The ever-so-controversial Yungblud is back with a new EP and isn’t afraid to experiment. Born Dominic Harrison, the British rocker first made his way onto the scene in 2017. He gained notoriety in early 2018 when he released his debut album “21st Century Liability.” His newest project “The Underrated Youth,” released Oct.18, hit listeners with a mixture of rock and hip-hop, along with softer more ballad-like tones. 

Yungblud begins the EP with “braindead!” which rocks listeners awake with loud guitar riffs. The song is repetitive like an anthem of the line, “I just wanna be pretty braindead.” While the song is catchy, it is such an earworm that it sticks in your head to a point of irritation. This song leads into “Parents” which follows the rock sound of “Braindead!” but also adds elements of hip-hop in the lyrical presentation. 

“Parents” speaks to individuality, showing that just because they’re older, parents may not always have the right answer. “The way they think about it all / If I tried I would never know,” proves the sentiment of outgrowing a generational difference.

In comparison to “braindead!,” this song is what listeners have come to expect of Yungblud’s classic blend of rock and hip-hop. Following this, the EP goes into “Original Me,”  featuring Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons. This song too ties into the theme of individuality as well freedom of thought with lines like, “Don’t let them change your mind / Don’t let them waste your time / I’m the original loser.”

While it’s self-deprecating, Yungblud strives to remind listeners to stay true to themselves. However, the song is mainly Yungblud and Dan yelling at each other in a chaotic call and response.  Things slow down with “Casual Sabotage, ” focused on finding your true identity, only to pick back up “Hope for the Underrated Youth.” 

“Casual Sabotage” feels a bit forgettable. It’s not good or bad, it’s just there.  “Hope for the Underrated Youth” however, embodies Yungblud’s anthem for his fans to remain hopeful for better times. Similar to “Parents,” this track blends the genres of rock and hip-hop, Yungblud’s expertise.

It makes sense that “Hope for the Underrated Youth” was one of the few songs from the record released as a single as it best sums up the EP. For the final song, Yungblud slows it down with “Waiting on the Weekend,” which sounds different from the rest of the EP.

“Waiting on the Weekend” shows a softer side to Yungblud that hasn’t been seen before. It is a cute acoustic ballad in which he is waiting for his lover.  Lines like “Could she be my lover or is this pretend? / Till then I’m waiting on the weekend,” show a new side to Yungblud and take away from the theme of individuality that the rest of the EP seems to follow. 

“The Underrated Youth” displays the range for Yungblud’s music. It is truly an EP for the misfits, that speaks to being true to yourself and knowing who you are. There is something for fans both new and old. Tonally, it still has elements of the Yungblud his fans have grown to love, but sonically it feels as if he is experimenting with newer sounds. While this isn’t necessarily a negative, it is still something new for fans to experience.  “Waiting on the Weekend” hits the hardest because of its drastic tone shift in comparison to the rest of the EP. Overall, it isn’t one of my favorite Yungblud projects but is definitely still one to talk about. 

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