Let Me Down Easy (Gang of Youths song)
| "Let Me Down Easy" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Gang of Youths | ||||
| from the album Go Farther in Lightness | ||||
| Released | 26 May 2017 | |||
| Studio | Sony Music, Sydney | |||
| Genre | Baroque pop | |||
| Length | 5:19 | |||
| Label | Mosy Recordings, Sony | |||
| Songwriter(s) | David Le'aupepe | |||
| Producer(s) | Adrian Breakspear, Gang of Youths | |||
| Gang of Youths singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Mixing Engineer: Peter Katis | ||||
"Let Me Down Easy" is a song by Australian alternative rock band Gang of Youths, released on 26 May 2017, via Mosy Recordings, as the third single off their sophomore album, Go Farther in Lightness (2017). The song peaked at No. 49 on the ARIA Singles Chart[1] and achieved double platinum certification by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) in 2019.[2]
The song has featured on multiple editions of the Triple J Hottest 100 countdown. It was voted in at No. 2 in the Hottest 100 of 2017, No. 19 in the Hottest 100 of the 2010's, and No. 60 in the Hottest 100 of Australian Songs. The song also placed second in the 2018 Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition.
Background
Gang of Youths released "Let Me Down Easy" via their personal label, Mosy Recordings, on 26 May 2017.[3][4] It was released as the third single in promotion of their sophomore studio album, Go Farther in Lightness, which arrived on 18 August 2017.[5] The song was recorded at Sony Music Studios, Sydney between November and December 2016 and was produced by Gang of Youths and Adrian Breakspear.
Accolades and awards
"Let Me Down Easy" peaked at No. 49 on the ARIA Top 50 Singles chart, becoming the band's first hit single in their career.[6] As part of Triple J's annual listener-voted countdown poll, the Triple J Hottest 100, the song was voted in at No. 2 in the Hottest 100 of 2017 countdown poll, marking the highest position achieved by an Australian artist that year.[7] In the Hottest 100 of the 2010s, held in 2020, the song was voted in at No. 19.[8] In 2025, the song was voted in at No. 60 as part of Triple J's Hottest 100 of Australian Songs.[9] It was certified double platinum, for shipments of 140,000 units, by ARIA in 2019.[10][2] For the song, Le'aupepe placed second in the 2018 Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition.[11]
Reception
Simon Tubey of X-Press magazine reviewed the album and described the track as having an "upbeat tempo and catchy hook making it an instantly distinctive 'festival banger', which any crowd would love. The distinctive oriental sound only serves to cement the song's uniqueness."[12]
Charts
| Chart (2018) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[13] | 49 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[10] | 2× Platinum | 140,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- ^ "Australia Top 50 Singles (February 5, 2018)". www.acharts.co. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
- ^ a b "ARIA Title Accreditations Report: 2019" (PDF). www.aria.com.au. Australian Recording Industry Association. 7 July 2021. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
- ^ "Aussie Muso Dean Lewis Signs International Deals With Island Records & Universal". The Music. 28 July 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
- ^ "'Let Me Down Easy' Single". iTunes Australia. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
- ^ Gang Of Youths (Musical group) (2015), Go Farther in Lightness, retrieved 19 February 2023
- ^ Hung, Steffen. "Discography Gang of Youths". Australian Charts Portal (Hung Medien). Retrieved 6 August 2016.
- ^ Newstead, Al (27 January 2018). "Sit Down, Be HUMBLE.: Deconstructing Kendrick Lamar's Hottest 100 #1 song". Triple J Music News. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
- ^ "Hottest 100 of the Decade - 2010s | triple j". www.abc.net.au. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
- ^ "Countdown #1 to #100 - Hottest 100 Australian Songs". triple j. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
- ^ a b "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2019 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
- ^ "Past Winners". APRA AMCOS. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
- ^ Tubey, Simon (31 August 2017). "Gang of Youths Go Farther in Lightness Gets 8.5/10". X-Press. Archived from the original on 19 March 2018. Retrieved 19 February 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Gang of Youths – Let Me Down Easy". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 25 February 2018.