In mid-July 2025, Yungblud unveiled a live version of Black Sabbath’s iconic ballad “Changes”, recorded at the legendary “Back to the Beginning” farewell concert held at Villa Park in Birmingham on 5 July. The event was the final performance of the original Black Sabbath lineup—Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward—and drew a crowd of around 40,000 fans. It went on to become the highest‑grossing charity concert in history, raising enormous funds for causes including Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and Acorns Children’s Hospice.
At the concert, Yungblud took the stage as part of a special supergroup alongside Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme) on guitar, Frank Bello (Anthrax) on bass, II from Sleep Token on drums, and Adam Wakeman (Ozzy’s longtime keyboardist) on keys. Their rendition of “Changes” stood out with its stripped‑back yet deeply emotive arrangement, focusing on the song’s mournful core rather than raw power. Performed in tribute to Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota, who had tragically passed just days earlier, Yungblud’s heartfelt delivery cut through the grandeur of the spectacle and left audiences visibly moved.
A few weeks later, on 18 July 2025, Yungblud dropped the live recording as a charity single, titled “Changes – (Live from Villa Park) Back to the Beginning (Feat. Nuno Bettencourt, II, Frank Bello, Adam Wakeman)”, available through major streaming platforms and digital stores. In a powerful act of solidarity and goodwill, he pledged that all proceeds from the track would be donated to Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and Acorns Children’s Hospice—mirroring the philanthropic spirit of the concert itself.
Critics were swift to commend the performance. Rolling Stone’s Rhys Buchanan described it as a moment that “stopped the stadium in its tracks,” while The Independent awarded the concert five stars, highlighting Yungblud’s version of “Changes” as a standout moment. The sheer emotional weight of the performance, especially given the dedication to Jota, was widely recognized as deeply stirring, even within a lineup packed with heavyweights such as Metallica, Pantera, Slayer, and Guns N’ Roses.
Moreover, Ozzy Osbourne himself endorsed the release—reportedly stating that Yungblud “did an amazing job” and joking that he “couldn’t have done it better himself.” That praise from the original vocalist of Black Sabbath added an extra layer of validation to what was already a bold, heartfelt homage.
For Yungblud, this cover represented more than just a milestone—it was a full-circle moment honoring one of his musical heroes, live at the hero’s own farewell event. He described the concert as one of the biggest moments of his life, not just for its scale, but for the emotional resonance it carried. The release of the recording transformed a one-time performance into a lasting gesture, intended to generate real-world impact through charitable donations and continued awareness.
Since then, the single has been streamed broadly, added to playlists globally, and discussed across fan communities as a deeply moving tribute. The performance—and its recorded release—now stand as a highlight not only in Yungblud’s burgeoning catalog but in the larger history of contemporary rock gestures made in the service of remembrance and philanthropy.
