After three albums of carefully cultivated chaos, Dominic Harrison finally lets the mask slip on ‘Idols’, moving away from manufactured provocation and into something that looks like genuine artistry. Here, he appears to be who he always wanted to be, rather than trying to be the person he thought the world demanded.
Gone are the predictable punk tantrums and try-hard rebellion. Instead, Harrison pairs ‘80s glam and Britpop with abandon, ending up with something that feels a bit like The Verve’s ‘Urban Hymns’ for Gen Z. In execution, that comes off as a heady mix of Richard Ashcroft anthemics, Queen’s theatrical bombast, Blur’s melodic adventurousness and Manic Street Preachers’ earnest grandstanding.
The album’s palette remains maximalist — strings cascade on the epic nine-minute opener Hello Heaven, Hello, riffs pile upon riffs with gleeful excess on Ghosts, while Harrison’s vocals soar with newfound confidence throughout War.
At times, the approach borders on the ridiculous, but that appears to be precisely the point. This is music that embraces its own silliness while tackling weighty subjects, creating a fascinating tension between surface level frivolity and deeper meaning.
Lyrically, Harrison still occasionally stumbles into shallow waters on tracks such as Fire and Monday Murder, but his improved melodic instincts carry him through on standouts Idols, Pt. 1 and The Greatest Parade. The strings aren’t just decorative, either, they’re structural, supporting songs that finally feel worthy of their ambitions.
‘Idols’ succeeds because it feels authentic in a way Yungblud’s previous work never quite managed to. Harrison has stopped shouting to be heard and started singing to be understood. The result is his most cohesive and compelling statement yet.
Yungblud Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Tue July 08 2025 - KINGSTON Pryzm
Thu July 10 2025 - DUNDEE Live House
Fri July 11 2025 - LIVERPOOL Dome
Sun July 13 2025 - BRISTOL Prospect Building
Tue July 15 2025 - SOUTHAMPTON Engine Rooms
Wed April 15 2026 - DUBLIN 3Arena
Fri April 17 2026 - LEEDS first direct Arena
Sat April 18 2026 - CARDIFF Utilita Arena Cardiff
Mon April 20 2026 - GLASGOW OVO Hydro
Thu April 23 2026 - BIRMINGHAM Utilita Arena
Fri April 24 2026 - LONDON O2 Arena
Sat April 25 2026 - MANCHESTER AO Arena
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