In which I try to figure out why (older) women are obsessed with Yungblud

Holy rock star indeed.

The first Yungblud track I ever listened to was The Funeral a couple of years ago. The song matched my then-mood perfectly. It’s sad, but in a fun, nihilistic way. The kind of song that would have become my entire personality in my 20s. I found it nostalgic and comforting, so it earned a spot in my playlist.

Fast-forward to 2024. I landed in Milan after a sleepless night, gearing up to go to i-Days on my own. I’m not a festival person under the best of circumstances, so the anxiety was bubbling beneath the surface.

Thankfully, I know myself well, so I did everything I could to increase my chances of having a good time. Booked a hotel 15 minutes from the festival site. Stopped to have a big bowl of pasta and a glass of prosecco for lunch. Crashed in my room for a few hours.

While Bring Me the Horizon were the headliners, I bought my ticket to see Bad Omens, who were supposed to open. Unfortunately, they cancelled their entire European summer months prior. I decided to go anyway. Bring Me the Horizon are fine, and I was into the idea of starting my vacay with a rock concert and ending it with a pop one. Honoring both my personalities.

Yungblud was also part of the line-up, already on stage by the time I made my way there. Just as I was entering the festival site, he started to play The Funeral. Suddenly, I knew that everything was going to be ok.

I watched the rest of his performance between droplets of rain and was impressed with his energy. Despite knowing only the one song, I vibed with the crowd because you could tell he was having a blast. He returned during BMTH’s set for Obey, a spectacular moment.

On my way back, I promised myself I’d check out more of his music. Completely forgot until this year, when he blew up.

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He was big before, sure. Yungblud released his first single in 2017, so it’s not like he became an overnight success. However, his fanbase used to comprise mainly Gen Z young adults who saw themselves in his music.

This year, something shifted. Likely due to his Changes cover during the Black Sabbath benefit concert, older generations took notice. Not only that, but women began to flood his comment sections – and they’re not all 19 anymore. Many are 40+.

It made me curious about what makes him so appealing.

I’m not going to pretend that he’s not pleasant to look at, or that his low-rise pants don’t fuel the online engagement. I have eyes. He’s my exact physical type. If a skinny guy gives off vampire vibes and makes you wonder whether he ever leaves the house during daytime, I’m paying attention.

Still, younger dudes typically don’t do it for me. Yungblud is 28. There’s a literal decade between us, yet the age difference doesn’t give me the ick this time around, which I find highly suspicious. I decided to put on my glasses, gather my hair into a messy bun, and look into this serious matter.

Before long, I stumbled upon this TikTok. The creator perfectly describes Yungblud as a chaotic little raccoon and argues that women over 40 are attracted to him because they’re having a hormonal flashback. Basically, they like him because he reminds them of the youthful, energetic version of themselves who used to lust over the likes of Sid Vicious, David Bowie, or Steven Tyler.

I never swooned over any of them, but I started to think about who I was into during my formative teen years. Kurt Cobain and Jim Morrison, both sadly gone by the time I learned they existed. Chester Bennington. The one guy who actually resembles Yungblud a bit, Ville Valo.

As I was contemplating this hypothesis and digging through my memories, it finally clicked. Turns out, Yungblud mainly reminds me of the most beautiful boy I ever kissed. He also acted like a chaotic little raccoon on stage. Off it, he was warm and kind and passionate. This made me like him more.

So while hormones could play a role, Yungblud wins bonus points because he seems like a nice guy. That’s on top of being a bona fide rock star.

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In pop culture, the rock star image shifted over the years.

The rebels of the ‘80s made room for the moody antiheroes of ‘90s grunge and, eventually, the more polished and commercially appealing figures of the last 20 years. As far as the bad boy rocker archetype is concerned, there hasn’t been much representation lately.

Who can you choose from? Matty Healy? Machine Gun Kelly?¹ Both are 35+. Post Malone leans more toward sad cowboy than rock god. Ironically, Pete Davidson and Harry Styles fit the archetype well – an actor/comedian and a pop artist.

If we narrow the list to under-30, it shrinks further. As far as the mainstream is concerned, it consists of Yungblud and Damiano David,² the latter currently attempting to expand his fanbase by switching to pop.

Meanwhile, Yungblud’s newfound cross-generational appeal fuels his popularity because he reminds people why we like rock stars in the first place. They’re rebellious, charismatic, and they push societal norms. Maybe they live the way we want to live, or make us feel understood.

In concerts, Yungblud puts on an electrifying show. He owns the stage and the audience. You can tell he’s having the time of his life; he exudes energy and connects with fans on a deeper level. On social media, he sometimes posts 24-hour vlogs that show him living the kind of rock star lifestyle I could survive for about two days. He parties, doesn’t sleep much, feeds on mayhem.

At the same time, listen to any of his interviews. It won’t take long to notice that Yungblud is kind, empathetic, and vulnerable.

He created his own festival because he thought festival prices were too high. He’s open about his struggles with mental health and food/body dysmorphia. His recent London store has a big community component. He talks to fans like they’re his friends, and his eye contact game is next level.

His entire shtick revolves around authenticity, acceptance, and inclusivity, to the point where even people who aren’t into his music almost wish they were.

Back in the ‘80s, the dominant image of a rock star was emotionally volatile. Scandals were on brand for the likes of Motley Crüe and Guns N’ Roses. Falling for a rock star, established or wannabe, often meant tying yourself to a destructive man who would ruin your life.

I would have kissed the beautiful boy from my past solely because I was in my twenties and he was in a band I liked. I ultimately did it because he was kind and genuine.

I think that’s why (older) women like Yungblud. He offers the best of both worlds. The danger without the damage. He embodies the rock star chaos we’ve been romanticizing for over half a century, while his personality is anchored in the (more emotionally aware) right now.

The low-rise pants don’t hurt either.

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Photos from Facebook: Yungblud, Almost Famous

1. One of them ghosted Taylor Swift, the other fumbled Megan Fox. Women take notice.

2. I found out about KennyHoopla and Dominic Fike while researching this, was unfamiliar with them, please excuse my ignorance.