Hailing from the northern part of England, punk rock virtuoso YUNGBLUD has an impressive catalog under his belt, including his debut 21st Century Liability, and his most recent work YUNGBLUD, featuring the hit song “Tissues.” He recently announced the release of his brand new single “Lowlife,” which sounds drastically different from anything the singer has put out before. He adds more grit, punk, and a whole lot of electronic influences to create something that is definitely the song of the summer, pushing people to understand and also relate to YUNGBLUD’s story of just wanting to be alone some days.
Immediately “Lowlife” starts out with an industrial sort of beat, inviting listeners in. Something very interesting he starts with is the chorus, letting everyone know that he is feeling like a loner at this moment. The vocals sound nothing like the singer, creating a sort of child like effect on his voice. The lyrics talk about how he wants to be alone, singing “I'm not gonna go out today/I gonna sit right here and wish the world away/'Cause I'm a lowlife, lowlife.” The first verse follows, maintaining that steady beat in the background as the child-like vocals drop away and we are left hearing YUNGBLUD clearly. He talks about his life in England and tells a story, citing that “When I'm walking 'round Camden with a smirk on my face/Put my hand in my pocket to find some change/Buy a bottle of gin to get the memories erased/'Cause you know what, life is extremely divisive.” As he delivers the lyrics, it sounds like he is almost rapping them to the beat, keeping things steady as he tells the story of why he wants to stay inside and the anxiety he feels about going out in the public eye, and how that may cause him to turn to alcohol or drugs to cope.
The chorus repetition has more fire to it than the one that started the song out, with more bass, notable guitars, and increased overlayering of voices that make his message heard. The second verse dives more into explaining how he feels being a public figure, singing, “In the world of normal people, I'm a monkey/It's painted on their faces that they think I'm a junkie/In the way that I dress/The people I bed.” YUNGBLUD’s life since becoming a bigger artist has been full of criticism and people eyeing him like a hawk, seeing who the next person he dates is and overall overstepping the boundaries between fan and artist. He hasn’t gotten too candid about how that has made him feel in his music, until now. Something interesting he does in a lot of his songs is add sound effects after some words throughout, and it is especially apparent in this verse because he adds quirky sounds, like emphasizing words, moans, and even brings back the higher pitched voices seen in the chorus.
As the song progresses, he adds more instrumentals, like hints of saxophone in the background, and having more fun with the song, adding adlibs as well. The bridge of the song is one of my favorite parts because YUNGBLUD adds so much energy into the track, singing “People come, people go/People high, people low/People stay, people change/People lie, people don't/I don't fulfill my potential,” talking about how people act in life, and how he is going to continue being himself.
Overall, “Lowlife” by YUNGBLUD is an electrifying, sarcastic, and bold single from the gritty singer. It is well done and thought out, and addresses things about himself while also letting the listener relate because there are just some days you don’t want to leave your house, and stay inside where it is comfortable. After almost two years without music from him, this goes above and beyond any expectations, and makes me excited for this new era.
