For the past few days since The Smashing Pumpkins released their new song “Black Stars,” it’s been on constant rotation/repeat. Having new music out there as the band is on tour with their Rats In A Cage tour (I’ll be at the Los Angeles date at The Forum, if you’re going), is another reason why you should be listening to The Smashing Pumpkins!
“Black Stars” is the first song the band have released that features producer Butch Vig, in thirty two years since Siamese Dream. This song is also part of the soundtrack to the upcoming film, The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping. Which is a perfect title to accompany a song from The Smashing Pumpkins. The song itself has a glistening sound that has a dash of Mellon Collie to it. Lyrically it’s classically dark with a distinct melody.
Hoping this one gets added to the set list for Los Angeles!
Every so often a mainstream artist really surprises me. For a while now, I’ve had my hear and eyes on Yungblud. When I first heard him in 2018, I wasn’t too into what he was doing. Then as time went on and the evolution of Dominic Harrison grew, I could tell that there was more than what was happening at first. Deep down, you could tell he wasn’t going to sit idly by and let others dictate where he was to go. So instead, Yungblud/Dominic committed to his vision and went for it. The end result is the album Idols. Since I don’t believe in guilty pleasures anymore, I have to say this album is quite enjoyable and full of rather interesting songs that explore more than just a surface level that pop music usually does. Instead, digging into the bands and artists that fed into Dom becoming “Yungblud” makes Idols a great listen. The song “Zombie,” and no it’s not The Cranberries song or a cover, has really taken things to another level. The song is now nominated for a Grammy and has an all new, reimagined version that features The Smashing Pumpkins. Since this alternate version with The Smashing Pumpkins arrived last week, I’ve been stuck on it. The original version of “Zombie” already had a Pumpkins gloss to it and now, it’s fully realized with this collaboration. When Billy Corgan sings the lyrics and especially the second verse, the chills and goosebumps will appear! If you get the chance to, check out Billy’s interview show, The Magnificent Others, and watch the couple interviews he’s done with Dominic/Yungblud. They are great intereviews and gives a really good insight into who he is as a person and artist. This kid is the real deal and I’m quite interested to see what comes next! And who can forget his absolute stellar performance of Black Sabbath’s “Changes” at the Back To The Beginning concert!
