Length 44:29 Artist Green Day Label Reprise Records | Producer Green Day Release date 7 October 2016 | |
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Released October 7, 2016 (2016-10-07) Recorded January 15 – July 24, 2016 Studio OTIS
(Oakland, California) Genres Punk rock, Pop punk, Alternative rock Similar Green Day albums, Pop punk albums | ||
Revolution Radio is the twelfth studio album by American punk rock band Green Day, released on October 7, 2016, through Reprise Records. The album's lead single, "Bang Bang", premiered on August 11, 2016. Prior to the album's release, its title track, "Revolution Radio", and "Still Breathing" were also released, on September 9 and September 23, respectively. At the album's release date, the official lyric video for "Youngblood" was uploaded on their website. On October 12, a lyric video for the song "Ordinary World" was released. On October 19, another lyric video was released: the song "Say Goodbye". On November 7, a music video was released for "Still Breathing". It was released as the second official single from the album. On January 16, a lyric video was released for "Troubled Times".
Contents
It is Green Day's first album since 21st Century Breakdown (2009) to be recorded as a trio after Jason White returned to being a touring member in 2016.
The album received generally positive reviews from music critics, appearing on multiple year-end lists, and earned 95,000 first-week album-equivalent units in the US to debut at number one on the Billboard 200. Revolution Radio also debuted at number one in the UK, Ireland, Italy, Canada and New Zealand.
Background
Work on Revolution Radio began in 2014 following the band's 99 Revolutions Tour, in support of ¡Uno! ¡Dos! and ¡Tré!.
After stating that their previous trilogy of albums had "absolutely no direction to them" and attempted to be "prolific for the sake of it," lead singer and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong claims that their new record is "not so much a makeover as a make under." The lead single, "Bang Bang," described by Armstrong is about "the culture of mass shooting that happens in America mixed with narcissistic social media." Armstrong also stated that the whole album is meant to reflect the current state of violence in the United States.
Critical reception
Revolution Radio has received positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 72 out of 100, which indicates "generally favorable reviews" based on 29 reviews.
Aaron Burgess at Alternative Press observed "It's the first time in years Green Day haven't had all the answers. But as a statement on how it really feels to fight, it's the closest to the truth they've ever gotten." Gwilym Mumford of The Guardian stated "[after their last few albums] the band have decided to get back to basics: Revolution Radio is their most focused work in years. Lead single Bang Bang sets the tone, with a caustic consideration of the fame-hungry psychosis of a mass shooter."
Commercial performance
Revolution Radio debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with 95,000 album-equivalent units, of which 90,000 were album sales. The album also debuted at number one in the UK, Ireland, Italy, and New Zealand. The album had first-week units of 30,880 in the UK, 29,470 of which were from album sales. The album charted at number 10 in the US in its second week with 21,000 units. The album sold 118,000 copies in the first three weeks in the US. As of 5 January 2017, the album has sold 175,000 copies.
Track listing
All lyrics written by Billie Joe Armstrong; all music composed by Green Day, except where noted.
Personnel
Green Day
Additional personnel
Songs
1Somewhere Now4:09
2Bang Bang3:25
3Revolution Radio3:00