“R.I.P. 2 My Youth” immortalizes The Neighbourhood’s experiences in the years prior to the release of their sophomore album, while simultaneously including social commentary on police brutality.

The track debuted on KROQ FM and later on Apple Music’s Beats 1 on August 20th, 2015, leading Wiped Out! as the premiere single.

In an interview on the Kevin & Bean show, frontman Jesse Rutherford explained how the song is lyrically personal to him, but that it also outlines what has happened in the band’s life as a whole:

For all of us, it’s [about] the awesome opportunities we’ve been able to have, and about growing up, whether you want to or not. Some people have their [youth] taken away from them earlier, but either way, the world kind of hits you.

The official music video was released on September 16th, 2015, directed by Hype Williams and featuring Ian Eastwood.