YUNGBLUD “mars” Track Review

English pop punk singer-songwriter YUNGBLUD (AKA Dominic Harrison) lends support and a helping hand to his transgender listeners with new song “mars.” It tells a story of a transgender girl who is facing disapproval and alienation from everyone around her, most notably her parents “Her mum and dad, they couldn’t understand / Why she couldn’t turn it off, become a better man.”

The track was inspired by an interaction Harrison had with a trans fan at Warped Tour 2018. “She told me how her parents had come to the show with her, and how seeing our community helped them to understand that her coming out as trans wasn’t just a phase — this is who she really was. It made me cry to think that we could have that kind of impact and change people’s perceptions, just by being ourselves.” The singer has always presented himself through an androgynous image, confidently embracing his feminine side and denouncing any kinds of judgment towards it.

The sincerity in Harrison’s voice remains potent through each escalating level of the song. Beginning with a tender spirit that starts building up at the bridge and reaches its climax for the final chorus, he emulates the intensifying resentment that the trans and queer community are often forced to endure. As his vocals build emotion and raspiness, he shouts the track’s most major line, “Is there any life on mars?” pondering the possibility of there being a separate world where being trans is viewed as normal. The guitar adds a sanguine undertone, and the song ends with shimmering effects that bear a comforting serenity.

YUNGBLUD’s new album, weird!, will be released this Friday, December 4th. Watch the video for “mars” and check out the tracklist below!

weird! Tracklist:

1. teresa
2. cotton candy
3. strawberry lipstick
4. mars
5. superdeadfriends
6. love song
7. god save me, but don’t drown me out
8. ice cream man
9. weird!
10. charity
11. it’s quiet in beverly hills
12. the freak show