2025 Number 10: Yungblud

Gemma's Top Ten Albums of 2025

Number 10: Yungblud - Idols 

 

Is Yungblud prog? I don’t know. He looks a lot better with his shirt off than most prog rockers do, that’s for sure. 

Every generation needs a young upstart who will try to bring rock back to the masses, and if we must have one of those I’d much rather have someone like preening, posing, sentimental Yungblud than whitebread bores like Imagine Dragons. This guy at least has some passion to him, and some genuinely queer vibes that so many artists forget is part of the makeup (in all senses of the word) of rock ‘n roll.

I haven’t heard much from him from before this album, but from what I understand he used to be more playful and swaggering and lighthearted. This one is big and grand, talking of love and passion and death with utterly wild abandon, every moment more important than the last.
Of course, it’s the lengthy opener “Hello Heaven Hello” and the proggy “Ghosts” that draw me in the most. I want more than just verses and choruses.

While the Cool Britannia swagger and irony will be the thing that catches the eye of the magazines and tastemakers, it’s the genuine passion that will build up a real fandom, and our boy here is well on his way with this album. Apparently a second part is coming later. I’ll be listening.

Yungblud, like so many before and after him, is destined to fail gloriously in bringing rock back to the mainstream, but he will look damn good while doing it. Especially with his shirt off.