The ever-persistent princes of pop punk are no longer the teenagers they once were. And neither is their eponymous album, blink-182, which just turned 20. Almost able to buy itself beer, no fake ID required, the trio’s mature turn from earlier high-school-infused hits didn’t cause quite the stir they expected at the time. But now, the world has been ‘Feeling This’ for two decades, and its staying power is stronger than ever. Watch the opening single’s classic video below:
Pulling away from their dirty jokes and story-songs about grandpa eating too many hot dogs, ‘blink-182’ signalled an evolution for the childish crusaders of hooky, punk-infused pop ballads. Including the eternally classic, ‘I Miss You’ the 16-track album showed scene kids that they could be both eloquent and emo. Pop never looked so mature, and neither have the three goofballs, with the LP featuring layered interludes, decadent string arrangements (including upright bass from Mark Hoppus), and jazz-infused shuffles from drummer Travis Barker.
After a 7-year absence from the group, Tom DeLonge took time off from alien-hunting to rejoin his old friends and pick up the ‘blink’ mantle once again last year October. Right now, the original line-up is back at it, setting stages ablaze worldwide and still opening performances with the effervescent ‘Feeling This’. Stream the 2003 pillar of pop punk below:
