Blink-182 – Nine

By: Dani Burgrabe

Put your headphones on, turn up Blink-182’s newest album, Nine, and rock your heart out! Eight albums later but the band never seems to get old. This pop punk group dominated the charts with songs like “All the Small Things” and “What’s My Age Again” back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but their songs haven’t caught much of my attention since Tom DeLonge left the band back in 2015, until now.   Blink-182 changed their sound slightly since adding Matt Skiba as another vocalist, replacing DeLonge, but that was to be expected. Of course, their albums since DeLonge left were still good, but Nine changed everything for me. Even with the changes in the band, Blink-182 continues to amaze fans with their lyrics and punk sound. The best part is that even with their hardcore vibe, the lyrics show the soft side that the band feels.

Blink-182’s newest album Nine hit differently for me. Nine was released on September 20, 2019, and days later, I still have the album on repeat. The album takes me back to their old sound which reminds me of the good old days when all I would play was “All the Small Things” on repeat in my mom’s car.  Even though their sound has changed slightly, this album proves that a different sound is not such a bad thing. Every song shares a similar pop punk sound yet sounds completely different than the last. Not only did the music in general sound amazing but the lyrics are just fantastic. The way music really wins my heart is through the lyrics and this album does not lack in words.

If you’ve ever had a break-up, this is the album for you. The lyrics are about losing someone that meant everything to you and reminiscing on the past, which I’m sure most can relate to. I know I definitely do. The album is one of the most relatable albums that I have listened to which made my love for this album only grow more and more every time I turned it on. The lyrics in the album’s opening song “The First Time” sing about how no feeling can top the first time you experience something, whether that be a first love or the first time you travel somewhere new. You never forget the first time and this song is a reminder to always appreciate the first of anything. “Hungover You” discusses how they still see the ghost of the relationship they were in and they can’t seem to let go of the past. “Heaven” speaks of how the person they loved left and that Heaven doesn’t want them anymore, which is symbolic for the lover that said goodbye. While in “Happy Days” Mark Hoppus sings about his own struggles with mental health and wanting to find the happiness he’s been looking for through the lyrics “All of this frustration inside of my brain/And I don’t know if I’m ready to change,” which a lot of fans who might struggle with mental health issues can relate to.

Overall, the album felt like the old band’s music with its lyrical success and catchy beats. I cannot wait to hear their next album and I hope that I can catch their next concert and rock out to all the songs from Nine.

Rating: 9/10

Favorite Tracks: “Heaven”, “Darkside”, and “Hungover You”