Yungblud claims that the “bitterness” and “blind negativity” he experiences is discouraging the next generation of rock artists from “trying at all”
Yungblud has addressed the criticism he routinely faces within rock, warning that “blind negativity” in the genre could be doing lasting damage to its future.
At 28 years old, Yungblud AKA Dom Harrison is one of rock’s most talked-about rising stars, having captured the world’s attention last year with his tribute to Black Sabbath at Back to the Beginning.
But while some see him as a symbol of the genre’s next chapter, others remain unconvinced – with members of The Darkness, for one, recently questioning his place in rock’s lineage.
READ MORE: Yungblud fires back at The Darkness over Ozzy Osbourne tribute criticism: “They were trying to be doormen at a party that they weren’t invited to”
Speaking to Loudwire, the British artist reflects on the level of criticism he routinely faces online, arguing that the “bitterness” aimed at new rock artists can have a far wider impact than people realise. According to Harrison, constant scrutiny doesn’t just affect established names – it risks discouraging younger musicians from even getting started.
“On my third album, a lot of people had an opinion about me,” he says, adding that being so publicly dissected isn’t always easy to navigate.
“People like me or people don’t and that’s not always easy to handle,” Yungblud admits. “It can make you feel really isolated and it can actually deter you as a young musician.”
“But to be honest, ultimately, I think that’s the reason why I’m fucking here – to take on the bitterness a little bit because people don’t realise that this blind negativity deters young musicians from trying at all.”
Elsewhere in the conversation, Yungblud also reflects on how his love for rock ‘n’ roll was shaped long before all the online discourse. Growing up in the north of England, he spent much of his childhood immersed in his family’s guitar shop.
“It was the coolest adventure,” he recalls. “Me dad and me grandad had a guitar shop in the north of England and I used to go in every day and I was exposed to rock music at four years old, three years old. I got taught guitar by the guys who would work in the shop – I got brought up on the good shit.”
That early exposure, he says, shaped not only his sound but his outlook – including his affinity for artists who divide opinion. Yungblud points to his bond with Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan, whom he collaborated with on a reimagined version of his Grammy-nominated song Zombie, connecting over their shared experience of being polarising figures in rock.
“Isn’t it funny that every fucking great rock star was always hated? It almost encourages you more to use it as fuel and fight back,” says Yungblud.
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