Yungblud delivers a narcissist’s portrait with new album ‘Yungblud’
Dominic Harrison, better known as Yungblud, will release his third studio album tomorrow (September 2nd). The album is fittingly self-titled and plays out as a mashup of pop, goth and rock, serving as the follow-up to 2020’s Weird!
The album opens with ‘The Funeral’, a 1980s-inspired track that immediately shows that Yungblud is an album wholly absorbed in the unabated narcissism of Gen Z. The lyrics pertain to the things that Dominic Harrison does and the things that Dominic Harrison feels. The track argues that the only thing that matters is how you feel about yourself and your life, so much so that you should be dancing at your funeral.
This sentiment continues on ‘Tissues’ where Harrison argues that “everyone wants [merely] to be adored”, and on ‘Cruel Kids’ where he only “wants a better life”. On ‘Mad’, Harrison ineloquently expresses his mental health concerns by repeating, “I think I’m going mad”, with a lack of poetic expression beyond this statement. Unfortunately, there is little to add to the thematic nature of the album, as each track explores a different facet of Harrison’s life.
As for the sonic influences, unsurprisingly, we find My Chemical Romance, as do we find Avril Lavigne on ‘Memories’, whilst there is perhaps a lazy nod to Frank Ocean on ‘Sweet’. There are also evident references to the bubblegum-pop side of The Cure (‘Tissues’ actually contains a sample of ‘Close To Me’), as are there shades of Paul Simon’s Graceland, particularly in the dominating gated reverb snare sound. And it ought to be noted that despite the lack of thematic nuance, much of the album’s production is well taken care of.
In talking about the album on Instagram, Harrison wrote, “I have thought and felt this record so deeply [sic]. I went to a part of myself that I didn’t know was there. I studied it, I bathed in the emotion, tried to solve the equation and come up with an answer. From love to pain, adoration to abandonment, laughter to betrayal. I will continue to be nothing but myself and encourage others to do the same. There is simply no other option.”
If this statement does not summarise the self-absorption present on his new album, then I’m not sure what will. However, it’s essential to try and listen to Yungblud’s new album through the ears of a fourteen-year-old. I know I used to listen to what older generations may have described as “utter shite” when I was that age. So for a young teenager, Yungblud is an appealing album; it argues that despite the pressures of social media, school, and the lack of apparent meaning in life, you need to love both your perfections and imperfections. In that regard, this record will be endlessly popular.
That’s good news and a warming sentiment, yet it also shows the dangers that young people find themselves in; trapped in a hall of mirrors, obsessed with the self when the real issues are hidden behind the glass. Rising sea levels, political deception, ah, you know the story. But how are those things ever to be addressed if the generation to whom they will affect the most are encased in a perpetually revolving state of narcissism?
Unfortunately, Dominic Harrison has done little to use his voice and his status to raise that question, let alone try to answer it. We’re left with a list of songs that will feel most important to Yungblud and Yungblud alone.
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