Read this: 13 of the most diehard fanbases in rock
Speaking to Kerrang! in May, YUNGBLUD hinted that the vibe of Weird! could well indicate where he takes things on album number two.
“The truth is, I’m not angry anymore,” he explained. “21st Century Liability was so fucking angry, but that’s not who I am now. And that’s not to say that the new album is me going soft, because there are some fucking ragers and songs for the moshers on there, but this is going to be a record of optimism. How can I be angry when I now exist alongside this community of people where my insecurities, which I once considered to be a handicap, are now celebrated? This community was built by a bunch of outsiders, but I don’t feel like an outsider anymore because of how I’ve been welcomed by all these people. How the fuck can I be angry at that?”
YUNGBLUD continued: “The album is a neat whisky, uncensored version of my life: it talks about liberation in terms of sex, my identity and my mental health, as well as love, heartbreak, self-harm, suicide, depression… it’s like a series of Skins. I want it to be naïve and full of contradictions. This record doesn’t give a fuck what people think about it, because it’s telling the listener what life is truly about. I have a dialogue with my fanbase that allows us to say what we think – we’re rebelling against the idea that speaking our minds is wrong.”
Check out the bold cover for Strawberry Lipstick below – and watch this space…