YUNGBLUD, Parents | Track Review

YUNGBLUD returns fired up on his single “Parents,” where he makes it clear the ‘parents’ are just too old to understand the kids.

“‘Cause my high hopes are getting low / Because these people are so old / The way they think about it all / If I tried, I would never know… / ‘Cause parents ain’t always right.” YUNGBLUD has proven early on in his career that he’s ‘a force to be reckoned with.’ 21-year old Dominic Harrison first caught my attention with his under-appreciated, 2018 debut album, 21^st Century Liability.  Here, Harrison was young and edgy, showing the beauty of being ‘rough around the edges’ as opposed to delivering schmaltzy, bubblegum-oriented material.  Once again, on his new single, “Parents,” Harrison is more risqué than safe, and it pays off.

The message conveyed by YUNGBLUD on “Parents” is definitely the crowning achievement.  Harrison seems to denounce the narrow-minded thoughts that adults have in regard to youth.  Early on the first verse, he continues the sentiment of 21^st Century Liability as he depicts the ‘tortured’ nature of his generation.  On the first verse, the portions that pique the most interest actually appear at the end:

“My daddy put a gun to my head

Said, ‘If you kiss a boy, I’m gonna shoot you dead’

So, I tied him up with gaffa tape and I locked him in a shed

Then I went out to the garden and fucked my best friend.”

It’s outlandish, but it supports Harrison’s overall message.  The ‘tortured’ sentiment continues on the second verse with YUNGBLUD going totally over the top on numerous occasions.  “Put a toaster in my bath, watch my mum and dad laugh / See a thousand volts go through the son they wish they never had.” Wow.  It gets even more wacky, as he later adds, “But it’s hard to get an erection when you’re so used to rejection / Yeah, the teacher fucked the preacher / But then he had to leave her / Had to wash away the sins of a male cheerleader.”  Naturally, Harrison does a fantastic job of selling things, perfectly summing things up on the chorus, excerpted at the top of this review.

Final Thoughts 

If you haven’t checked out YUNGBLUD yet, well, you’re missing out.  “Parents” represents the alternative youngster at his best, showing off mad potential.  He sings, quasi-raps, and delivers ample attitude throughout the course of this record.  He also has pretty rad production (Zakk Cervini and Chris Greatti) behind him.

YUNGBLUD • Parents [Single] • Geffen • Release: 5.27.19

Photo Credit: Geffen