Blink-182 originally began in Poway, California just over 27 years ago. The group met as high-schoolers and the remaining (and since added members) continue to release music for the punk fanbase to enjoy. Just recently, Blink released its eighth studio album titled "Nine," ironic considered it was the eighth right? (Back story: the band includes their demo album "Buddha" in their count. So technically... it is the ninth.)

Early in 2019, Mark Hoppus (lead singer and bassist) suffered from severe depression. His wife among many suggested he got back into writing music. This lead to collaborations with Alex Gaskarth, singer of All Time Low. The production of new content got Hoppus on a roll, and Blink got the ball rolling again.

This birthed the rest of "Nine," which had been in the works since the summer of 2018. It was initially supposed to be released in the summer of this year, but with prolonged writing and production, it was not released until just two months ago. It sure was worth the wait though. Blink-182 never fails to bring new material to the scene, constantly revolutionizing the definition of punk rock and punk-pop.

"Nine" has a much darker nature of lyrics since Hoppus was battling with depression in the midst of production. Though the band had its struggles, it produced a new element. With pop-punk electronic sounds tied with the band's signature sound, critics took to liking the new album.

Personally, the album resonated and pulled at my heartstrings. You can hear and physically feel the emotions the band was going through. In comparison to their usual sound, the lyricism is much more "moody," as I can best describe it. The songs talk about feeling alone, tragedy, darkness, making mistakes and ruining the lives of people close to them. They put all of their vulnerability out there for the world to see. Now that is a brave thing to do.

Not to make this all a drag, although the lyrical content does steer towards dark topics, the beats and performance make the songs absolute bangers. Yes, bangers. Truly I could sing along sad as heck or happy as heck, it is an equal two-way street with this album.

"Nine" is a relatable album whether you've been a fan of the band since the beginning or if you are just getting into punk rock. Everyone has their battles and Blink makes it clear it is okay to put your emotions and thoughts out there. My favorite song off the album is "No Heart To Speak Of." In fact, it was the first song I listened to from the album. It has such gut-wrenching lyrics and the chorus is absolutely insane. Blink has not lost their special touch.

"Dying on the bathroom floor
Thinking of the life that we had before
No heart, no heart to speak of."

That is a snippet of lyrics from the song, just to show how heavy yet powerful the lyrics are to that song. Some honorable mentions are "On Some Emo Sh*t," "Hungover You," "Pin The Grenade," "Remember To Forget Me," and... okay the entire album is an honorable mention. It is, as the kids say, straight fire.

If you have the chance, I highly recommend listening to "Nine." It's an amazing album with so many layers to discover, even if you don't listen to punk rock, this album is worth a listen. Blink-182 created the punk scene years ago and still breaks barriers of music. Stream and listen to Blink on pretty much any music platform. 10/10 would recommend.

(I will leave a link to their album on Spotify!)

NINE