(DKC) YUNGBLUD is back with new music for the first time since 2022, joining Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1 to celebrate the release of "Hello Heaven, Hello," the nine-minute lead single from his upcoming album.
In their conversation, the rock artist dives into the creative evolution of his new album and teases his next musical era. Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1 shared the following excerpts:
YUNGBLUD tells Apple Music about the direction for his upcoming album:
I think my biggest goal in the beginning of my career was to kind of be extremely unpredictable and really lead and do what I wanted to do. And I kind of looked at myself and I was like, "Ah, you fell into a little bit of a trap." I think this album and this song, I feel like I'm really about to arrive in a way that I don't think I have done before. I really forced myself and allowed myself really to really let my imagination lead and really kind of lead from a place of like, not is it going to be big or are people going to like it, but just wake up every morning and let that adventure unfold before my eyes. And I think that that's the biggest word for this album. It is a whole adventure and it starts with a nine minute and six second opening.
YUNGBLUD tells Apple Music about the meaning behind his new single "Hello Heaven, Hello": I feel this whole song is about self-reclamation. It's a whole journey about looking myself in the mirror and trying to find a sense of strength. I think I've been quite a polarizing character for a lot of people, and no one has judged me more harshly than myself. And I think the biggest argument I was having with this song was with myself. I feel like we can distract ourselves so heavily from feeling anything at all... That's what this song is literally about. It's a goodbye and a hello to the future and I am home. Now, I am home. I'm in a new place in my life. I'm a completely different person really to than what I was a while ago.
YUNGBLUD tells Apple Music about going back to his hometown to make the album: I really have to thank the three people I made the record with, really. I think my producer, Matty, who I've been with since I was 16, and my guitar player, Adam, and a guy called Bob, and I think Adam has been my guitar player since I was 15 years old in this whole whirlwind and all these people want from me is the truth.
And that is terrifying as an artist because I think it's kind of, it's good to show off or sing or write a great melody, great pop banger, but with this one, I was kind of making a record with my family who would give me a look being like, "Don't believe you. Dig harder, dig deeper, dig harder, dig harder." And it was exhausting, but it was also brilliant because they were kind of allowing me to fly and got myself in front of them. And I don't think I could have made it anywhere else except from the north of England. I mean, I went right back home to make it 20 minutes away from where I grew up, where the fish and chip's perfect.
YUNGBLUD tells Apple Music about his inspirations for his new Rock sound and creating the album: I've been listening to a lot of, old-old school music, going back to people like Bonnie Raitt and Linda Ronstadt and Led Zeppelin and kind of even Elton John. And I think like I really, rock is my genre. I love rock, you know what I mean? I feel like I've been dabbling in many different things and trying to twist rock, but I feel like at the minute it's exciting because rock music feels spherical. I wanted to create a project, right? That it needed to sound big, it needed to sound cinematic. Trevor Horn, Phil Spector, it needed to sound like it couldn't have been made in my bedroom, you know what I mean?
YUNGBLUD tells Apple Music about final thoughts on the album and his next musical era: Honestly, I can say more than ever, we have had the most emotional ride making this. And it's been more funny and more painful than anything ever and we love it. We love it, and I absolutely love it. And I believe in it and I'm like, I've never been more proud to stand by anything that I've ever made. And I feel like, especially for me, this is going to be a real cultural reset and a real moment. And I can't, honestly, it is wild.
Listen to the full episode demand with an Apple Music subscription here
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
[an error occurred while processing this directive]