YUNGBLUD has The Cure's Robert Smith to thank for wearing eyeliner.

The Cure's Robert Smith inspired YUNGBLUD to don eyeliner

The Cure's Robert Smith inspired YUNGBLUD to don eyeliner

The 'I Don't Feel Like Feeling Sad Today' rocker has come full-circle as Robert, 63, approved a sample of the band's 1985 hit 'Close to Me' on YUNGBLUD's new track 'Tissues' from his upcoming self-titled LP.

And the 25-year-old star - whose real name is Dom Harrison - has shared how The Cure, particularly eyeliner-wearing frontman Robert, inspired him to "express" himself without a "filter".

Speaking to Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1, he said: "I 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 a filter, without conforming. They taught me conforming was death. When I would put on The Cure, I'd celebrate the idea that nobody wanted to talk to me."

The pair met at the NME Awards in 2019 after YUNGBLUD's mother started chatting to the goth icon.

He recalled: "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...'"

YUNGBLUD ended up exchanging emails with the 'Lovecats' hitmaker, and he was more than happy to let him use the song.

He added: "And then I got his email through some connection, and 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!'"

Listen back to YUNGBLUD on Zane Lowe Apple Music 1 here: apple.co/_Zane.

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