Just a day before its release on August 24, Yungblud shared the story of his new single ‘Hated’ on Instagram. Revealing the trauma that inspired the track, he wrote:
“When I was seven years old, I was molested by a doctor. I never told anyone until I told my producer when this song started to come out. This is the most personal thing I’ve ever released. That’s not to say it’s soft or gentle. Far from it. It’s a rallying cry and an exposition of the soul.”
The singer also gave details about the song’s meaning:
“The song is ultimately about freeing yourself from bad experiences and trauma. Finding inner strength. Acknowledging your past, accepting the pain, and having the courage not to let it define your future.”
Delving into his thoughts about the path to success, he added:
“You’ve got to kill somebody to be somebody. To be who you want to be, you’ve got to hit the rock bottom and live through all of the shit nobody believes. You’ve got to hurt some people, but first, some people will thirst on watching you bleed. And that’s when you know that you’ve made it. When you’re hated.”
Before ‘Hated,’ Yungblud released the first single of his ‘new era’ in July. A music video for the song called ‘Lowlife‘ came out in early August.
The video showed him walking on the Camden Town streets with his younger self. Talking about the clip, the singer said:
“I wanted to make something that looked like emo ‘Shameless’ or ‘St Trinians’ on acid. As I was writing the song, I was visualizing the video in my head; it literally helped me get the words down on paper.”
He went on to explain his choice of setting and the video’s theme:
“I knew it had to be shot in Camden Town, and I wanted to be walking side by side with my younger self, guiding him through a f**ked up world based on real memories and people I have encountered in my life. Almost a message to myself saying that life doesn’t always have to be so deep and there is beauty to be found in chaos and opportunity in disaster.”
Yungblud has announced plans for an upcoming world tour to support his recent works, beginning its first leg in Gangnam, South Korea, on October 29.
