Yungblud dropped a fresh version of “Zombie” with The Smashing Pumpkins last Friday. The British singer announced the collaboration on Instagram, sharing black-and-white photos of himself with Billy Corgan. “Zombie with The Smashing Pumpkins OUT NOW. Happy new year,” he wrote.
Billy Corgan responded with two heart emojis. Yungblud, 28, said he drew inspiration from The Smashing Pumpkins’ classic album, Siamese Dream, while creating the original song. “It was really the sadness and the melancholic emotion mixed with the aggression of Billy’s f—king guitars,” he explained.
Initially, Yungblud wrote a heavier version of the song but felt it sounded too much like The Smashing Pumpkins. He reached out to Billy for help, saying, “I want this record to dig in harder.” He wanted to balance light and optimism with a darker, more aggressive side.
Ten days later, Yungblud flew to Chicago to record the song and shoot the music video. “Zombie” is featured on his fourth studio album, Idols, which was released in June 2025. The album topped the U.K. Albums Chart and reached No. 15 on Billboard’s Top Rock & Alternative Albums chart. “Zombie” earned a nomination for best rock song at the 2026 GRAMMY Awards, while Idols was nominated for best rock album.
This is Yungblud’s second collaboration with a rock band. He previously released a track with Aerosmith in September, which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Hard Rock Songs chart. That song was part of a five-song EP titled One More Time, released in late November.
The music video for “Zombie” premiered at 6 p.m. in London, 10 a.m. in Los Angeles, and 1 p.m. in New York City. Check it out below!
