Billy Corgan Explains Why Smashing Pumpkins Teamed Up With Yungblud On ‘Zombie’

Yungblud’s run through modern rock keeps pulling in unlikely heavyweights, and his latest collaborator is about as legacy as it gets.

Billy Corgan and The Smashing Pumpkins have joined forces with the UK firebrand on a reworked version of ‘Zombie’, a move that cements Yungblud’s place in the ongoing conversation about where rock is heading next.

The collaboration follows a stacked year for Yungblud, including a high profile Aerosmith team up and his much talked about performance of ‘Changes’ during an Ozzy Osbourne tribute, that moment alone split opinions, but it also proved something important.

Yungblud is willing to stand in front of the most unforgiving audiences in rock and back himself, speaking in an Instagram reel shared via the Smashing Pumpkins’ account, Corgan explained what drew him in.

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“Dom [Harrison, Yungblud’s name] is a true rock fan,” Corgan said. “It’s one thing to be a visionary, but it’s another thing to have the gift to pull off the vision.”

It’s not just about ambition either, when asked what it says about Yungblud’s mindset to step into studios and stages with rock royalty, Corgan didn’t hesitate.

“He has no fear.”

That fearlessness has become a recurring theme in Yungblud’s career, from belting out Sabbath ballads to collaborating with genre defining figures, he’s leaned into risk rather than dodging it.

That attitude carries through on the revamped ‘Zombie’, which leans hard into a gritty 1990s alternative rock feel, with shared vocals between Yungblud and Corgan, plus full band contributions from the current Pumpkins lineup, including Kiki Wong.

Inevitable choice

“With this song, I could hear no one else,” Yungblud explained. “When I sent the emails, I was like, ‘Yo, this is far out, but I’ve been channelling you with this record, would you do the honor of remiagning it with me?’”

Corgan’s response was immediate: “F**k it, let’s go there.”

The reworked ‘Zombie’ arrives as the original version competes for Best Rock Song at the Grammys against Nine Inch Nails, Sleep Token, Hayley Williams, and Turnstile.

Win or lose, the collaboration says a lot, Yungblud isn’t borrowing credibility, he’s earning it.