Saviors (album) explained

Saviors
Type:studio
Artist:Green Day
Cover:Green Day - Saviors.png
Recorded:2021–2023[1]
Studio:RAK (London)[2]
United Recordings (Los Angeles)
Length:46:02
Label:Reprise
Producer:
Prev Title:BBC Sessions
Prev Year:2021

Saviors is the fourteenth studio album by the American rock band Green Day. It was released on January 19, 2024, through Reprise Records. It received generally positive reviews from critics. The album was promoted through five singles; "The American Dream Is Killing Me", "Look Ma, No Brains!", "Dilemma", "One Eyed Bastard" and "Bobby Sox". The band embarked on a world tour in support of the album, named The Saviors Tour. It is set to conclude on July 7, 2025.

Saviors is nominated at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Rock Album.[3]

Background and promotion

In an interview with Zane Lowe on Beats 1, Billie Joe Armstrong stated that seven songs had not made it to their last album, Father of All Motherfuckers, which was met with mixed reviews.[4] Later, it was confirmed that long time friend of the band, Rob Cavallo, would be producing the album. Cavallo had worked with them on previous albums, including Dookie and American Idiot, although they had not worked together for almost 10 years, by 2022, since the release of ¡Tré!.

In February 2021, one year after the previous album's release, "Here Comes the Shock", a song produced by Butch Walker, debuted as part of the band's two-year deal with the NHL. Another standalone song, "Pollyanna", self-produced by the band, was released in May 2021, to celebrate the Hella Mega Tour, which had been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In November 2021, the band released another song, titled "Holy Toledo!", which was also produced by Walker, and was used in the soundtrack of the 2021 film Mark, Mary & Some Other People.

Saviors was recorded in London, England, and Los Angeles, California.[5] Early reports claimed that their forthcoming record would be titled 1972, signifying the year all three members were born.[6] The band would post teasers on social media, pointing that the album's name would in fact be that. The first of them dates back to December 2021, more than two years before the album was eventually released, now named Saviors.

Prior to the album's release, the band played "1981" during their live performance at Festival d'été de Québec on July 16, 2023.[7] The band announced the album on October 24, 2023, and released its lead single "The American Dream Is Killing Me" alongside its music video.[8] While it was the first track written for the album, it was kept in a box for a while, according to Billie Joe Armstrong, who revealed that once they recorded it, they immediately decided to release the song as the lead single. The track constitutes "a look at the way the traditional American Dream doesn't work for a lot of people" but hurts them instead. Until its release the band would post clips of the music video and snippets of the lyrics in the single's promo website (www.theamericandreamiskillingme.com).[9] The song was played live for the first time, along with another song from the album titled "Look Ma, No Brains!"[10] at the When We Were Young festival in Las Vegas, Nevada.[11] On November 4, 2023, the band played "1981" again during a live show at the Bataclan in Paris, France.

On the same day, the track list was leaked on Banquet Records, a UK record store,[12] before later being confirmed by Warner Music's site.[13] The length of the songs on the tracklist was leaked by a French music store called Qobuz.[14] The second single, "Look Ma, No Brains!", was released on November 2, 2023.[15] Armstrong stated in an interview with Amazon Prime, that it was his favorite track off the album and one of the greatest punk songs he'd ever written. One month later, on December 4, 2023, the band announced "Dilemma" as the album's third single. It came out on December 7, 2023, along with a Christmas themed music video.[16] On New Year's Eve, Green Day performed the song live for the first time on the television special Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve. They also performed "American Idiot", where Armstrong replaced the line "I'm not a part of a redneck agenda" with "I'm not a part of the MAGA agenda", a reference to Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan, in criticism of the former US president.[17]

The album's fourth single, "One Eyed Bastard", was released on January 5, 2024, alongside a music video.[18] On the evening of January 16, 2024, the band appeared in a surprise performance in the 47th–50th Streets–Rockefeller Center station of the New York subway system, with late-night host Jimmy Fallon joining them on tambourine to help draw attention to the upcoming album and tour, and played several songs including "Look Ma, No Brains!", "Basket Case", and "American Idiot".[19] Armstrong also left space to let the subway crowd sing out the song's revised line "I'm not a part of the MAGA agenda".[20] The album, along with a music video for "Bobby Sox", came out on January 19, 2024.[21] A music video for "Corvette Summer" was released on July 23, 2024.[22]

On January 13, 2024, six days before the album released, the band held listening parties for the album in various independent record stores across the world.[23]

Green Day completed legs of the Saviors Tour through North America and Europe in the summer and autumn of 2024. Nothing but Thieves, The Hives, The Interrupters, Donots and Maid of Ace were announced as openers on the European leg starting in May. The Smashing Pumpkins, Rancid, and The Linda Lindas served the same role on the North American leg of the tour, which began in July and concluded in September. The tour also included various festival performances and a shorter second European leg, as well as performances in Asia, Australia, South Africa slated for late 2024 and 2025.[24] The band performed their albums Dookie and American Idiot in their entirety, celebrating their 30th and 20th anniversaries, respectively.[25]

Cover art

The album cover is an edited version of a photo taken in 1978 by Chris Steele-Perkins at a riot during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. It depicts a youth named Paul Kennedy, holding a stone and shrugging, on the Falls Road, Belfast in front of a moving car with a burning garbage pile in the background. In the final version, the young man's face was changed to that of a boy named Ivan Fraser, and altered to have a more smiling look.[26] [27]

Critical reception

Saviors received a score of 73 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on 21 critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception. DIYs Emma Swann called the album "an outstanding record that showcases that same still unrivalled ability to incorporate biting social commentary within perfect, three-minute pop (punk) songs." NMEs Andrew Trendell called it Green Day's best album since American Idiot as well as "an act of defiance met with a shrug; a band saying, 'We're still here and we're still fucked'". Uncut wrote that the band "unleash 15 compact, primarily pro forma bangers". Reviewing the album for AllMusic, senior editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted that "Green Day sound exactly like what they are: rock & roll lifers settling into middle age, irritated by some shifts in culture but still finding sustenance in the music they've loved for decades." and concluded that, "Age may dampen Green Day's roar, but it has also heightened their songcraft, and that's reason enough to give Saviors time to let its hooks sink in. "

On November 8, 2024, Saviors was nominated for Best Rock Album at the upcoming 67th Annual Grammy Awards, which will take place on February 2, 2025. Green Day picked up further nominations in Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance for "Dilemma" and "The American Dream is Killing Me", respectively. These are the first Grammy nominations Green Day have received since ¡Cuatro! was nominated for Best Music Film in 2014.

Commercial performance

Saviors debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 with 49,000 album-equivalent units including 39,000 pure album sales, 9,500 streaming equivalent units and 500 track equivalent albums.[28] An additional 7,000 traditional albums (CD, vinyl, cassette and digital downloads) were sold in the second week, 6,000 copies were sold in the third week.[29] [30] In its first week, 10,390 copies of the album were sold through independent record stores.[31] These sales were not included in the Billboard 200.[32] As of April 2024, the album has sold 108,000 album-equivalent units in the United States, and racking up almost 200,000 worldwide.[33]

The album debuted at number one in the UK with 31,361 album-equivalent units, including 1,493 units from digital downloads, 3,369 from sales-equivalent streams.[34]

Personnel

Green Day

Additional musicians

Production

Artwork

Charts

Chart (2024)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[35] 2
Croatian International Albums (HDU)[36] 1
Danish Vinyl Albums (Hitlisten)[37] 1
Italian Albums (FIMI)[38] 5
Japanese Combined Albums (Oricon)[39] 17
Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[40] 10
Japanese Rock Albums (Oricon)[41] 3
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[42] 6
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[43] 46
Swiss Albums (Romandie)[44] 1

Notes and References

  1. Web site: RAK Studios . . February 13, 2024 . December 19, 2021 . February 6, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240206091327/https://www.instagram.com/reel/CXpxmdkAQDj/?ig_rid=f838b8e0-6e74-4a32-b3d5-478cfc65ce50 . live .
  2. Carter . Emily . Watch Green Day record new single Dilemma at London's RAK Studios . . January 17, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231219115304/https://www.kerrang.com/watch-green-day-record-new-single-dilemma-at-londons-rak-studios . December 19, 2023 . December 19, 2023 . live.
  3. Web site: Atkinson . Katie . 2024-11-08 . Grammy Nominations 2025: See the Complete List . 2024-11-08 . Billboard . en-US.
  4. News: Richards . Will . Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong teases crowd-pleasing Hella Mega Tour setlist, promising “all the favourites” . 18 November 2024 . NME . 16 February 2020.
  5. Green Day announce new album, Saviors. Carter. Daisy. DIY. October 24, 2023. October 24, 2023. October 26, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231026161959/https://diymag.com/news/green-day-new-album-saviors-the-american-dream-is-killing-me. live.
  6. Web site: Green Day – "The American Dream Is Killing Me". Breihan. Tom. Stereogum. October 24, 2023. October 24, 2023. January 8, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240108045403/https://www.stereogum.com/2240164/green-day-the-american-dream-is-killing-me/music/. live.
  7. Web site: Duran . Anagricel . Watch Green Day Debut New Song "1981" . . October 24, 2023 . July 20, 2023 . October 29, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231029125352/https://www.nme.com/news/music/watch-green-day-debut-new-song-1981-3471107 . live .
  8. Web site: Green Day Announce Album, Share Video for New Song "The American Dream Is Killing Me": Watch. Cocoran. Nina. Pitchfork. October 24, 2023. October 24, 2023. January 21, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240121044356/https://pitchfork.com/news/green-day-announce-album-share-video-for-new-song-the-american-dream-is-killing-me-watch/. live.
  9. Green Day announce new album Saviors and share new single. Reilly. Nick. Rolling Stone UK. October 24, 2023. October 24, 2023. January 15, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240115071415/https://www.rollingstone.co.uk/music/news/green-day-announce-new-album-saviors-and-share-new-single-33725/. live.
  10. Web site: Green Day announce their fourteenth studio album, Saviours. Kelly. Tyler Damara. Line of Best Fit. October 24, 2023. October 24, 2023. January 2, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240102205640/https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/news/green-day-announce-their-fourteenth-studio-album-saviours. live.
  11. Web site: Green Day announce album Saviors and share new single. Dunworth. Liberty. NME. October 24, 2023. October 24, 2023. October 29, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231029125347/https://www.nme.com/news/music/green-day-share-new-single-and-announce-album-saviors-preorder-3520437. live.
  12. Web site: Saviors [Indies Pink & Black Vinyl] ]. Tower Records Dublin Ireland . 12 January 2024 . October 24, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231024133859/https://www.towerrecords.ie/product/GREENDAY_SAVIORS%5BINDIESPINK_BLACKVINYL%5D/950490 . live .
  13. Web site: 24 October 2023 . Green Day: Green Day kündigen neues Album "Saviors" an . Green Day announce new album "Saviors" . 12 January 2024 . Warner Music Germany . de . October 28, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231028141709/https://www.warnermusic.de/news/green-day-kuendigen-neues-album-saviors-an . live .
  14. Web site: Green Day. Qobuz. 12 January 2024. January 12, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240112064554/https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/interpreter/green-day/53549. live.
  15. Web site: Merlin. Alderslade. "Let's thrash!" Green Day announce massive 2024 world tour celebrating 30 years of Dookie and 20 years of American Idiot, release new video Look Ma, No Brains!. Louder Sound. November 2, 2023. November 2, 2023. January 17, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240117153238/https://www.loudersound.com/news/green-day-announce-2024-world-tour. live.
  16. Web site: Carter . Emily . Green Day to release new single Dilemma this Thursday . Kerrang! . 5 December 2023 . 12 January 2024 . December 25, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231225061004/https://www.kerrang.com/amp/green-day-to-release-new-single-dilemma-this-thursday . live .
  17. News: Carter . Emily . ‘I’m not a part of the MAGA agenda’: Green Day changed American Idiot’s lyrics in their New Year’s Eve performance . 20 November 2024 . Kerrang! . 2 January 2024.
  18. Web site: Moore . Em . January 5, 2024 . Green Day release video for "One Eyed Bastard" . September 13, 2024 . Punknews.org.
  19. News: Singh . Surej . Watch Green Day and Jimmy Fallon play surprise busking gig at a New York subway station . 20 November 2024 . NME . 17 January 2024.
  20. News: Dicker . Ron . Green Day Trashes Trump Again During Subway Gig In Disguise . 20 November 2024 . Huffington Post . 19 January 2024.
  21. Daw . Stephen . January 19, 2024 . Green Day Throws a '90s House Party in New Video for Queer-Affirming Song 'Bobby Sox' . September 18, 2024 . Billboard.
  22. Web site: Skinner . Tom . July 24, 2024 . Watch Green Day’s ‘Corvette Summer’ video starring Mark Hamill: “Rev those engines!” . October 29, 2024 . NME.
  23. Web site: Carter . Emily . Here's how you can listen to Green Day's new album Saviors almost a week early . . June 14, 2024 . January 4, 2024.
  24. Web site: Bloom . Madison . Monroe . Jazz . October 20, 2023 . Green Day Announce Tour With the Smashing Pumpkins . October 24, 2023 . . January 23, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240123001255/https://pitchfork.com/news/green-day-announce-tour-with-the-smashing-pumpkins/ . live .
  25. Greene . Andy . January 17, 2024 . Green Day to Play 'Dookie' and 'American Idiot' Every Night on Summer Stadium Tour . . January 19, 2024 . January 19, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240119164302/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/green-day-dookie-american-idiot-summer-stadium-tour-1234947766/ . live .
  26. News: Green Day: US band's new album artwork features photoshopped image of Troubles child in Belfast. The Belfast Telegraph. Campbell. Niamh. October 24, 2023. October 25, 2023. October 24, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231024172957/https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/green-day-us-bands-new-album-artwork-features-photoshopped-image-of-troubles-child-in-belfast/a1265499691.html. live.
  27. Web site: Corscadden . Jane . 2023-10-30 . Meet the Belfast man featuring on Green Day's new album cover . 2023-12-12 . Belfast Live . en . December 12, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231212213336/https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/meet-belfast-man-featuring-green-27997743 . live .
  28. 21 Savage's 'American Dream' Spends Second Week Atop Billboard 200. Billboard. Caulfield. Keith. January 28, 2024. January 28, 2024. January 28, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240128200213/https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/21-savage-american-dream-second-week-number-one-billboard-200-albums-chart-1235591015/. live.
  29. Caulfield . Keith . 2024-02-09 . Taylor Swift's 'Lover' Surpasses 2 Million in U.S. Album Sales . 2024-02-11 . Billboard . en-US . February 9, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240209040437/https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/taylor-swift-lover-surpasses-2-million-in-us-album-sales-1235603579/ . live .
  30. Caulfield . Keith . 2024-02-16 . Paul McCartney & Wings' 'Band on the Run' Returns to Charts After 50th Anniversary Reissue . 2024-02-20 . Billboard . en-US.
  31. Web site: Indie Vinyl Sales . 2024-01-29 . HITS Daily Double . en . January 29, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240129192541/https://hitsdailydouble.com/indie_vinyl_sales . live .
  32. Web site: GREEN DAY ROCKS THE RACKS AT INDIE RETAIL . 2024-01-29 . HITS Daily Double . en . January 29, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240129192540/https://hitsdailydouble.com/news%26id%3D339248%26title%3DGREEN-DAY-ROCKS-THE-RACKS-AT-INDIE-RETAIL . live .
  33. Rutherford . Kevin . 2024-04-26 . Green Day Earns 13th Alternative Airplay No. 1 With 'Dilemma' . 2024-04-27 . Billboard . en-US.
  34. Web site: Charts analysis: Green Day top 30,000 sales with Saviors | Analysis | Music Week . January 26, 2024 . January 26, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240126204752/https://www.musicweek.com/analysis/read/charts-analysis-green-day-top-30-000-sales-with-saviors/089168/ . live .
  35. Web site: ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart. Australian Recording Industry Association. January 29, 2024. January 26, 2024. January 26, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240126060227/https://www.aria.com.au/charts/albums-chart/2024-01-29. live.
  36. Web site: Lista prodaje 6. tjedan 2024. (29.01.2024. - 04.02.2024.). February 2024. hr. Top Lista. March 3, 2024.
  37. Web site: Hitlisten.NU – Vinyl Top-40 Uge 4, 2024. Hitlisten. February 1, 2024. April 11, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230411181139/http://www.hitlisten.nu/default.asp?w=36&y=2022&list=lp20. live.
  38. Web site: Album – Classifica settimanale WK 4 (dal 19.01.2024 al 25.01.2024). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. it. January 27, 2024. March 18, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200318054616/https://www.fimi.it/top-of-the-music/classifiche.kl#/charts/1/2024/4. live.
  39. Web site: Oricon Top 50 Combined Albums: 2024-01-29 . . January 25, 2024 . ja . https://web.archive.org/web/20240125041814/https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/coa/w/2024-01-29/p/2/ . January 25, 2024.
  40. Web site: Billboard Japan Hot Albums – Week of January 24, 2024. Billboard Japan. ja. January 24, 2024. January 24, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240124060452/https://www.billboard-japan.com/charts/detail?a=hot_albums&year=2024&month=01&day=29. live.
  41. Web site: Weekly ROCK Album Ranking. Oricon. January 26, 2024. January 26, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240126182912/https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/ra/w/2024-01-29/. January 26, 2024.
  42. Web site: NZ Top 40 Albums Chart. Recorded Music NZ. January 29, 2024. January 26, 2024. January 26, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240126035004/https://nztop40.co.nz/chart/albums?chart=5748. live.
  43. Web site: Veckolista Album, vecka 4. Sverigetopplistan. January 27, 2024. January 26, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240126133405/https://www.sverigetopplistan.se/chart/54?dspy=2024&dspp=4. live.
  44. Web site: Lescharts.ch – Green Day – Saviors. Hung Medien. fr. August 29, 2024.

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