27 Songs About Being 18

21. “18” by iann dior

Song Year: 2018

Iann Dior sings about how he was only eighteen years old when a girl told him she hated him. These words hurt him, but they didn’t break up. He sings about how his first love is unhealthy and toxic. He claims he doesn’t care about love anymore. He also doesn’t want to let her go.

This song shows how complex love is, even when you’re only eighteen.

22. “When We Were Young” by Adele

Song Year: 2015

“When We Were Young” doesn’t directly reference being eighteen years old, but it implies that this couple broke up because they were getting older and wanted excitement again.

Like most songs about being eighteen, that age is seen as an exciting time for love and opportunities and that concept can scare a lot of people who feel like they’re getting old and haven’t experienced what they think they should have.

23. “18 and Life” by Skid Row

Song Year: 1989

“18 and Life” sings about a boy named Ricky. Skid Row explains that Ricky is sentenced to life in prison at the young age of eighteen. He’s a tough kid who smokes, drinks, and walks around with a gun. He accidentally shoots someone one night.

He’s only a kid, but he was drunk and made a mistake. It ruins the rest of his life. Being eighteen is centered around being young and dumb, but some decisions can impact your life forever even when you are young.

24. “Brutal” by Olivia Rodrigo

Song Year: 2021

“Brutal” references the age of seventeen, but it can fit any of the teenage years. All the emotions Olivia Rodrigo is feeling in her song. She feels overwhelmed in her career, and being so young in the music industry is taking its toll.

With many young girls, seventeen to twenty, finding their way in a world with so many standards for women, the song is an anthem for them.

25. “The Bucket” by Kings of Leon

Song Year: 2004

Kings of Leon sings about a brotherly pact they’ve made with one another. The singer and their friend were young and going through many changes, so this pact they made was to keep them together through it all.

It’s a testament to friendship. Even when things get hard at a young age, “The Bucket” says that as long as you have someone to lean on, everything will be okay.

26. “Ribs” by Lorde

Song Year: 2013

Lorde’s song “Ribs” is all about yearning to be young again because things were easier. Some of our biggest worries as teenagers are our parents grounding us, and some of the highlights are as simple as laughing hysterically with friends.

27. “Matilda” by Harry Styles

Song Year: 2022

“Matilda” is another song that doesn’t directly reference being eighteen. Harry Styles sings about how it’s okay to leave the nest and branch out. He makes people feel safe about wanting to derive from a family who didn’t treat them well.

It’s a song for teenagers who leave their parents behind for something better. Not only parents are good, and this song gives advice and encouragement to go find a real family when you turn eighteen. You’re young enough to change your life and find people who love you for you.

Best Songs About Being 18, Final Thoughts

Eighteen is bittersweet from many different perspectives. All of these songs highlight different perspectives, and may even change your view of what it means to be eighteen.

Whether you have the desire to be eighteen again or can’t wait to become an adult, some songs express these emotions.