Here, Khalid attempts to convince a girl he likes that there's nothing wrong with being "young" and "dumb" and "broke" high school kids. Khalid penned the song with the New Zealand producer Joel Little, best known for being Lorde's collaborator on her debut album. Pure Heroine. Khalid recalled the story of the song to Genius: "We created the beat from scratch, me and Joel Little. I just wanted something not necessarily positive, but super upbeat. Hearing the chords, 'I was like this sounds anthemic.' And I was like, 'You know what. I'm young, I'm dumb, and I'm broke. I've been young, I've been dumb, and I've been broke.' That's pretty much where the basis of the song came from. I feel like the whole project is all about me being honest. And I felt like, you can't get more honest than calling yourself young, dumb, and broke."
Filmed in an actual high school, the Calmatic-directed video features a host of celebrity cameos, starting with Dennis Haskins (Mr. Belding from Saved by the Bell) as Khalid's principal. Other famous names that make appearances include Fifth Harmony's Normani Kordei, as the singer's Prom Queen, She's All That actress Rachael Leigh Cook who portrays a teacher, and Kenan & Kel's Kel Mitchell, who plays a cafeteria worker. The clip ends with TV personality Wayne Brady in the guise of a disgruntled janitor.
Khalid told the Minneapolis Star Tribune the song was inspired by "not seeing love as a commitment at my age." He continued, "It was my expression of just accepting the characteristics I had at the time, and not caring that older people might look down at us. It's like, 'Yeah, I might be young, dumb and broke, but I still have so much love to give.'" Khalid added: "I've met so many different people, especially as a military kid, that I know relationships don't always last. And that's OK."
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