Yungblud is back with his boldest statement yet. The British rocker released his fourth studio album, Idols, on Friday (June 20), delivering a genre-blurring, emotionally expansive project that marks the start of a two-part body of work.
The 12-track release arrives ahead of the artist’s headline performance at his second annual Bludfest on Saturday, held at the Milton Keynes National Bowl. Idols is out now via Locomotion/Island Records.
Described by Yungblud as his “most ambitious” effort to date, Idols was written and recorded near his hometown of Doncaster, with longtime collaborator Matt Schwartz and bandmates Adam Warrington and Bob Bradley. By working in Leeds with a small, trusted team, Yungblud intentionally stepped away from mainstream writing camps to create something raw and personal.
Lead single “Hello Heaven, Hello” premiered on BBC Radio 1’s Hottest Record segment in March, clocking in at over nine minutes. The Independent praised the track for showcasing “a newfound maturity in songwriting and production.” Follow-up single “Lovesick Lullaby” brought chaos to the iconic Hawley Arms pub, where Yungblud surprised fans by bartending to celebrate the release. BBC News described the song as “combining Liam Gallagher’s sneer with Beach Boys’ harmonies.”
“Zombie,” the most recent single, featured a powerful visual collaboration with actress Florence Pugh and paid tribute to British healthcare workers. It has been widely considered one of the most poignant tracks in Yungblud’s catalog to date.
The album’s focus track, “Ghosts,” is a stark piano ballad laced with operatic grandeur. “It’s about comprehending mortality,” Yungblud said of the song. “We’re gone in the blink of an eye, and life is precious and fast. Don’t forget to live it.”
Of the track’s sweeping outro, he added, “It’s inspired by opera, specifically The King and I. Everyone thought I was crazy when I referenced that in a rock recording session. But f—k it. That’s Idols.”
The new LP follows Yungblud’s 2022 self-titled album, which debuted at No. 1 on the U.K. Albums Chart and cracked the top 10 of Billboard’s Top Album Sales tally. His two previous albums, Weird! and 21st Century Liability, also made strong U.K. chart debuts, with Weird! landing at No. 1.
In addition to music, Yungblud launched his own festival, Bludfest, and recently released his first book, You Need to Exist: A Book to Love and Destroy, which debuted at No. 1 on The Sunday Times Best Seller list.
