21st Century Breakdown. Artist: Green Day. ASIN: B001SAQVDQ. Label: Reprise Records. Release Date: May 15, 2009.Description:
21st Century Breakdown is Green Day’s latest album and the first they’ve released in five years. It’s written in the rock opera style much like their previous album, American Idiot. It’s divided into three acts: “Heroes and Cons,” “Charlatans and Saints,” and “Horseshoes and Handgrenades.” When played from start to finish, the album tells the story of a young couple named Christian and Gloria who are dealing with life in America post-Bush’s presidency. They encounter a repressive government and manipulative social culture. The story isn’t a set narrative, but rather loosely connected. The songs touch on themes such as religion, disconnect, nihilism, idealism, and hope. Many of the songs also include references to Billie Joe Armstrong’s own life; the band has claimed that this is the most personal of the albums he’s written. The album includes four singles: "Know Your Enemy," "21 Guns," "East Jesus Nowhere," and "21st Century Breakdown."
Critical Evaluation:
21st Century Breakdown is the perfect complement to American Idiot. It continues the story that Green Day presented in the previous album, focusing on the problems with trying to survive in modern American society. As Green Day’s sound changes, their ability to touch on social and political issues also improves. More liberal-leaning, politically savvy teenagers will appreciate the substance in the lyrics, while those who are less interested in the message can enjoy the band’s experimentation with combining genres. Traditionally, Green Day had a more mainstream punk sound. In the last few years they’ve added more pop elements, but 21st Century Breakdown is also heavily influenced by classic rock. It has a very grandiose sound appropriate for the rock opera format. They’re bold in their style, choosing an almost bigger is better approach to sound, which really works with the counter-culture attitude in many of their songs. Armstrong has always been a clever lyricist, but his writing has matured. He’s no longer the angry kid of the band’s early days, but he still maintains his fearless ability to call out society for all its perceived wrongdoings. This attitude, coupled with their pop punk rock sound, makes this a great album for any teenager looking to loudly express their dissatisfaction.
Annotation:
Green Day's latest album is a politically charge rock opera in the style of their previous album.
Artist Information:
Green day was formed in 1986 by lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong and bassist Mike Dirnt when both were 14. The band was originally known as Sweet Children, but the name was change to Green Day in 1989 with the addition of drummer John Kiffmeyer. Kiffmeyer left the band in 1990 to attend college and was replaced by current drummer Tré Cool.
In 1989 they signed with independent label Lookout! who, in 1990, released their first full length album, 39/Smooth. They released one more album with Lookout! before signing with Reprise Records. They’ve released six studio albums with Reprise Records, as well as five live albums and two compilation albums.
Genre:
Pop Punk Rock
Curriculum Ties:
Political Science: Forms of Protest
Music
Booktalking Ideas:
N/A
Interest Age:
14 and older
Challenge Issues:
Profanity
References to violence
Anti-religion
Anti-government
Drug references
Challenge Defense Ideas:
- Require the challenger to fill out a written challenge form with clear reasons stated and examples given.
- If not already familiar with the content, become familiar.
- Refer the challenger to the library's collection policy.
- Refer the challenger to reputable reviews of the books, as well as reviews by those in the book's target audience.
Reasons for Selection:
Green Day's career has spanned more than 20 years, making it a band that can appeal to teenagers as well as their older relatives.
