Caroline Nihill
After years of no new music released, many listeners are rejoicing over punk band Blink-182’s new album, “NINE.”
The band is currently wrapping up a tour, celebrating the 20th anniversary of their third album “Enema of the State,” with Lil Wayne and Neck Deep. This is their ninth album since their original studio album in 1994, and the last album was released in 2016 after guitarist Tom DeLonge split from the group.
Since then, DeLonge has become a UFO researcher and is the lead singer in Angels & Airwaves, a band he formed in 2005. He was replaced in the band with guitarist Matt Skiba.
The group’s current and most popular song from the album is “Darkside,” with almost five millions views on YouTube to date.
The veteran band’s music video for “Darkside” begins with a young girl dancing in a school auditorium, and the piece continues to feature children and teenagers doing popular dances alongside the band as a choir.
Despite the song’s lyrics about relationship problems and substance abuse, the music video contains a bright and happy environment with children dancing.
Later, the band is shown playing within the auditorium with them, all in matching polos and pants. Although the song’s lyrics don’t contain anything about school days, the music video seems to be centered at a younger audience.
Blink-182’s past albums and music videos often contain irony and humor. Fans may be baffled by the seemingly children-based marketing, but are rejoicing for the overdue music.
The band’s most popular song continues to be “All The Small Things,” with over 350 million streams on Spotify.
The new album contains the group’s usual sound, just more mature. Most of the songs are centered around a relationship’s end, but a few of the tracks feature different themes.
The album features a song called “Blame It on my Youth,” where the band describes their upbringing in a nostalgic and critical way. The song contains themes of substance abuse and the group’s rise to fame as an alternative band.
The band offers some commentary on contemporary divides within society in a 50-second song titled “Generational Divide.” The song comments on how the group’s generation takes no responsibility for current issues.
The song says, “We swore we’d be better than the last time / Don’t leave, tell me that you’re all right / I’m not the generational divide.”
The tracklist also features a song to those who might be struggling, offering advice and unity.
Although Blink-182 has previously debuted songs meant to be humorous and relevant to the public, “NINE” contains mostly personal relationship and breakup songs. Many of the lyrics are heavy with regretful lyrics and painful nostalgia.
Tour dates have not been released for the album yet.
