New Music & More Memories: Inside Yungblud’s GRAMMY Museum Event

The stars have aligned for 27-year-old Yungblud, the English singer whom many are touting as a new champion for gritty/glam rock 'n’ roll — and the guy who just might bring it back into the mainstream.

The career and popularity of the artist born Dominic Harrison has never been broader, or hotter. Yungblug wowed attendees and livestream viewers at the Black Sabbath "Back to the Beginning" tribute concert this summer, and followed it up with a show-stopping medley of the late Ozzy Osbourne’s hits at this year’s VMAs, alongside Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry.

Taking a break from his sold out American tour, Yungblud chatted with music journalist, YouTube host and longtime friend Allison Hagendorf as part of the GRAMMY Museum-presented "A New York Evening With…" series at Brooklyn’s National Sawdust. The chat yielded some news-making revelations and announcements for his growing fanbase.

Yungblud also previewed a potent performance from his new documentary YUNGBLUD. ARE YOU READY, BOY, directed by Emmy and BAFTA-winning filmmaker Paul Dugdale and shot at Hansa Studios in Berlin, where David Bowie’s Heroes and U2’s Achtung Baby! were recorded.

For those not in attendance, read on for six things we learned from Yungblud’s rousing conversation with the GRAMMY Museum, which he rightfully called an "epic" evening. 

Another American Tour Is In The Works

As Hagendorf noted, Yungblud is currently in the "eye of the storm" as his profile rises in the U.S., and it seems to have astounded the musician himself in the best possible way. "You Americans are f—ing crazy and I have never felt it more than right now," he said.

The artist encouraged some of that fandom with an exclusive announcement: "On the downlow, we are about to announce another American tour," he revealed to screams of delight from the audience. "You heard it here first!"

He Recorded 5 Songs With Aerosmith

Both Yungblud and Aerosmith dropped a tantalizing music clip teasing "we got a secret" on their respective social media accounts last week, just before the GRAMMY Museum event. It showed the rockers in the studio together working on a new track called "My Only Angel."

But Harrison shared a lot more about the project at National Sawdust: "We’ve got five coming!" he enthused, adding that, "I probably wasn’t supposed to say that, but whatever." 

A few days later, the official news was released. Aerosmith and Yungblud are putting out a full collaborative EP called One More Time through Capitol Records on Nov. 21. "My Only Angel," the track from the video, is out now. The EP will also feature a remake of Aerosmith’s scorching 1977 classic "Back in the Saddle," which should have the potential to be as big as their iconic redo of "Walk This Way" with Run-D.M.C. in 1986. 

Sharon Osbourne Picked "Changes" For Him

Performing during the Black Sabbath "Back to the Beginning" tribute show was "the craziest moment of my life," Yungblud said. He recalled receiving the call for the gig and saying, "Holy f— yes," before even knowing what he’d  be singing. 

"I thought they were gonna get me to do 'The Wizard' or 'N.I.B.' or 'Sweetleaf,' so it’d be like, ‘Go do the Dom thing, go crazy!'" Yungblud recounted. When Sharon Osbourne suggested Yungblud cover "Changes," 

It was something of an intimidating suggestion. "I knew it was going to be 45,000 people there… nowhere to hide, and 8 million people watching at home."

The young rocker said it was the first time in his life he directly sang to one person. "I knew [Ozzy] was watching backstage and I knew he had a live feed in his room, so I was like, ‘this is for you Oz."

He didn’t plan to get the crowd to sing along, but then he realized he wanted the Prince of Darkness "to hear us" and "to feel the army of 50,000" coming together for him.

Backstage At The Black Sabbath Tribute: A "Lion's Den"

The atmosphere was charged backstage at the Sabbath tribute, which was held just weeks before Ozzy died at age 76.

"You see Chad Smith [Red Hot Chili Peppers] or James Hetfield or Kirk Hammett," Yungblud recalls. "And everyone seems nervous because obviously Sabbath started it for all of us." 

Yungblud said he felt like he was "walking into the lion’s den" when he first got there, because the rock community had previously been pretty mixed about him. Ultimately, he felt welcomed and the vibes were full of love. 

"It was the most humble backstage ever," he added. 

Musical Instruments Are In His "Blud"

Before performing on National Sawdust’s stage, Yungblud took questions from the crowd — a session which featured heartfelt words of appreciation from fans.

One member of the audience asked about his gear preferences, which prompted the star to share that his grandfather was a musician and his dad owned a popular Doncaster guitar shop called Music Ground. \
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"It was always Fender basses, Gibson guitars and Marshall amps," Yungblud said, sharing admiration for Angus Young’s Gibson SG in particular. 

Though he wanted to play them, not work with them, Yungblud said he had to "tune and dust up to 200 guitars every Saturday" as a kid in his dad’s store.

His Latest LP Is The First That Truly Reflects His Vision

His fourth studio album, IDOLS, which came out June 20, showcases introspective lyrics and a well-honed stadium rock energy. The album features Yungblud’s most confident vocals, which go from melodic Brit-pop bops to swagger-filled snarls and soaring sing-alongs. 

While he had some moderate hits on his previous releases — two of which hit No. 1 on the U.K. charts — he says those records didn’t fully represent him as an artist. Of 2022’s self-titled release he said, "when I look back – and I don’t regret it, I learned more lessons on that album than ever — but I needed to stop… there’s five great songs on that record but it didn't really make sense and it was rushed and there were a lot of f—ing opinions of what I should do."

With Idols, he said he let his instincts lead and was focused on pulling from real feelings and experiences rather than what was "popping on the internet." 

"The whole album is about literally confronting legacy not conforming to it," Yungblud explained. "And trying to be the best version of yourself."