THE FRONT ROW

If debut single Love Bomb was a flirtatious wink across the pit, Bad Blood is the moment the drinks get thrown, the eyeliner runs, and the bass drops hard enough to rattle your last nerve. Goldstate’s second offering doesn’t just wear its heart on its sleeve, it tears the whole thing off, chucks it in the van, and speeds off down the M62 with Bronnie riding shotgun.

There’s something brazenly bold about Bad Blood, and not just in its production polish. You can hear the intention in every layered harmony and dialled-in distortion. Goldstate aren’t stumbling their way into the scene like it’s 2004 again. They’re charging at it headfirst with studio-savvy finesse and a clear mission: pop-punk that doesn’t pretend it’s from across the pond.

And thank god for that. There’s no faux-Californian twang here, no warped nostalgia for Warped Tour. This is Brit-built punk pop with an ear for melody and a British heart pumping pure adrenaline. The accent’s intact. The guitars are glossy but grounded. And the chorus? Huge. Think Lower Than Atlantis if they’d decided to crash Slam Dunk instead of Reading.

Where Love Bomb was high-energy flirtation, Bad Blood is fallout. It’s the kind of song you put on when the “what are we?” text goes unread and your group chat is already plotting the rebound. It’s venom with varnish, sparkling production (courtesy of Joe and Sam Graves at Innersound Audio) masking the heartbreak at its core.

Ben Pritchard’s vocal delivery is punchy and plaintive, a frontman who knows exactly what he wants to say and how loud he wants to say it. But the real magic here? That comes when Bronnie steps in. Her vocal cuts clean through the mix with just the right dose of attitude and ache, elevating the track into something with real duality. She’s not just a feature, she’s the ghost of good times past and the fuel for every lyric spat in frustration.

There’s chemistry here, and it’s toxic, in all the best ways. Think Avril Lavigne’s bite with a distinctly British edge. If Bronnie isn’t on another Goldstate single before year-end, we riot.

Beyond the sonics, what’s impressive is the strategy. This isn’t just a band throwing singles at the wall and hoping for playlist placement. Goldstate are clearly laying bricks with purpose. Bad Blood is ambitious, angsty, and unashamedly loud, everything a good pop-punk track should be. But it’s also self-aware, self-produced to the hilt, and rooted in real emotion. Goldstate might be new on the block, but they’re already playing like headliners.

FFO: Lower Than Atlantis, early Neck Deep, Avril Lavigne, WSTR
File under: Break-up bangers with bite. Save it for your post-gig scream-alongs and your pre-party playlists.

Goldstate are shaping up to be the UK’s next big-stage pop-punk export, and if Bad Blood is any sign, they’re not just coming for the genre. They’re coming for the crown.