Growing Up (The Linda Lindas album)

The Linda Lindas formed in 2018 as a part of a pickup band for Kristin Kontrol. The band's name comes from the 2005 Japanese film Linda Linda Linda, which was in turn named after the Blue Hearts's song "Linda Linda". The Linda Lindas consists of Bela Salazar (guitar), Eloise Wong (bass guitar), Lucia de la Garza (guitar), and Mila de la Garza (drums). The Linda Lindas started out as a cover band, playing music from multiple bands such as the Go-Go's and Le Tigre. They independently released their debut extended play (EP), The Linda Lindas, in December 2020. The video became a viral social media hit, earning praise from Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello, Red Hot Chili Peppers's Flea, Bikini Kill's Kathleen Hanna, and Kid Cudi. Author Viet Thanh Nguyen said "'Racist, Sexist Boy' is the song we need now". in a deal which they had been working on since before the video went viral. == Writing and recording ==

The Linda Lindas wrote most of Growing Up during the COVID-19 pandemic, during which the band members attended school remotely and were unable to see each other often. They stated that they felt relief writing about their "feelings of loneliness and confusion". Salazar described the pandemic as "super overwhelming", and noted that the band would wear masks and practice outside. She said that practicing "helped [her] mind to think about something else" and made it easier to put her emotions into a song. In March 2020, near the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mila had what she described as her first experience of racism. She had an encounter with a boy at school who backed away from her upon discovering she was Chinese; he had been told by his father to stay away from Chinese people. Growing Up was recorded and mixed at Music Friends, Carlos de la Garza's backyard studio. Recording sessions lasted from June to October 2021. == Composition ==

Lyrics Growing Up consists of 10 original songs, as well as a cover of the Blue Hearts's Japanese-language song "Linda Linda" on the bonus edition. The Linda Lindas split songwriting duties, with each member contributing to the writing. The album is centered on themes of growing up, discovering oneself, and anxieties that arise in adolescence. At the time of its release, each band member was under 18. The first song, "Oh!", is about feeling unheard. The Spanish-language "", while centered around feeling left out, also has a theme of acceptance. Music Growing Up genre has been classified as punk rock, pop-punk, Critics have compared the album's sound—and particularly the song "Racist, Sexist Boy"—to riot grrrl. For example, The Skinny editor Tony Inglis wrote that the album "channel[s] riot grrrl fury and [...] catchy garage pop melodies". The opening track, "Oh!", has been compared musically to the soundtrack of the film Josie and the Pussycats (2001), as well as Joan Jett and Ramones. The song "Nino" contains elements of power pop and is similar to the music of La Luz and Blondie. "" has been noted for its bossa nova influences. == Packaging ==

The album cover is a photograph of paper dolls designed by Wong; she cut the dolls freehand, intending for them to represent the band members as cats. The photograph was taken by photographer Zen Sekizawa, a friend of the band, who focused on creating appropriate lighting for the dolls. Cutouts resembling those on the album cover are included as an insert for the vinyl pressings of the album. == Release and promotion ==

Singles and music videos Growing Up was released on April 8, 2022, by Epitaph Records. The album had four singles: "Oh!", "Nino", "Growing Up", and "Talking to Myself". "Oh!" was released as a single preceding the album on July 21, 2021. Its music video was directed by Ryan Baxley and featured skateboarder Ray Barbee taking pictures of the Linda Lindas using a Polaroid camera. The second single, "Nino", was released on December 1, 2021. The storyboard was created by Salazar and it was animated by Rob Fidel. "Growing Up" and "Talking to Myself" followed as the third and fourth singles on February 1 and March 2, 2022, respectively. Fashion designer Humberto Leon directed the music video for "Growing Up", which features the band playing dress-up. A live version of "Racist, Sexist Boy" was released as a single on May 27, 2021. It contains material from the Linda Lindas' live performance at the Los Angeles Public Library. The song went on to win Best Punk Record at the 2022 Libera Awards. It was also nominated for Best Song at the 2022 Kerrang! Awards. Touring In April 2022, the Linda Lindas performed in Los Angeles and New York City alongside Jawbreaker. Following the release of the album, the band performed a Tiny Desk (Home) Concert at the Los Angeles Public Library, where they had previously performed their live version of "Racist, Sexist Boy". The band also appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, performing their song "Oh!". They embarked on a tour from June to October 2022, with shows alongside Japanese Breakfast, Bacchae, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. == Critical reception ==

Growing Up received generally favorable reviews. Similarly, aggregator AnyDecentMusic? assigned the album a score of 7.8/10 based on 15 critic reviews. Growing Up has been described as a simple, catchy, and enjoyable album. Jake Richardson at Kerrang! called it an enjoyable album that shows "there is more to come". The Skinny editor Tony Inglis called it "a light-of-foot album" that has simple concepts and fun riffs. Neil Z. Yeung of AllMusic called the album a "ridiculously catchy burst of wide-eyed, youthful anthems". DIY editor Ben Tipple stated that Growing Up showed that the Linda Lindas were "more than a viral moment". He said that the album put together a political message with fun music. The Line of Best Fit writer Tom Williams called the album a demonstration of the Linda Lindas' talent, but he stated that it felt partly rushed due to the band's eagerness to capitalize on their early success. Loud and Quiet criticized the album's production, calling the combination of the guitar and bass tracks a "mound of sludge". On the other hand, Alan Ranta at Exclaim! praised the album for its production, noting that the band benefited from having access to Carlos de la Garza, rather than having to mail demo tracks to studios. Year-end lists Growing Up appeared on multiple lists in 2022. Good Morning America ranked Growing Up as number 38 on their list of the "50 best albums of 2022". Kerrang! rated it number 48 on a similar list, while No Ripcord rated it as number 34. Lisa Tozzi of Rolling Stone ranked it number 7 in "Best Music of 2022", and Samantha B of Punknews ranked it number 7 on her "Top 10 LP's of 2022". Growing Up also appeared on Loudwire "Best Rock + Metal Debut Albums of 2022" list. == Track listing ==

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Growing Up. The Linda Lindas • Bela Salazar – guitar, vocals • Eloise Wong – bass guitar, vocals • Lucia de la Garza – guitar, vocals • Mila de la Garza – drums, percussion, vocals Additional musicians • Lil' Dude – piano on "Nino" Technical personnel • Carlos de la Garza – producer, engineer, mixer • Dave Cooley – mastering • Sergio Chavez – engineer • Matt Maroalakos – engineer • Alec Wingfield – engineer Packaging • Wendy Lau – design • Eloise Wong – cover paper art • Zen Sekizawa – cover photo, sleeve background photos • Albert Licano – photography • Alice Baxley – photography • Humberto Leon – photography • Batsheva – outfits • Opening Ceremony – outfits • Thy Mai – hair • Valerie Vonprisk – cat eye makeup • Littlerock Nia – additional hair, makeup • Michael Meeks Silva – additional hair, makeup == Charts ==