Format Digital download Length 3:20 | Genre EDM Label Epic
Syco | |
Released March 24, 2016 (2016-03-24) Writer(s) Tinashe Kachingwe
Lukas Loules
Alexander Kronlund | ||
"The Life" is a song by American girl group Fifth Harmony. It was released as the first promotional single on March 24, 2016 from the group's second studio album, 7/27. The song was written by singer Tinashe with Alexander Kronlund and Lukas Loules. Loules also produced the song. The song has charted in the United Kingdom and Scotland, peaking at number 97 and 44 respectively as well as reaching number 1 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart. It is also used in an advertisement in the UK for ITVBe about their "brand new and exclusive programming"
Contents
Background and release
"The Life" was released exclusively on streaming service Spotify on March 24, 2016. It was also an instant grat track when pre-ordering the album, 7/27, on digital music platform iTunes; the song was also made available on Google Play.
Critical reception
Joey Nolfi of Entertainment Weekly called the song a "summer banger", noting the song's use of "upbeat, danceable production, with a tropically-tinged drop building to a purely-pop chorus." Madeline Roth of MTV, called the song, "a summer anthem in the making", and noted the song's themes of "self-care" and "the importance of living stress-free". Writing for Vulture, Dee Lockett]] thought the song generates a feeling as if one is "floating on a summer breeze." Lockett continues his review by acknowledging the success of Fifth Harmony's life, saying it is their "[g]od-given right of any young girl group" to live the way they want to live. Lewis Corner and Amy Davidson from British entertainment website Digital Spy, listed the song at number 1 for their top 10 playlist songs, calling the song an "urban bop with an earworm refrain". They also called it a "sunny pop number" referring to the summer atmosphere the song has.
In an article published by MTV Staff, Ira Madison III noted the song features a "increasingly frantic beat" and "the distorted ’90s house vocals on the bridge". He notes similarities from previous work of mid-2000's girl-group Danity Kane. Jessica Hopper raves about the structure of the song and its themes of "earned relaxation and feeling good" about yourself. Hanif Willis-Abdurraqib, like Madison III, note similar "Danity Kane vibes" in the song, and highlighted the "production and execution" of the song. He noted the more relaxing atmosphere in this song, compared to the group's past single, "Work from Home". Simon Vozick-Levinson sais the song feels as if it is "all chorus" but "in the best way", and also called the verses "effusive". Levinson, like Willis-Abdurraqib and Hopper, also raves about the stressless environment in the song, saying it is the "[b]est use of mai tais as a totem of stressless thriving since Jay sipped one with Ty Ty out in Nevada." Hazel Cills noted that the song does not "have that “pass it off to the next singer” feel", but reaffirms her review by praising the "distorted house vocals", calling the song a "serious banger".