LUKAS GRAHAM - 7 YEARS

Released: September 18, 2015

Charted:  US: #2   UK: #1 (5 weeks)

"7 Years" is a song by Lukas Graham, a Danish soul-pop band, from their second studio album, Lukas Graham. It was released digitally on Lukas Forchhammer's 27th birthday, September 18, 2015, by Copenhagen Records. The song was written by Lukas Forchhammer, Stefan Forrest, Morten Ristorp, and Morten "Pilo" Pilegaard, and produced by Forrest, Ristorp, and Pilegaard under their stage name Future Animals.

The song chronicles Lukas Forchhammer's life journey from childhood to adulthood, reflecting on his dreams, aspirations, and relationships. The lyrics are autobiographical, detailing his early dreams inspired by his father, his passion for writing songs and stories, and his perspective on fame and success. Forchhammer emphasizes the importance of genuine connections with loved ones over superficial fame and popularity.

"7 Years" is characterized by its soul-pop sound with hip hop undertones, featuring a mid-tempo piano melody, a rhythmic percussion beat, and a synthesized string section. The incorporation of a film projector sound throughout the song, including the intro, adds a nostalgic ambiance reminiscent of watching home movies. The music video, shot in Copenhagen and Los Angeles, was written, directed, and edited by Danish filmmaker René Sascha Johannsen.

"For the issue dated 6 February 2016, "7 Years" debuted at number 96 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming Lukas Graham's first single on the Hot 100. It peaked at number two on the chart dated 9 April 2016, and stayed there for four non-consecutive weeks, behind Rihanna and Drake's "Work" and Desiigner's "Panda". In the UK, it peaked at number one on the Singles Chart on 12 February 2016, becoming the first number-one single by a Danish act since Aqua's "Turn Back Time" (1998). It spent five consecutive weeks at number one, becoming the longest-running number-one single by a Danish act."