zac Efron Adopts Drake's 'YOLO' Motto, as Does Souljaboy". Yahoo! OMG! CA. Archived from the original on 2013-03-15. Retrieved 2012-11-08.
5. "Yolo Meaning – Ever Wondered what Yolo Means?". 2012-11-10. Archived from the original on 2013-01-15. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
6. Horowitz, Steven (2013-02-08). "Needlz On Producing The Lonely Island's "YOLO," Submitted Beats For Kanye West & Eminem's New LPs". Hip Hop DX. Archived from the original on 2017-05-24. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
7. Kathiya, Henna (2013-01-27). "Kendrick Lamar And The Lonely Island Spoof 'YOLO' On 'Saturday Night Live'". MTV. Archived from the original on 2016-03-18. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
8. Aguilar, Jack de (2013-01-30). "The Lonely Island's New Song - Yolo, Features Adam Levine and Kendrick Lamar (Video)". Contactmusic.com. Archived from the original on 2015-11-12. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
9. "Digital Short: YOLO". NBC.com. January 27, 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-02-01. Retrieved January 27, 2013.
10. "Yolo (feat. Adam Levine & Kendrick Lamar) - Single". iTunes AU. January 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
11. "Yolo (feat. Adam Levine & Kendrick Lamar) - Single". iTunes LB. Apple Inc. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
12. "100 Best Songs of 2013". Rolling Stone. 2013-12-04. Archived from the original on 2020-11-11.
13. "Lonely Island - YOLO". 7". Record Store Day. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
14. "The Lonely Island feat. Adam Levine & Kendrick Lamar – YOLO". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
15. "The Lonely Island feat. Adam Levine & Kendrick Lamar – YOLO" (in Dutch). Ultratip.
16. "The Lonely Island Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard.
17. "The Lonely Island feat. Adam Levine & Kendrick Lamar – YOLO". Top 40 Singles.
18. "The Lonely Island Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
19. "Yolo (feat. Adam Levine & Kendrick Lamar) - Single". iTunes BE. Apple Inc. January 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
20. "Yolo (feat. Adam Levine & Kendrick Lamar) - Single". iTunes BR. Apple Inc. January 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
21. "Yolo (feat. Adam Levine & Kendrick Lamar) - Single". iTunes FR. Apple Inc. January 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
22. "Yolo (feat. Adam Levine & Kendrick Lamar) - Single". iTunes DE. Apple Inc. January 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
23. "Yolo (feat. Adam Levine & Kendrick Lamar) - Single". iTunes IE. Apple Inc. January 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
24. "Yolo (feat. Adam Levine & Kendrick Lamar) - Single". iTunes IL. Apple Inc. January 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
25. "Yolo (feat. Adam Levine & Kendrick Lamar) - Single". iTunes JP. Apple Inc. January 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
26. "Yolo (feat. Adam Levine & Kendrick Lamar) - Single". iTunes NL. Apple Inc. January 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
27. "Yolo (feat. Adam Levine & Kendrick Lamar) - Single". iTunes NZ. Apple Inc. January 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
28. "Yolo (feat. Adam Levine & Kendrick Lamar) - Single". iTunes ZA. Apple Inc. January 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
29. "Yolo (feat. Adam Levine & Kendrick Lamar) - Single". iTunes GB. Apple Inc. January 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
30. "Yolo (feat. Adam Levine & Kendrick Lamar) - Single". iTunes CA. Apple Inc. January 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
31. "Yolo (feat. Adam Levine & Kendrick Lamar) - Single". iTunes MX. Apple Inc. January 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2013.