Yungblud’s Idols is a bold, beautifully messy first chapter in a two-part story. It’s not afraid to get loud, soft, strange or vulnerable, and that’s exactly what makes it so compelling. The album’s emotional depth easily earns it a spot among his most memorable work.
We already had a taste of what was coming with tracks like Lovesick Lullaby, Hello Heaven Hello, and Zombie. But Idols, the fourth studio album by Yungblud, doesn’t just meet expectations, it smashes them wide open. Clocking in at just under 48 minutes across 12 tracks, Idols is raw, cinematic, genre-defying, and emotionally unfiltered. This first instalment (the second half’s release date is still under wraps) feels like the most honest version of Dominic Harrison we’ve heard yet- and that’s saying something.
The striking album cover, photographed by Tom Pallant, is the first clue: Idols isn’t here to play it safe. Yungblud has always challenged norms and refused to be boxed in, but here we see a different kind of confidence-less bravado, more vulnerability. He’s still raging, still theatrical, but there’s growth. This is a maturing artist, unafraid to show bruises alongside bravado.
From the glam-rock shimmer of the title track Idols-which echoes the influence of his hero David Bowie-to the explosive power of Ghosts and Fire, the album is a genre blender that never feels confused. Britpop, punk, glam, indie, orchestral flourishes all here. Yungblud’s refusal to stay in one sonic lane doesn’t feel chaotic; it feels authentic. Why should he choose? Why should any of us?
Change (track 6) is a gut-punch. A gospel-tinged orchestral cry for help with soaring violins, a cinematic electric guitar solo and the devastatingly relatable lyric: “I wish you’d stay in my life.” It’s arguably one of the most vulnerable tracks Dom has recorded, and the abrupt ending gives you a moment to process what you just heard.
Ghosts was 100% made for the stage. Its layered claps, orchestration and explosive guitar solo make you feel the electric atmosphere just through your earphones. This is going to be incredible to experience live. A standout moment for sure.
Similarly, Fire is all momentum and adrenaline. I hope there are enough pyrotechnicians clearing their schedules.
War taps into that dramatic rock-ballad energy we all secretly crave. It’s the kind of song you blast while walking home in the rain, pretending you’re in your own music video. (Don’t lie, we’ve all done it!)
And then there’s Supermoon – a slow, beautiful closer that brings the curtain down with Bowie and Queen written all over it. Gentle but grand, it ties everything together with a lingering sense of melancholy and hope. It’s gentle, theatrical and a perfect closer – like the credits rolling on a beautiful, action-filled Blockbuster movie.
Lyrically, Idols is rich with themes of identity, masculinity, love, grief and self-reflection. It’s an emotionally open record, often stripped of ego and heavy on honesty. This is Dom being real, not just rebellious. His description of the album as a project with “no limitations” rings true in every way: musically, lyrically and emotionally.
If this is just part one, we can’t wait to see where part two takes us.
Idols is available to stream on all platforms now.
