Yungblud samples The Cure on upbeat new single ‘Close To Me’
“I put on eyeliner because of Robert Smith. They represented and personified my happy and my sadness all at the same time," the singer said of The Cure frontman
Yungblud has sampled The Cure’s ‘Close to Me’ on his upbeat new single ‘Tissues’ ahead of the arrival of his self-titled album this Friday (2 September).
‘Tissues’ is the latest single release from Yungblud – real name Dominic Harrison – following ‘The Funeral’, ‘Memories’ and ‘Don’t Feel Like Feeling Sad Today’.
Listen to ‘Tissues’ below.
Speaking to Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1 yesterday (30 August), Yungblud explained how he got the blessing of Robert Smith to sample the iconic track.
“As I enter a new vector of Yungblud, I wanted to dance. I remember when we were making it I was like, ‘I just want to dance!’” he said (via NME).
“I remember we were writing in the studio and the session wasn’t going well it was like midnight. I was thinking about packing it in and going home but then we opened a crate of Bud Light, started putting songs on that we loved and this came on and I was just like, ‘Yo we should sample this,’ and every producer in the studio was like, ‘No, but the publishing.’
“And I’m like, ‘Shut up about the publishing, get it off iTunes, cut it up, and loop it… let’s go.’ That’s what I said to them I was like, ‘If I can somehow convince Robert Smith to allow me to do this, I don’t care. Like, I’ve won.’ It was beautiful. I just wanted to make on this record music that me and my mates want to listen to. That was the formula. And obviously we grew up with this song.”
The singer continued that he met Robert Smith at the NME awards in 2019.
“I’m very much the new kid on the block. The 1975 are over there and Robert Smith is over there. And I’m smack bang in the middle freaking out like, ‘I do not deserve to be here,’ trying to catch Robert Smith’s eye. And I took my mum to the NME Awards.
“About two hours into the awards show, I’d lost my mother and I turn around and she’s talking to Robert Smith and I’m like, ‘NOOOO!’ So, I walk over and I’m like, ‘Alright mum, hello Robert, honoured to meet ya,’ and he was like, ‘I love what you’re doing,’ and then I got his email through some connection.
“Then I emailed and was like, ‘Hello Robert Smith of the Cure… ‘Close To Me’ – probably the most iconic British beat of all time. May I use it in the song?’ And I was like I don’t know what I’m gonna do if he says no.
“But he got back in a couple days. He types in all caps, Robert. He was like, ‘HELLO DOM, YOU CAN USE IT ALL GOOD HERE, LOVE ROBERT.’ Called my boys up and was like, ‘I’ve sampled ‘Close To Me’ they’ve let me use it.’ It was like a mosh pit – my boys in the North were like, ‘YOOOOOO!’”
Yungblud also shared that he “put on eyeliner because of Robert Smith”.
“They represented and personified my happy and my sadness all at the same time. As a 15-year-old kid in the north of England in the rain made me feel like I could express myself without filter without conforming.”