Yungblud bawled his eyes out during his performance at Bludfest in Czechia, stopping the show to tell fans he has been struggling with overwhelming feelings of disconnection and pain.
The 28-year-old rocker has faced his fair share of criticism over the years, and admitted that seeing his fans’ faces has been one of the few things making him feel “safe” from the outside world.
He told the crowd at Park 360 on June 27: “Lately, I have felt so disconnected from everything. I have been trying my best to wake up every day. I have felt in pain a lot and I don’t know why for a long time.”
He continued: “Every time I find your faces, every time I find your eyes, every time I look at you, I know that I belong somewhere. And to feel safe from the outside world is something that I can never thank you enough for.”
Yungblud then promised fans he would stand by them during their own difficult moments.
He said: “All I wanna say is that this is for your family. If you are ever scared, if you are ever frightened, if you are ever threatened, we will be there. I will f****** be there for you.”
After the show, he shared his mid-concert breakdown on Instagram alongside a lengthy caption explaining why he chose to post the moment.
He said: “Honestly, I’ve been debating whether or not I should post this clip because I don’t want it to feel disingenuous like I’m doing it for a reason like clicks or personal gain but at the end of the day this is what happened and it’s genuine so I thought f*** it.”
The Zombie singer said the breakdown was the result of emotions he has been unable to process over the past year.
Yungblud – whose real name is Dominic Harrison – said: “Recently, I’ve been really struggling and this moment is a byproduct of my body releasing the wave of emotion that has hit me in the past year… When I got off this stage I felt elated but 20 minutes later when I was in the shower on my own I had a breakdown.”
Yungblud reflected on the pressures of modern artistry, saying the pace of the industry leaves little room to process anything. He also addressed the negativity he receives online, writing that “hate and disbelief” from strangers and other musicians has weighed heavily on him.
He ended by saying he felt “validated” after reading a recent article praising him.
Among his critics is The Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins, who warned music is “in trouble” if Yungblud is the future of rock.
He sparked upset when he blasted the I Think I’m Okay hitmaker’s MTV VMAs tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne and while he doesn’t see the row as a “spat”, he stands by his comments over Yungblud’s use of autotune.