Yungblud Announces Darker ‘Zombie’ Collaboration With Smashing Pumpkins: Here’s When It Arrives. 

Detected Manipulations & Suggested Changes

Appeal to authority / Social proof

Using awards, chart positions, or big-name collaborators to implicitly signal quality or importance rather than just reporting them as neutral facts.

Examples: - "‘Zombie,’ which is nominated for best rock song at the 2026 Grammy Awards, appears on Yungblud’s fourth studio album, Idols, also nominated for best rock album." - "In September, he released ‘My Only Angel’ with Aerosmith, which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Hard Rock Songs chart." - "Yungblud released Idols in June, which topped the U.K. Albums Chart and reached No. 15 on Billboard’s Top Rock & Alternative Albums chart." These details are factual and relevant in a trade/music outlet, but cumulatively they frame the collaboration as important and successful by stacking authority signals (Grammys, charts, famous bands) without any balancing context (e.g., critical reception, mixed reviews, or that nominations don’t guarantee quality).

3 suggestions

Clarify that awards and chart positions are indicators of popularity or industry recognition, not objective measures of artistic quality. For example: "‘Zombie’ is nominated for best rock song at the 2026 Grammy Awards, an industry-voted prize that reflects peer recognition rather than critical consensus."

Add brief balancing context where appropriate, such as: "While ‘Idols’ topped the U.K. Albums Chart, critical reviews have been mixed," if that is factually accurate and sourced.

Separate pure promotional framing from reporting by explicitly labeling some elements as promotional or fan-interest: "For fans tracking his commercial milestones, ‘My Only Angel’ with Aerosmith debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Hard Rock Songs chart."

Unbalanced reporting

Presenting only one perspective (here, the artist’s and the outlet’s promotional angle) without any alternative or critical viewpoints, even lightly.

The article only includes Yungblud’s own enthusiastic framing of the collaboration: - "I called Billy and I was like, ‘Billy, please help me scratch this itch. I want this record to dig in harder.'" - "there needs to be this dark version that is pessimistic and a little bit bitter and a bit aggressive." There is no mention of any critical reaction, fan skepticism, or broader context (e.g., how previous collaborations were received). In a short announcement piece this is common and not egregious, but it still means the coverage leans promotional rather than fully balanced.

3 suggestions

Include at least one independent perspective if available, such as a brief reference to prior critical reception: "Critics were divided on the original ‘Zombie,’ with some praising its energy and others finding it derivative of ’90s alt-rock."

Clarify the article’s nature as an announcement rather than a review or analysis: "In a new collaboration announcement, Yungblud revealed…"

If no external perspectives are available, explicitly limit claims to the artist’s viewpoint: "Yungblud says he envisioned the new version as darker and more aggressive," instead of implying this is an established consensus.

Appeal to emotion (mild, within quotes)

Using emotionally charged language to create excitement or drama, even if primarily in direct quotes.

Emotional and dramatic phrasing appears in Yungblud’s own words: - "I really risked it all" (in the linked headline about defying critics) - "I want this record to dig in harder" and "there needs to be this dark version that is pessimistic and a little bit bitter and a bit aggressive." These are artist quotes and typical for music coverage, but they still function to emotionally frame the project as intense and high-stakes.

3 suggestions

Maintain the quotes but add neutral framing: "Yungblud described the project in characteristically dramatic terms, saying…" to signal that this is his rhetoric, not an objective description.

Avoid echoing or amplifying emotional language in the author’s own voice; keep surrounding sentences strictly factual (which the article mostly does already).

Where possible, pair emotional quotes with concrete details: "He described the new version as ‘pessimistic and a little bit bitter,’ noting that the arrangement features heavier guitars and a darker mix."