Written By Christy Norris
Yungblud’s Idols is more than an album it’s a looking glass shattering illusions of misperception both for the listener and the artist. Across these tracks, there’s an arresting honesty. He’s laying his silhouette bare, and in doing so, he confronts the crushing weight of social media’s judgment and the unrelenting demand for flawless personas.
From the bombastic sweep of “Hello Heaven, Hello” to the raw ache of “Zombie,” where he sees himself through tainted eyes, battling the demons within.” Yungblud brings vulnerability to the spotlight with bravery rarely seen in chart topping acts. He doesn’t just sing about pain, he bleeds it.
The video for “Zombie,” is set in a bleak hospital hallway flooded with flickering lights and quiet desperation. Florence Pugh portrays a battle worn nurse on the verge of collapse, her every gesture aching with unspoken grief. As Yungblud’s voice rises like a rallying cry for the emotionally broken, angel wings unfurl behind Pugh transforming her from caretaker to martyr in a moment that feels both devastating and divine.
“Yungblud gives shape to the dread of being a burden, turning the heavy echoes of inherited pain into something others can finally name. Something tangible, something shared.
This emotional landscape resonates deeply with those of us who’ve stared at ourselves through the toxic lens of public scrutiny. “You said you’ve felt judged as a creator and unseen in a crowd.” Yungblud’s lines about broken mirrors in Idols Pt. I (“You broke all the mirrors in me… so beautiful, strangled to sleep”) echo that suffocating silence we’ve each lived. When he sings, “Whatever happened to you and me?” It stirs something deep inside reminding me of every time I felt unseen or judged by strangers before I could show my authenticity. It echoes the heartbreak of being silenced before speaking our truth.
Yet throughout Idols, there’s a thread of defiant hope. “Ghosts” rises from soft melancholy piano into a triumphant anthem. Learn through pain, rise again. “Change” challenges complacency. An invitation to wrestle with inner turmoil and become something stronger. It’s music that confronts your pain, not with pity, but with a defiant shaking of a fist at the sky.
What makes Idols so poignent is that Yungblud isn’t speaking from an ivory tower, he’s screaming from a vulnerable place entrenched in his own self doubt alongside him. In a culture where mental health is still treated like a human stain, where social pressure still fangs our ability to believe in ourselves, this album stands as an anthem for anyone who’s ever hurt or felt like they weren’t enough.
For both the artist and the listener this album is personal. With our own creative blood on the line and our own perception of beauty forever questioned, Idols is more than a record. It’s a lifeline. Yungblud’s truth affirms yours. When Dominic chooses bravery over cage, he’s saying that your vulnerability and mine aren’t dead weight, they’re wings.
Highlights worth digging into:
“Zombie” – Lyrical honesty set to orchestral malaise; it’s visceral and heartbreaking backed by strings performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. The conductor on this track is Sally Herbert.
“Ghosts” – A phoenix rising anthem, reminding us pain teaches resilience.
“Idols Pt. I” – Brutal imagery of broken mirrors and suffocation, a reflection of collective insecurity.
Overall arc. From collapse to reinvention, songs like “Change” urges us to grow and reclaim our lives.
On social media & mental health. In a world where we’re summoned to curate perfection, Idols states a difficult truth. It’s all a lie, and it’s hurting us. There’s no preaching here, just the quiet admission that even those we place on pedestals bleed in the dark. Yungbluds wounds become our permission to breathe, to crack, to accept imperfection. It’s both a spotlight and a sanctuary.
Final take. Idols isn’t just Yungblud’s album it’s a reflection meeting you halfway. It acknowledges the soul crushing noise of judgment, but blossoms with defiant beauty. It’s personal, it’s raw, and it dares us to love ourselves. Not in spite of our scars, but with them shining brightly. This isn’t just an album worth exploring it’s one worth feeling.
1.Hello Heaven, Hello
2.Idols Pt. 1
3.Lovesick Lullaby
4.Zombie
5.The Greatest Parade
6.Change
7.Monday Murder
8.Ghosts
9.Fire
10.War
11.Idols Pt. II
12.Supermoon