Yungblud, the rockstar persona of Dominic Harrison, is recently starting to stand out in the industry. Since his breakout with 21st Century Liability back in 2018, he has cemented himself as a type of punk messiah to the younger generation, recently bridging the gap between new and classic rock as his idols pass him the torch (one just needs to look at his relationship with the late Ozzy Osbourne to understand.)
In the latest move that perhaps no one saw coming, he’s bought back Aerosmith. Back in July at Ozzy Osbourne’s final show in Birmingham, Yungblud fronted a supergroup that included Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, to some pushback from both metal and punk purists. But, unbeknownst to everyone, these two rock icons – who are 49 years apart in age – had also teamed up in the studio. One trail of social media breadcrumbs and another stunning MTV VMAs tribute for Ozzy later, their collaboration was revealed. The EP, One More Time, follows on organically from Yungblud’s recent album IDOLS, and it’s a somewhat convincing homage to classic rock.
One More Time marks the first lot of new Aerosmith music in 12 years. After their retirement from touring, the title perhaps hints at Steven Tyler and Joe Perry’s last hurrah, passing the torch to the new generation of rock. Beyond the premise, there is nothing overtly surprising about this EP. It plays into Aerosmith’s strengths, quenching Yungblud’s clear thirst for some sleazier, vintage rock. Harmonising together, he and Steven carry the force of a pride of lions, trading verses on the stunning ‘My Only Angel’ and yanking the balladry of ‘A Thousand Days’ to its high bar.
Flanked by some subtle strings, the high-octane ‘Problems’ moves forward like a propeller, before the Stones-y ‘Wild Woman’, featuring Lainey Wilson, injects some twang into One More Time. The latter is a welcome change of pace, even if Doncaster’s own Yungblud objectively doesn’t suit lyrics like, ‘I got a white horse / I’m a cowboy, baby.’ Concluding with a 2025 version of Aerosmith’s ‘Back In the Saddle’, this slick EP serves its purpose, realising this incredible collaboration without dragging it out towards an album of overindulgence. To this end, One More Time feels limited edition, adding another stamp of approval from Boston’s finest that rock’s present and future is in the hands of Yungblud.
It would be easy to be cynical about such a combination, and I am. But from an Aerosmith standpoint it becomes abundantly and shockingly clear that this is some of their best work in nearly a quarter of a century. It’s also some of Yungblud’s best work of his whole career. Is this finally a glimpse into what Ozzy could see in Yungblud? Meeting somewhere between the cocksure and country-fried noodling that has inspired much of Aerosmith’s sound over the years and the breezy Britpop sensibility that has bolstered much of Yungblud’s own output, it only takes a few seconds of lead single ‘My Only Angel’ to feel that; the hedonistic howls of Tyler and Harrison battling each other hit like a freight train of exhilarating proportions.
If nothing else, it’s nice to see two members of Aerosmith remind the world why they were one of the most revered bands in the world for nearly 40 years. I am also impressed by Yungblud’s vocal performance on the album. It gives me hope that as his song writing skills improve, he can formulate more edgy and memorable melodies that will stand the test of time in a music industry that moves at light speed.
