“This album doesn’t want to save you. It wants you to realise you were never broken.”
A Conceptual Pivot: From Provocateur to Philosopher
With the new album Idols (out today, 20 June 2025), YUNGBLUD sheds the skin of punk-pop rebel and steps into the role of philosopher-poet. I feel like it’s a new bend/turn in an already prolific career of highways, and Idols, as a piece of art, feels like a complete arc – raw, emotional, and surprisingly intimate. It’s a coming-of-age statement that re-examines what it means to worship others and ultimately asks the listener to turn inward instead. This is most certainly the album her HAD TO DO, make no mistake.
The album’s title references the way fans (and society) place musicians, celebrities, and influencers on pedestals. But the twist here is that Idols isn’t a celebration of fame – it’s a slow dismantling of it. YUNGBLUD questions why people look to others to define themselves, and instead delivers a collection of songs that tell listeners: you were the hero of your story all along.
Yungblud, real name Dominic Richard Harrison, is here to stay, and he’s got more than a few things to say. He’s got the charm and charisma. He’s got the talent to back-it-up It’s time to start listening. Let’s explore the new music now…
The Opening Overture: ‘Hello Heaven, Hello’
The first track, ‘Hello Heaven, Hello’, is a sprawling nine-minute epic – easily the boldest thing YUNGBLUD has recorded. It begins with a delicate piano intro and builds into full-blown orchestration, string sections swelling beneath confessional vocals. The track deals with rebirth – musical, personal, spiritual – and creates the sense that this album is not just a sonic experience but a journey.
Themes of Self, Trauma, and Reclamation
Across the album, recurring themes surface:
Self-identity vs. idolisation: YUNGBLUD wrestles with the pressure to be a symbol, often yearning to just be Dom from Doncaster.
Masculinity and vulnerability: There’s introspection on what it means to be a ‘man’ – fragile, emotional, addicted, brave.
Grief and legacy: In ‘Zombie’ (the video inspired by Director Charlie Sarsfield’s grandmother who was a nurse), he threads personal pain with universal questions of memory, struggles and meaning.
The lyricism on Idols often feels like spoken word poetry filtered through a cracked lens – jagged but sincere. ‘Lovesick Lullaby’ touches on loss and self-harm, while ‘Monday Murder’ captures the isolation of fame with a psych-pop swirl that echoes early Blur.
“Discussing real human emotions and feelings, it is an album that is easy to engage and connect with, no matter age, gender, sexuality, religion culture etc etc… But, as long as you have an open heart.” – Markus Hamence
A Shift in Sound: The Yorkshire Sessions
Unlike his previous, more LA-polished releases, Idols was recorded in Leeds with a local crew (over four year) – childhood mates, studio jam sessions, and a lo-fi ethos. It shows. The sound is warmer, grittier, and feels like it was lived in, not produced.
While still genre-blending – punk, orchestral, emo, Britpop, even moments of gospel – the album carries a unified, almost cinematic mood. The influences are clear but not derivative. Think early Bowie meets The Bends-era Radiohead, with hints of Arctic Monkeys’ lyrical swagger and the rawness of early Placebo.
The album is both muscially and lyrically intelligent and articulate. Discussing real human emotions and feelings, it is an album that is easy to engage and connect with, no matter age, gender, sexuality, religion culture etc etc… But, as long as you have an open heart.
Track-by-Track Highlights
Zombie
The emotional lynchpin of the album. This isn’t your typical alt-pop ballad. Lyrically about the slow death of selfhood through addiction and memory loss, it’s driven by soft strings and minimal piano. The Florence Pugh-starring video elevates the track further, making it one of YUNGBLUD’s finest to date. It’s really quite ethereal and contemplative while challenging you to look deeper with your feelings.
Lovesick Lullaby
Melodically catchy but devastating in content. A soft, sad love song with teeth – exploring heartbreak through the lens of mental health spirals. Think a punked-up Jeff Buckley.
Ghosts
A live-favourite already, ‘Ghosts’ is a full-blown stadium anthem with layered distortion and a huge chorus. It’s nostalgic without being saccharine, looking at teenage regrets with mature hindsight.
Monday Murder
A glam-rock gem. Electric guitars, synth swells, and an almost spoken-word breakdown that channels Bowie’s Berlin years. It’s theatrical but grounded in everyday anxiety.
Idols Full Album Track List
Hello Heaven, Hello
Idols Pt. I
Lovesick Lullaby
Zombie
The Greatest Parade
Change
Monday Murder
Ghosts
Fire
War
Idols Pt. II
Supermoon
Technical Production Notes (for the Audio Nerds)
Mastering: Optimised for dynamic streaming formats, especially Apple Music Lossless and TIDAL. Low-end has room to breathe – orchestral instrumentation sits well against distorted guitars without getting muddy.
Sequencing: Each track feels placed with purpose. There’s a clear arc: chaos – confrontation – clarity.
Vinyl vs Digital: Vinyl pressings have been engineered with warmth in mind – expect richer string textures and a punchier midrange. YUNGBLUD confirmed that the Leeds studio used tape emulation tools to give digital recordings an analogue feel.
Artist in Transition: A Personal Reckoning
In recent interviews, YUNGBLUD has been candid about hitting a breaking point after his third album. He felt lost in the noise of expectation – a ‘character’ more than a creator. Idols is his way of reclaiming himself. He’s sober now, more focused, and less interested in being shocking than being truthful.
This is reflected not only in the music but in the rollout. Surprise gigs in small clubs. Introspective live lounge sets. Speaking openly about ADHD, anxiety, and finding purpose again. YUNGBLUD’s maturity doesn’t come at the cost of energy – it comes with an evolved sense of responsibility to his art and audience.
What Critics Are Saying
Kerrang!: “His most daring and human album yet. YUNGBLUD isn’t trying to be anyone’s saviour. He’s trying to be real.”
NME: “A love letter to those who feel forgotten. It’s big, flawed, and full of heart.”
OOR (Netherlands): “An emotional renaissance. More Britpop than punk, and all the better for it.”
Fan reactions: Divisive in the best way. Some miss the chaos of early YUNGBLUD, others feel this is his defining moment. You’re always gonna have that though. As artists evolves they lose a few along the way. So be it…
Final Verdict: A Bold Rebirth
YUNGBLUD’s Idols is NOT just a collection of songs – it’s a declaration of the human and artist he is TODAY. This isn’t music for TikTok virality or teenage rebellion anthems. This is an artist coming to terms with who he is, what he stands for, and how he wants to be remembered.
It’s messy (not in a bad way), grandiose (appropriately, at times indulgent (in a necessary way) – but it’s never fake and it’s his best work yet! And in today’s music landscape, that’s rare. Credit the man.
Rating: 5/5
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
“A fearless, orchestral, and emotionally unguarded reset. Idols might not change the world – but it might help you remember you still can.”
