Release Date: 20 June 2025
Song Count: 12
Rating: 6.8/10
Description:
Another big name on the site today - this time thanks to a good friend's recommendation. Dominic Harrison, whom many know in the world of music as YUNGBLUD, is a singer and performer who has been steadily rising to the top of his field since the end of the previous decade, managing to get several of his albums over the course of this time comfortably into the charts, most notably his eponymous (meaning self-titled) album from 2022. With this enormous success, as well as the very large following he has acquired throughout, it's no wonder that his newest endeavour in the form of Idols has also garnered quite a bit of attention since it released in June. The album offers a twist on the signature pop-punk sound that Harrison has established for himself these past years, promising a sort of fresh and new evolution both in terms of lyrical contents and musicality overall, especially with the alleged goal of focusing more on the "feeling and world building" rather than the individual songs.
Gone is the practically constant stream of hyper, loud and rebellious energy in the likes of 21st Century Liability, weird! and YUNGBLUD - instead, the album presents itself as a far more mature, musically nuanced spin on the young artist's musical persona, with plenty of introspection and deeper themes to be found in the passionately sung lyrics and words, as well as a musical shift towards classic rock combined with British pop. Guitars, more melody-centric song structures, and vocally far more challenging and expressive moments dot around the dozen tracks in the album, defining the general direction as to where things go after each and every step, and though Harrison himself has credited countless contemporary music stars and artists as inspirations for his own work, here he simultaneously manages to showcase this admiration in music form through subtle nods and resemblances to said acts without sacrificing anything major about himself or his musical style.
This change to a more wide-appealing rock sound works varyingly across the album itself - some tracks, especially within the first half, are rather brought down by this, as they seem almost too watered down to make a lasting impact or even stand out amongst the other songs bunched up next to them; the latter half of songs in return allow this sinking curve in interest to respring upwards and make this risk pay off far more than initially estimated. Particular tracks like "Fire", "Monday Murder", "Supermoon" and especially "Ghosts" showcase this musical success best - they still feel very much like songs only someone like YUNGBLUD could work on and perform, but also differ greatly from his other hits in terms of style, all whilst keeping their quality at the top.
Idols overall is quite a roller-coaster of an album - at least it was for my listen-through. With it taking a while to get started on the action, I initially felt ready to write this off as a snoozefest upon witnessing the first few songs, only to realise later that there would have been so much gone unappreciated if I did, especially as the record progresses. Though the track record of the album is far from spotless with some slumps on the way, Idols simultaneously features some of Harrison's best artistic work to date, and it would be a mistake to not acknowledge that feat. Feel free to give this one a listen if you want to hear for yourself where this young talent is heading musically.