In a recent interview, Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong expressed his interest in collaborating with up-and-coming artist Olivia Rodrigo. The 51-year-old singer praised Rodrigo’s talent and expressed his admiration for her music, stating that he thinks it would be fun to work with her. Armstrong also commented on the similarities between Rodrigo’s theatrical style and punk rock, saying “Sometimes you can see how someone is interested in what punk rock is and maybe they don’t quite have some of the influences or knowledge that I have on the history of punk rock. I’m kind of an encyclopedia. To do something with someone like Olivia Rodrigo would be fun”.
The interview took place in anticipation of Green Day’s upcoming 14th studio album, Saviors, which is set to be released on January 19th. Armstrong spoke at length about the link between Saviors and the band’s classic records American Idiot and Dookie, highlighting how the new album feels like a life’s work that bridges the gap between the two iconic releases. He also shared his struggles with alcohol addiction, admitting that he began to struggle with alcohol during the Hella Mega tour with Weezer and Fall Out Boy in 2021.
Despite his struggles, Armstrong has been working towards recovery and sings about his experiences on the Saviors track “Dilemma”. He stated that he has become wiser and no longer feels the need to be out all night, getting drunk. Green Day has been teasing the release of Saviors with several singles including “The American Dream Is Killing Me”, “Look Ma, No Brains!” and “Dilemma”. The band has also performed several intimate shows in Los Angeles and Covent Garden, though one London gig had to be canceled due to an unexpected illness.
During a recent performance of “American Idiot” on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve programme, Armstrong altered the lyrics to take a swipe at former president Donald Trump, which earned him some criticism from entrepreneur Elon Musk. Despite this, Armstrong remains as outspoken and passionate as ever, and fans can’t wait to see what he and the rest of Green Day have in store for them on Saviors
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