Hi Rams! Welcome back to Behind the Music! In this issue, I will be talking about a band that has been making headlines locally and globally with the release of their new album: Greenday. 

A Little Background: 

Blood Rage/Sweet Children is a punk band that was formed in California in 1987 by; Billie Joe Armstrong (lead vocals/guitar) and Mike Dirnit (bass). 

Do those names sound familiar? That’s because the artists changed their name to something more recognizable in 1989: Greenday. 

Greenday was underappreciated, playing the tiniest stages at festivals until the release of their third album, “Dookie,” on Feb. 1, 1994. This album became a sensation and is credited by many as Greenday’s best album. However, for many this album was a turning point. Purist punks used the popularity of Greenday’s new album to start pushing them out of the scene. 

“Insomniac,” their fourth album, released on Oct. 10, 1995, was aimed at regaining the purists who stopped listening to their music after the success of “Dookie.” This album, along with their album “Nimrod,” released in 1997, reached double platinum status.

Greenday entered the mainstream scene again with their seventh album, “American Idiot.” This album kept its punk origins but added in some of the emo elements that were popular with America’s youth at the time. 

Their next few albums, ( “21st Century Breakdown,” “Uno!,” “Dos!,” “Tre!,” “Revolution Radio,” and “Father of all M*****F******.”), took a “pop” turn, like other bands of the time, including Blink-182. This divided their fans into

and punks depending on the era of Greenday they listen to. 

Emily Sandoval, an MBA senior said she preferred Greenday’s older music. “I feel like it’s the classics, they just come up more and I was kind of raised off of them,” she said. 

Their newest album, released on Jan. 24, 2024, titled “Saviors,” kept with their evolved style of the 2000s. 

My thoughts on their new album: 

I must admit that I have a bias against the overly “poppy” tunes of the 2000s, and for this reason, I was preparing myself to hate this album (not that I have ever hated a Greenday album before). 

Since their commitment to the pop style, Greenday has done it justice with the addition of exciting guitar riffs, interesting drum beats, and pop-punk vocals that lean more toward the punk side of the genre. 

“Saviors” is no exception. With its themes of acceptance, substance abuse, and a changing world, both socially and politically, the album reminded me of a less hardcore version of “American Idiot.” It also had heavy themes of mental illness that can be relatable to people who struggle with these obstacles.

A trend I noticed in this album was their use of “cheap” rhymes. While this does not take away from the song’s messages, it still does not live up to the ingenuity of their previous albums.

Despite any flaws I may have found, due to my bias toward their early music, I recommend “Saviors” for the more flexible Greenday fans. It definitely has a lesson or two for everyone to learn. 

Local News:

Greenday filmed two of their recent music videos locally!

“Dilemma,” a song on “Saviors,” was released as a single on Dec. 7, 2023, along with a music video that featured a familiar Long Beach location: Alex’s Bar. Like many bars, Alex’s Bar is a 21+ venue that hosts karaoke, live shows, and now Greenday music videos! 

On Wed. Jan. 6, 2024, Greenday posted an Instagram story asking for fans in our area to fill out a google form, then, about ten minutes later the story was removed. 

Despite the ominous message, the form was a screening process to select about 30 or so fans to watch a live performance in a small Hollywood backyard for footage for the “Bobby Sox” music video! 

That’s all for now Rams, and remember to listen to what makes YOU happy!