When looking back at the history of protest movements, young people have always been at the forefront. That has been the case with recent protests against gun violence, climate change and a variety of other social ills.
Yungblud, a 21-year-old alternative musician from the UK, explored themes of youth disenfranchisement on his 2018 debut album, 21st Century Liability. Such themes are further explored with his latest single, “Hope For The Underrated Youth.”
A couple of days before the release of the tune, Yungblud performed a cruise ship concert on the River Thames. He concluded the show with projecting the song’s title on the UK Houses of Parliament and making a powerful speech on a megaphone.
“The world right now tells us to fall in line, what you’re allowed to care about, think about, even to the point of what air you should fucking breathe,” said Yungblud of the track. “Things are changing drastically, a lot of the time not for the better, and it’s hard to watch.”
“I meet so many young people every day, and the one common denominator I find is the constant desire to defy apathy and the optimism to do anything in your power to fight for a better, more equal world. “
Yungblud concluded, “This song is about freedom of speech, about freedom of expression. This song is about the forward-thinking, racism-hating, LGBTQ+ liberal ‘sinners’ that we all are.”
As the older generation tries to maintain their grip on the status quo, this could be the generation which finally dismantles degressive hateful institutions.