Review: YUNGBLUD 'weird!'
YUNGBLUD has finally released his new album, Weird!, today, December 4th. This album has been long-awaited and fans were excited to see what this spitfire was going to create. The album artwork summarizes what to expect on the album because this record is unique and the songs show different personalities and even genres.
The album captivates you immediately with the first track, “teresa,” since Dom’s voice is so open and inviting while also showing vulnerability. It is nice to hear the clarity of his tone while still having the unique flare of his accent. Listeners can also pick up on some MCR influences in this song and others on the album. YUNGBLUD actually has a couple of ballads and songs of clarity on this album, including “mars,” “love sing,” “god save me, but don’t drown me out,” and “weird!,” which is refreshing.
After this soft introduction, listeners jump into the singles on the album. As the songs progress, you can sense the build-up of energy, though this album is not fully cohesive. There are some standouts, such as “superdeadfriends,” that don’t sound as though they fit with the rest of the album. This track specifically is hard to understand, and though it has originality, it is hard to understand the lyrics. This song may be better live, along with the fun and energetic track. “Ice cream man.”
YUNGBLUD is quite vulnerable on this album. As seen on social media, Dom is an open book and loves interacting with fans; however. When hearing his music, listeners can finally take a deeper glimpse into his psyche and understand all of his feelings. “mars” is a strong track, especially during this time of quarantine, where you may feel alone, forgotten, yet still attacked in one way or another. The music video that accompanies this single is also heavy, where you can feel the vulnerability in each character.
“love song” is also a beautifully vulnerable song where we can hear that to find and feel love, we have to find it in ourselves first. We may not always have the best role models, but if you find the right person, it may be easier to discover what love is. “god save me, but don’t drown me out” is also a vulnerable song talking about self-love and not judging yourself from your past actions. Dom had said previously that this song was hard for him to record because he was crying through the lyrics. This imagery creates a strong message when listening to the lyrics.
When seeing that there was going to be another collaboration with MGK and Travis Barker, fans were excited to hear the song following up “I Think I’m OKAY,” which is certified Platinum in the US, and the newest hit “body bag.” Unfortunately, “acting like that” did not meet up to the expectation of the other singles. It may just be the intro that was a let down because the rest of the song after the first verse is quite snappy. This song may be suited better on Tickets To My Downfall and instead ended up on weird! It actually sounds a bit like “kiss kiss” if you listen closely. Interestingly, the artists tried to have the feature be the most dominant voice on the tracks, but only one of the two was successful, though the other can be catchy.
Overall, YUNGBLUD did an amazing job on recording weird! Listeners can identify some of the different personalities on the cover in the tracks. Some outside influences can be heard on some of the tracks, such as “Flagpole Sitta.” Elements on “charity” have a bit of a Fall Out Boy vibe and also within the chorus of “the freak show.” This album takes the listener on a journey and is definitely a fun roller coaster. Who says being weird is weird?