Billy Idol has never been afraid to pivot. With his band Generation X, he was among those at the forefront of the late ‘70s British punk movement. After the group dissolved and punk started to cede ground to New Wave, Idol’s sound evolved with the times, and while he remained an MTV and radio staple throughout the 1980s, he tried to find new relevancy in the following decades to mixed results (like the deeply forgettable dance rock of Cyberpunk). So, with Dream Into It, 10 years after his last full-length, it’s not what longtime Idol fans could expect. The result is a sometimes fun, but often mundane, collection of pop-rock tracks whose strongest themes seem to be collaboration and reminiscing.
Along with his longtime guitarist/collaborator Steve Stevens, Idol pulls in Joan Jett, Avril Lavigne, and The Kills’ Alison Mosshart to guest on songs. The album opens on the fairly uninspired “Dream Into It,” with Idol recalling his life over an underwhelming electronic soundtrack. He reels into a much higher speed on the lively “77” another song about looking back with Lavigne handling co-vocals. And while she seems an odd choice to be singing about a time before she’d even been born, it does sound very much like a song that would fit nicely on an Avril Lavigne record – however, it seems a bit jarring on a Billy Idol record. But his other two duets, “Wildside” with Jett and the mellower “John Wayne” with Mosshart, come across much more natural and inspired.
At 69, you can’t expect Idol to be the same piss and vinegar personality he was in Generation X or in his Rebel Yell era – and thankfully he’s not. But there are times throughout Dream Into It where he seems to be trying just about anything to find his voice in 2025. There are some generally great moments on the record, like on “People I Love,” “Gimme The Weight,” and the album closer “Still Dancing” that brilliantly bridge the classic Idol with where he is now. Though an uneven collection taken as a whole, Dream Into It still boasts enough songs to convince you that the sneering, charming Idol is not quite ready for the retirement home yet.
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Love Billy Idol but this album is hit or miss to me. People seem to overlook the fact he put out two EPs in recent years that actually I think are stronger songs. I prefer his last full length album, Kings and Queens of the Underground and I must be the only person who thought Devil’s Playground rocked. This one just doesn’t have enough firepower for me.