A Much-Needed 21st Century Breakdown

Whether or not Green Day could come out with a better album than American Idiot was not questionable to me -- it was simply NOT impossible. Turns out, I was right AND wrong.


After almost five years in the making, the latest Green Day album, 21st Century Breakdown, came out last month and immediately topped the charts. It is completely new yet along the lines of American Idiot and just as superior ... did that make sense?


I don't even buy hard copies of albums anymore but I supported the cause and was shelling out my duckets at Best Buy on the day of the release.


21st Century Breakdown continues the similar rock-opera format as that of American Idiot. Though the story is loose and open to interpretation, it evolves around two symbolic characters "Gloria" and "Christian." Divided up into three "acts", both characters evolve over time and are easily identifiable in the age we live in.


In their interview with Steve Baltin, Green Day members explained that "Gloria was intended to be a more inspired person while Christian was to be more self-destructive ... both characters are easy to relate to ... There are some times when you feel very connected to your ideology and beliefs and then there are other times that they are so questioned that you fall into a self-destructive attitude ... overall, the record is about finding the truth for yourself."


I'm sure I'll be blogging more about this album as much as I did with Bullet in a Bible. It seems to reach every emotion and has touched me as deeply as did the last. I think anyone could listen to it, interpret it differently, yet be moved in the same way. Thanks to Green Day for something else to hold on to.