Yungblud has explained why he “fucks with” Charli XCX, saying he thinks that the pair are “a little bit intertwined”.
The Doncaster artist (real name Dominic Harrison) spoke about feeling an affinity with the ‘Brat’ pop star during a new interview with NME.
His praise of Charli came as he opened up about the concept of his new rock opera double album, ‘Idols’ – part one of which arrived today (June 20).
“That’s why I fuck with Charli – she almost put out a double album in 2024,” Harrison told NME, refferring to the cultural phenomenon of the singer’s latest album and its star-studded remix LP.
He continued: “I think we’re a little bit intertwined, me and her, because we’re completely from the left field.”
Yungblud was pictured with Charli XCX at the NME Awards 2020. During an interview backstage, he talked about the “sick as fuck” experience of hanging out with the singer and The 1975 at the ceremony.
‘Idols’ explores how certain childhood dreams, goals and heroes exist differently for Yungblud in 2025.
“It’s easy to believe your own bullshit if you’ve been making a project for 18 months, but when your album concept hits you in the face in the real world [with the viral fan who told Harrison he saved her life] – wow,” he told NME. “I never wanted the album to be an homage to my idols; it’s almost like I’m ready to leave them behind. Cheers Bowie, cheers Freddie, thanks Mick. I got it.”
Harrison added: “We put people on pedestals and don’t give ourselves enough credit. You realise that the photograph on the wall never had any fucking answers – all the answers came from within me.”
Explaining the differences between each of the two entries in his ‘Idols’ project, Yungblud told NME: “Part one is about the reclamation of yourself: ‘All you are is a self-fulfilling prophecy / A product of your own temptation’.
“Part two is the dark and downward spiral to the inevitable realisation that I’m not going to be here forever – who do I want to spend my life with? Mortality. Part two plummets you back down to earth, and it’s a little bit more cynical.”
You can read NME‘s new interview with Yungblud in full here.
‘Idols’ features the singles ‘Hello Heaven, Hello’, ‘Lovesick Lullaby’ and ‘Zombie’. The LP, described as the musician’s “most ambitious” yet, follows his 2022 self-titled third full-length effort.
Yungblud is set to embark on a UK and Ireland arena tour in 2026 – buy any remaining tickets here.
Those dates will follow next month’s brief run of intimate UK gigs, dubbed ‘Idols – Up Close And Personal’, and Yungblud’s headline tours in North America and Europe later this year.
BludFest 2 takes place in Milton Keynes tomorrow (Saturday June 21), with the likes of Chase Atlantic and Denzel Curry appearing on the line-up.
Meanwhile, Yungblud has recorded a live cover of The Verve’s “absolute classic” track ‘Bittersweet Symphony’. He had previously cited the band as an inspiration for his new Britpop-influenced album in an earlier interview with NME. At the time, he also namechecked the aforementioned David Bowie and Queen, as well as the likes of Primal Scream, Suede, Stone Roses and Oasis.
In other news, Yungblud has recalled the time he met Liam Gallagher, and shared that the Oasis frontman thought he was a woman.
