Green Day Say Finding Music 'Via Algorithms' & TikTok Is 'Lazy'

Green Day have lashed out at algorithms and people using them as methods of music discovery, labelling finding music via social media platforms like TikTok “lazy”.

In a new interview with The Sun, the US punk rockers shared their apprehension towards what algorithms are feeding young people on social media and their general distaste for said platforms despite being on social media themselves.

Discussing the “political climate” of the songs on their new album, Saviors, singer Billie Joe Armstrong discussed the track Coma City, which includes the lyric, “bankrupt the planet for assholes in space”. He said, “with all the algorithms that people live on, there’s so much false information, and there’s people diagnosing themselves with Asperger’s off TikTok. That’s absurd to me.”

While Green Day exist on social media to promote their music, they’re not fans of people finding new music through TikTok and algorithms. Bassist Mike Dirnt explained, “Social media is great for kids, but if you’re finding your music via algorithms, then that’s just fucking lazy.

“I like to organically find new things. All I can say is just fucking clear your search history to find new shit.”

Drummer Tré Cool joked, “We say this now, but as soon as we hang up, we’ll be making a TikTok account.”

However, TikTok has some perks. As Armstrong told The Sun, their song Brain Stew (from the 1995 album Insomniac) found a new generation of fans through the video-sharing platform, “with a lot of hip-hop kids dancing to it”.

@mattisontwins

Yall already know what were gonna say 🤬

♬ Brain Stew - Green Day

Admitting that the older song reaching new fans was “cool”, Armstrong insisted that he doesn’t have the patience to be on TikTok. “It’s just like, eurgh,” he said, “It’s cool for other people, but we’re old-school, man.”

Armstrong later added that his opinions, particularly on politics, won’t be vented on X (formerly Twitter) or Instagram, as he uses his songwriting to do the talking.

“My opinions are always in my songs. I don’t like to Tweet or Instagram about politics because you’re contributing to insane people who are just bitching, arguing and taking sides. So I write about it in my songs,” he said.

The Basket Case singer then referenced when he took a swing at ex-US President Donald Trump in his New Year’s Eve performance of American Idiot – which was broadcast live on primetime TV. “It’s funny, as on New Year’s Eve, we played American Idiot [on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve show], and we changed ‘redneck agenda’ to MAGA agenda’ [Trump’s Make America Great Again slogan],” he said.

“Well, I woke up the next morning to people saying, ‘Fucking blah blah, I can’t believe he said it’ or ‘It’s so awesome’, which was crazy.”

Green Day released their new album, Saviors, last Friday. The lead-up to Saviors was preceded by the singles One Eyed Bastard (a surprise release), The American Dream Is Killing Me, Look Ma, No Brains! and Dilemma. New single Bobby Sox was released on Friday - check out the music video below.

In other Green Day news, the punk-rock heroes recently started teasing an Australian tour in support of Saviors.