Only the Young (band)
| Company type | Pop ensemble |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2012 |
| Founder | Parisa Tarjomani, Charlie George, Betsy-Blue English, George Shelley (original lineup) |
| Defunct | 2015 |
| Headquarters | London , England, United Kingdom |
Key people | Mikey Bromley, Betsy-Blue English, Charlie George, Parisa Tarjomani, Jo Perry (manager) |
| Products | Music recordings, live performances |
Only the Young was a pop ensemble originating from London, England, featuring members Mikey Bromley, Betsy-Blue English, Charlie George, and Parisa Tarjomani. Under the management of Jo Perry, the original lineup included George Shelley, who initially auditioned solo for the ninth season of The X Factor before becoming part of Union J, which concluded in fourth place during the semi-finals. Shelley was subsequently succeeded by Bromley. In 2014, Only the Young participated in the eleventh season of The X Factor, advancing to the live show stages and ultimately placing tenth after elimination.
On 6 November 2015, Tarjomani announced her exit through her personal blog, and later that same month, Only the Young officially disbanded.
Formation and Early Years
Childhood acquaintances Parisa Tarjomani and Charlie George formed the core of the group in 2012 alongside Betsy-Blue English and George Shelley. Following Shelley's departure to join Union J, Mikey Bromley took his place. Before their appearance on The X Factor, Only the Young earned a performance slot at Capital's Summertime Ball on 21 June 2014 at Wembley Stadium, sharing billing with artists such as Pharrell Williams, Miley Cyrus, David Guetta, Enrique Iglesias, and Little Mix.
2014: Participation in The X Factor
Only the Young auditioned for the eleventh series of The X Factor. During their run on the show, they released a rendition of Bobby "Boris" Pickett's "Monster Mash" to raise awareness for Teenage Cancer Trust. Mentored by Louis Walsh—who had also managed Union J in 2012—the band progressed to the live shows. In week three, they found themselves in the bottom two against Jake Quickenden but were saved by Mel B’s decisive vote. Their journey ended in week seven when they received the lowest public votes, finishing tenth overall. Shortly after their elimination, they announced their inaugural headlining concert scheduled for 28 December 2014 at London's Under the Bridge venue, marking them as the first act from that season to plan a post-show event. However, this was later canceled following the passing of Parisa Tarjomani’s mother on 21 December.
| The X Factor performances and outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Stage | Song | Theme | Result |
| Room audition | "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" | Free choice | Advanced to arena audition |
| Arena audition | "We Can't Stop" | Free choice | Progressed to bootcamp |
| Six-chair challenge (bootcamp) | "9 to 5" | Free choice | Advanced to judges' houses |
| Judges' houses | "Ghost" | Free choice | Reached live shows |
| Live week 1 | "Twist n' Shout" / "Jailhouse Rock" | Number ones | Safe (13th) |
| Live week 2 | "Come on Eileen" | 80's Night | Safe (9th) |
| Live week 3 | "Boom Clap" | Saturday night at the movies | Bottom two (11th) |
| "The Winner Takes It All" | Free choice | Saved by majority vote (3/4) | |
| Live week 4 | "Monster Mash" | Fright Night (Halloween) | Safe (7th) |
| Live week 5 | "Blame It on the Boogie" | Michael Jackson vs. Queen | Safe (7th) |
| Live week 6 | "I Wanna Be Like You" | Big band | Safe (6th) |
| Live week 7 | "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" | Whitney Houston vs. Elton John | Eliminated (seventh place) |
2015: "I Do" Release and Disbandment
On 19 May 2015, Only The Young entered into a contract with Warner Music, with intentions to launch their debut single during the summer. The music video for "I Do" was initially released on 8 June but was removed after their YouTube channel was compromised; it was subsequently re-uploaded on 13 June, resulting in the loss of its original view count. Although the single was originally scheduled for release on 31 July, it was postponed until 7 August due to distribution challenges caused by the Calais migrant crisis impacting physical shipments. Upon release, "I Do" entered the UK Singles Chart at number 53 and climbed to number 41 in Ireland, becoming the highest-selling physical single that week. On 18 August, the group revealed plans for their inaugural UK headline tour beginning on 1 September.
On 6 November 2015, Tarjormani departed from the group, and later that month, Only The Young announced their official breakup.
2017: Debut and Final Album
Only The Young released their self-titled debut album on 4 October 2017, compiling previously anticipated tracks intended to satisfy their fanbase.
Discography
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Only the Young |
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| Title | Year | Highest chart positions | Album | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | IRE | ||||||||||||
| "I Do" | 2015 | 53 | 41 | Template:N/A | |||||||||
| "The Monster Mash" | 2015 | — | — | Only the Young | |||||||||
| "—" indicates a release that did not chart or was not distributed in that region. | |||||||||||||