From a man who’s chosen the moniker YUNGBLUD, you’d expect a hot-blooded boy to rage against the machine, full of nervous energy and ready to scream. But what he’s like instead is this calm, almost sagely youth who carries an aura of being completely sure of who he is and what he stands for, speaking carefully with well-thought out responses as we interview him.

Last in Singapore as part of an all star lineup for 2022’s Music Is Universal showcase by Universal Music, this time around, the young Briton is back in town to perform in his own solo show as part of his world tour. “It’s been amazing to come back here and play an actual show, it’s so different compared to how neutral people were the first time, but now, it feels like people actually know who I am,” he says. “I never thought I’d come back to Singapore and play a show like this, and for me, our strength is in our fans. They’re our friends, a community, a culture, a movement, and it’s important for me to be with them.”

Over the last five years, YUNGBLUD’s been hard at work, with three full-length studio albums that have seen increasing popularity with each release marked by streams in the millions. Now, there’s a new era on its way, with the release of singles such as ‘Lowlife’ and ‘Happier’ (a collaboration with Oli Sykes of rock superstars Bring Me The Horizon), pre-empting a brand new project coming this fall.

“Putting out albums in this day and age is a big melting pot that needs a global perspective, where certain albums will do well in certain places,” he says. “Critics have spoken out against my previous album (the self-titled YUNGBLUD in 2022), but I’ve never really cared or read it. But you can see how it’s had a real connection to people in Latin America, Italy, France and Asia, as compared to my previous albums resonating more in the UK and America. You don’t need to appease everyone at the same time.”

“I believe art is about opinions. You can decide if you like it or not, but that ultimately only represents only yourself, whether you’re a fan or a journalist. And that’s really what punk is isn’t it? That it’s always been about freedom, and having the freedom to express yourself without hesitation,” he adds. “Sometimes, it’s a strange genre to be in, because if you belong to a certain ‘era’ of punk, purists will say that you can’t deviate or evolve from certain ‘rules’. But that in itself is so ‘un-punk’! At the end of the day, what I’m doing is making music for no one else except myself and my community.”

YUNGBLUD has been hailed as the voice of a generation, with his songs played on popular TV show soundtracks and lyrics that have gone against the grain of toxic masculinity, empowering youths to stand up for themselves, to choose love and to be real, to the extent one might even see him as a preacher-like figure spreading his own gospel. “I’ve always been about embracing imperfections, to never judge and to always tell the truth,” he says. “Individuality, self-expression and love have always been so important for me, and about making people feel seen when the world gets you down, and when people get you down. The biggest form of power lies in the ability to treat everyone with respect and love.”

“I think about how it’s always going to be a fight to get to the destination you want to, and it’s never just about me. I believe that I’m here to be with you, to work with generation after generation to fight for where we want to be, and we will get there eventually, as we shout louder and louder,” he adds. “Love is inevitable, change is inevitable, and with this new generation, things will be different from how they were before. It’s gonna be beautiful when that happens, but it’s also going to be a team effort that we make the change we want to see.”

YUNGBLUD knows the weight that comes with the moniker, and admits that there will come a time he believes he’ll be hanging it up, even if it’s become synonymous with him. “YUNGBLUD is a feeling, and always will be. But it won’t necessarily be one that lasts for ever. Maybe it’ll end up being a 10 year art project, like how David Bowie had his Ziggy Stardust stage persona for a while,” he says. “I’ll always be me, but artistically, I do want to explore different things, and not feel caged to one artistic identity. There are a lot of expectations that come with being YUNGBLUD and each release, but at the end of the day, if I can’t be creative, then what am I making music for? All I know for now at least is that I’m always going to lead with my heart to be creative and keep believing.”

“For me, limitation destroys creativity, and my music is the story of the things that I experience, and that I want to talk about. I want to use my music to tell unfiltered, uncomfortable songs that are real, and it leads to me receiving messages from people it resonates with and go hey, that happened to me too,” he concludes. “Sometimes there is shame or fear in admitting some of these things that happen to me, and almost like I’m weak or damaged goods or rotten. But at the end of the day, I think that fact that we can be damaged and rotten together only makes us stronger. It’s strength to be able to admit you feel that vulnerability at times.”

YUNGBLUD plays on 10th November 2023 at the Capitol Theatre. Tickets available from SISTIC