Yungblud’s got a habit of swinging for the fences—and this week, he went full stadium soul with a soaring cover of The Verve’s ‘Bittersweet Symphony’.
The Tissues singer hit BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge on June 17 and made the Britpop classic feel like his own.
Backed by his live band and a string section that nailed that unmistakable orchestral riff, Yungblud (real name Dom Harrison) delivered a stripped-down but emotionally maxed-out version of the 1997 anthem. Less swagger, more sincerity. You could feel the weight in every note.
“This song’s stuck with me forever,” he said. “It lifted me up when I was lost.” That connection was clear in the performance—less karaoke, more catharsis.
It’s no surprise the track made the cut. Yungblud has been wearing his Britpop influences like a badge, with his upcoming double album Idols (Part 1 drops June 20) already teased as a love letter to the era. Think Oasis, Bowie, Primal Scream, Suede. He’s aiming big, and not quietly.
“If you listen to it,” he told the UK’s NME, “it’s Urban Hymns or Screamadelica from a new perspective.” Yeah, he knows the old heads might come for him—but Yungblud’s never been one to chase approval.
Elsewhere in the session, he gave us a live take on new single ‘Zombie’, another taste of Idols’ emotional heft. The record promises to be his most personal yet, with Harrison calling it a return to the vulnerability and edge of his debut 21st Century Liability.
Love him or hate him, Yungblud’s always been about heart-on-sleeve expression—and this cover proves he’s not afraid to hold that up against the greats.
Watch the full performance now. While it won’t ever replace Ashcroft’s original, it doesn’t need to. It’s a new voice singing an old truth, and for Yungblud, I think at least, that’s the whole point.
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