Yungblud’s Idols: Becoming the Icon Of Your Own Story
Yungblud makes an unapologetic return with Idols, his fourth studio release and the long-awaited successor to his self-titled 2022 album.
Idols is welcomed into your life with the epic first single from the album, Hello Heaven, Hello. A nine minute anthem of acceptance and self-reclamation, centred on rock heavy guitars and a gritty vocal delivery that feels as if it’s been pulled from the depths of a soul with nothing left to hide. Describing this as the “opening statement” of the album in an interview with Rolling Stone, the opener seems to embody the whole record. Dom says it’s “…a goodbye to the past and how you may have known or perceived me before, and a hello to the future and where I’m going. It sets the precedent for what this album is.” With its commanding introduction and heartfelt lyrics, the track draws you into Yungbluds orbit, setting the tone for the first half of the story that follows.
Gone are the days of the raw, anarchic energy that once defined his earlier work. That fire is still there, his drive to right the wrongs of a turbulent world, but it is now shaped into a more emotionally intelligent, intentional sound. Dom has spent the past four years crafting a “story,” as he calls it, meant to be experienced as a complete album. The result is a record that feels cinematic and cohesive, influenced by the greats of decades past while sounding like nobody but him.
The idea of having idols has always been complicated for Dom. It’s easy to admire people like Bowie or Freddie Mercury, they can inspire you to chase big dreams. But they don’t have the answers and can’t show you the path to get there. In this new work, Dom reaches a more peaceful place. Having spent years writing music for the version of himself he thought people wanted, he’s no longer looking to others for answers. He’s come to realize that to truly discover who you are and who you want to become, you have to become the idol of your own life.
Released only a few weeks ago as the third single, Yungblud’s lyricism and ability to turn the darkest train of thought into captivating art is perfectly showcased by Zombie. Stunningly delivered, the stripped back and eerie lyrics flicker between questioning how much affection would still remain if you showed your true, imperfect self, and a strained acceptance of the inevitable passing of time. Knowing your days are numbered but wanting to spend every last second with the person you love.
The latter is certainly echoed in sentiment by the accompanying video. A self proclaimed “love letter to nurses” where Oscar nominated Florence Pugh plays an NHS nurse. Pugh perfectly embodies the impossible burden healthcare workers face every single day. To be a source of emotional strength and hope despite the unthinkable situations they face every single day. A haunting scene shows Florence holding the hand of a mother undergoing chemotherapy treatment before being pulled into an emergency situation and comforting a patient’s loved one. The weight of her line of duty is evident in the bleak moments she finds herself in outside of the hospital, emotionally spent but with angel wings reflected behind her, although she cannot see them. At a time when so many musicians are competing for viral sounds, it is refreshing to hear something so thematically rich that it commands your attention. Demanding to be listened too, and not just heard.
Halfway through the album, Ghosts is waiting to knock the wind right out of you. A simple piano underscores Dom’s raw, gravelly vocal through the first verse, before bright strings and a playful guitar riff bring in the chorus. “You’re my gateway to heaven” repeatedly rings through an 80’s leaning, six minute sonic adventure, capped off with an anthemic vocal run and clapping section that begs to be echoed back by a live crowd.
Ghosts and Hello Heaven, Hello show his willingness to experiment as an artist. Dom may have been labelled a typical rockstar earlier in his already extensive career, but at twenty seven he’s determined not to be pigeonholed into one genre or forced to stagnate in the pop-punk persona of his past. Fans of the British born singer can rest assured that Idols is only the first chapter of an ambitious double-feature concept.
The final track of the album Supermoon begins with the same piano that intros the albums namesake Idols Pt II, and takes definite inspiration from the late David Bowie, with surprising nostalgia etched into its composition and vocal delivery. Very poignantly ending the record with the gentle bump of guitar being put onto the ground, a sign that the end of this record is not actually a finale, but a pause before the second installment comes to fruition.
Timed perfectly to coincide with Bludfest, Yungblud unleashes his most thought-provoking work to date. Idols pairs his typically cutting lyrics and gritty vocals with notable nods to the British rock legends who came before him, marking a clear evolution in the career of a born rockstar. Recent interviews and appearances make Dom’s desire to keep growing as an artist, and to stay grounded in appreciation for the fortunate position he’s in, abundantly clear. He remains unafraid to push boundaries in the name of progression, fearless in his pursuit of becoming his most unapologetic self.
