Growing Up (The Linda Lindas album)

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Growing Up
An illustration of four people with cat heads playing in a band, set upon a light blue background
Studio album by
the Linda Lindas
ReleasedApril 8, 2022 (2022-04-08)
RecordedJune 11 – October 25, 2021
StudioMusic Friends, Los Angeles
Genre
Length25:35
LanguageEnglish, Spanish, Japanese (bonus edition)
LabelEpitaph
ProducerCarlos de la Garza
The Linda Lindas chronology
The Linda Lindas (EP)
(2020) 		Growing Up
(2022)
Singles from Growing Up
  1. "Oh!"
    Released: July 21, 2021[1]
  2. "Nino"
    Released: December 1, 2021[2]

Growing Up is the debut studio album by the American rock band The Linda Lindas, released on April 8, 2022, by Epitaph Records.[3] It was produced by Carlos de la Garza, the father of band members Lucia and Mila de la Garza. Recording sessions for Growing Up took place at Music Friends in Los Angeles, California, from June to October 2021.[4]

Background[edit]

Carlos de la Garza standing in front of his equipment.
Carlos de la Garza, the album's producer.
This section is an excerpt from The Linda Lindas § 2018–2020: Formation and EPs.[edit]

In January 2018, Eloise Wong's father Martin Wong was contacted by an acquaintance, asking if she would be interested in playing alongside Kristin Kontrol and a bunch of "inexperienced kids" for a performance at a music festival called Girlschool LA,[5] after seeing pictures and videos of her singing at Save Music in Chinatown. Martin then suggested Lucia and Mila de la Garza, daughters of his sister Angelyn Wong and brother-in-law Carlos de la Garza, since the three of them often sang, danced and performed together since they were toddlers; Carlos, who owned a backyard studio, took up the position of a second coach. After Kontrol recruited more children through social media and the first round of rehearsals were held, Angelyn and Martin's wife Wendy Lau reached out to the girls' family friend Bela Salazar, who was taking guitar lessons, to join in, thinking that they needed someone who could play an instrument.[6] Originally, it was intended to be a one-off project, but a few months later, Salazar was invited to open a show for Frieda's Roses, and engaged Eloise, Lucia and Mila to be her backing band.[7]

Feeling that the band needed a name, Martin, who had bought a DVD of 2005 Japanese film Linda Linda Linda,[8] (in turn named after the Blue Hearts song "Linda Linda"[9]), suggested The Linda Lindas, feeling that it "sounded like a band from the '50s but could also refer to the Japanese punk song or art movie, or simply mean 'really pretty' in Spanish", to which the girls agreed.[7] By fall, they were playing Save Music in Chinatown matinee gigs alongside artists such as Phranc, the Dils, the Gears, and the Alley Cats, and other shows with bands such as Best Coast, Alice Bag, and Bleached.

After Amy Poehler watched the Linda Lindas open for Bikini Kill on April 26, 2019, at the Hollywood Palladium, she had them record songs for her film Moxie.[10] In 2020, the Linda Lindas wrote a song for Netflix documentary The Claudia Kishi Club, titled "Claudia Kishi", after the Japanese-American character in Ann M. Martin's novel series The Baby-Sitters Club.[11][12]
This section is an excerpt from The Linda Lindas § 2021–2022: "Racist, Sexist Boy" and Growing Up.[edit]
In May 2021, the Los Angeles Public Library posted a video of the band playing "Racist, Sexist Boy" at a "TEENtastic Tuesdays" event.[11] The song was about an experience Mila, the band's drummer, had when a schoolmate made a racist comment before the COVID-19 pandemic.[13] The video became a viral social media hit, earning praise from Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello, Red Hot Chili Peppers's Flea,[11] Thurston Moore,[14] Bikini Kill's Kathleen Hanna,[13] Kid Cudi,[15] and author Viet Thanh Nguyen, who said, "'Racist, Sexist Boy' is the song we need now".[13] On May 22, 2021, Epitaph Records announced that it had signed the Linda Lindas.[16][17] It was later clarified that Epitaph had been working on a deal with the Linda Lindas before the video went viral.[18]

Composition[edit]

Lyrics[edit]

Growing Up consists of 10 standard songs and a cover of the Blue Hearts' 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,[19] and anxieties that arise in adolescence.[20] The first song, "Oh!" is about feeling unheard.[21] Rolling Stone editor Lisa Tozzi says the title track "celebrates the intense friendships [...] and simple pleasures of youth, but also nods to the very normal desire to speed through the scary and awkward parts of adolescence"[21] The song "Talking to Myself" has been described as an "anxiety spiral",[20] however, the lyrics still have hope.[19] The song "Nino" was written about Bela Salazar's cat. She had previously written a song about her cat, Monica, which appeared in the Linda Lindas' eponymous EP (2020).[22] Feeling that Nino "wouldn’t leave her alone until he got a song too",[23] Salazar wrote the song "Nino" for him.[24] The Spanish-language "Cuántas Veces", while centered around feeling left out, also has a theme of acceptance.[19] The anti-racist song "Racist, Sexist Boy" was written about an encounter Mila de la Garza had with a boy at school.[25]

Production and music[edit]

The album's genre has been classified as punk rock,[a] pop-punk,[20] and power pop.[27] Critics have compared the album's sound to riot grrrl, such as The Skinny editor Tony Inglis who says that it "channel[s] riot grrrl fury and the kind of catchy garage pop melodies the Pixies haven’t written since the 90s".[29]

Artwork[edit]

The Linda Lindas (L-R): Lucia de la Garza, Mila de la Garza, Eloise Wong, Bela Salazar

The cover artwork, photographed by Zen Sekizawa, features paper dolls designed by Eloise Salazar, the band's bassist. Salazar cut the dolls freehand, intending for them to appear like the band members as cats.[30] Sekizawa later "spent hours" creating the lighting for the cover.[31]

Cutouts resembling those on the album cover are included as an insert for the vinyl pressings of the album.[31]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.8[32]
Metacritic80/100[33]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[34]
DIY[35]
Exclaim!8/10[28]
Kerrang!4/5[26]
Pitchfork8.0/10[20]
Punknews.org[36]
Robert Christgau(1-star Honorable Mention)[37]
The Skinny[29]
Sputnikmusic3.5/5[38]

According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Growing Up received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 80 out of 100 from 10 critic scores.[33] Jake Richardson at Kerrang! calls Growing Up "a thoroughly enjoyable debut album that promises much more is yet to come."[26] The Skinny editor Tony Inglis calls it "a light-of-foot album of fun riffs and effectively simple ideas."[29] Critic Robert Christgau gave the album a one-star honorable mention ((1-star Honorable Mention)), describing the album as "eleven-and-over Hispanic-Asian girlpunk foursome get down to bizness [sic]" and citing "Racist, Sexist Boy", "Fine", and "Nino" as highlights.[37] Neil Z. Yeung of AllMusic calls the album a "ridiculously catchy burst of wide-eyed, youthful anthems".[34] DIY editor Ben Tipple comments, "with debut full-length ‘Growing Up’ they easily cement themselves as far more than a viral moment, pairing political and social charge with a suitably playful charm."[35]

Accolades[edit]

In 2022, Good Morning America ranked Growing Up as number 38 on their list, "50 best albums of 2022."[39] Kerrang! rated it number 48 on a similar list,[40] while No Ripcord rated it as number 34.[41]

Rankings for Growing Up
Publication Country Accolade Rank
Alternative Press US The 55 best albums of 2022[42] *
Billboard US The 50 best albums of 2022 so far[43] *
Good Morning America US 50 best albums of 2022[39] 38
Kerrang! UK The 50 best albums of 2022[40] 48
No Ripcord UK The 50 best albums of 2022[41] 34
(*) denotes an unranked list


Track listing[edit]

Growing Up track listing[4]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Oh!"The Linda Lindas2:35
2."Growing Up"Lucia de la Garza3:06
3."Talking to Myself"Mila de la Garza2:22
4."Fine"Eloise Wong2:02
5."Nino"Bela Salazar1:49
6."Why"Wong2:19
7."Cuántas Veces"Salazar3:13
8."Remember"L. Garza3:39
9."Magic"
  • L. Garza
  • M. Garza
2:36
10."Racist, Sexist Boy"
  • Wong
  • Salazar
1:49
Total length:25:35
Japanese release and digital bonus edition[44][45]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."Linda Linda"Hiroto Kōmoto2:34
Total length:28:09

Personnel[edit]

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Growing Up.[4]

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[b] – piano on "Nino"

Technical personnel

Packaging

  • Wendy Lau – design
  • Eloise Wong – cover paper art
  • Zen Sekizawa – cover photo, sleeve background photos
  • Humberto Leon – "cat eye" photography
  • Batsheva – outfits
  • Opening Ceremony – outfits
  • Valerie Vonprisk – cat eye makeup
  • Littlerock Nia – additional hair, makeup
  • Michael Meeks Silva – additional hair, makeup

Release history[edit]

Region Date Label Format Catalog
World April 8, 2022 Epitaph Digital download —
May 17, 2023[45] Digital download (bonus edition)
United States April 8, 2022 CD, LP 87875[34]
Japan June 3, 2022 CD STCD-0004[46]
Europe Epitaph Europe 7875-2[47]
June 24, 2022 LP 7875-1[48]

Charts[edit]

Weekly chart performance for Growing Up
Chart (2022) Peak
position
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[49] 49
Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[50] 92
Scottish Albums (OCC)[51] 54

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ As discussed by Kerrang!'s Jake Richardson,[26] Flood's Josh Hurst,[27] and Exclaim!'s Alan Ranta.[28]
  2. ^ Lil' Dude is a cat,[24] however he is still noted in the liner notes.[4]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "The Linda Lindas – Oh!". Epitaph. July 21, 2021. Archived from the original on August 3, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  2. ^ "The Linda Lindas – Nino". Epitaph. December 1, 2021. Archived from the original on October 3, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  3. ^ "The Linda Lindas – Growing Up". Epitaph Records. April 8, 2022. Archived from the original on February 3, 2024. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d The Linda Lindas (2022). Growing Up (liner notes). Epitaph Records. 87875-1SLE.
  5. ^ Spanos, Brittany (May 21, 2021). "Watch Teen Punk Band the Linda Lindas Ether 'Racist Sexist Boy' in Scorching Library Concert". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 21, 2021. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  6. ^ Wong, Martin (February 6, 2018). "Kristin Kontrol presents Color + The Kids at Girlschool 2018". By Martin Wong. Archived from the original on February 11, 2022. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  7. ^ a b Wong, Martin (February 16, 2020). "Hello, Linda Lindas!". By Martin Wong. Archived from the original on February 11, 2022. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  8. ^ Gotrich, Lars (May 21, 2021). "What's More Punk Than Teens Screaming In A Public Library?". NPR. Archived from the original on May 21, 2021. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  9. ^ The Linda Lindas – Mini-Set for Operation: Creative Freedom on YouTube
  10. ^ Nugent, Annabel (April 10, 2022). "The Linda Lindas: Meet the punk-powered school girls rising to rock's feminist forefront". Yahoo News. Archived from the original on May 4, 2022. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  11. ^ a b c Bosselman, Haley (May 20, 2021). "The Linda Lindas' Library Performance of 'Racist, Sexist Boy' Hailed by Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello". Variety. Archived from the original on May 21, 2021. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  12. ^ "The Linda Lindas: About Us". Archived from the original on May 21, 2021. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  13. ^ a b c Hawkins, Derek (May 21, 2021). "Teen rockers fire back at anti-Asian comments with a viral punk anthem: 'Racist, Sexist Boy'". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 29, 2021. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
  14. ^ Zhang, Cat (May 25, 2021). "The Linda Lindas Are More Than Just a Viral Punk Band". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on May 25, 2021. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  15. ^ Idibly, Leia (May 21, 2021). "'HOLY SH*T YES': Teenage AAPI Punk Rock Band Goes Viral for Performance of 'Racist, Sexist Boy'". Mediaite. Archived from the original on June 6, 2023. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  16. ^ Aswad, Jem (May 22, 2021). "The Linda Lindas Sign With Epitaph Records". Variety. Archived from the original on May 22, 2021. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
  17. ^ Richards, Will (May 23, 2021). "Viral teen punk band The Linda Lindas sign record deal with Epitaph". NME. Archived from the original on May 23, 2021. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  18. ^ Speer, Debbie (September 6, 2022). "The Linda Lindas: Bringing Punk Rock To A New Generation". Pollstar. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  19. ^ a b c "The Linda Lindas Are 'Growing Up' And Making A Statement". MTV. Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  20. ^ a b c d Moreland, Quinn (April 7, 2022). "The Linda Lindas: Growing Up Album Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on January 21, 2024. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  21. ^ a b Tozzi, Lisa (February 1, 2022). "'We're Putting a Piece of Ourselves Out There': The Linda Lindas Talk 'Growing Up' on Debut LP". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 8, 2022. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  22. ^ Whitaker, Marisa (December 1, 2021). "Hear The Linda Lindas' New Song About A Cat Named 'Nino'". Spin (magazine). Archived from the original on October 1, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  23. ^ "The Linda Lindas – Nino", Epitaph Records, December 1, 2021, archived from the original on October 3, 2023, retrieved March 27, 2024
  24. ^ a b Skinner, Tom (December 2, 2021). "Listen to The Linda Lindas fierce, feline-inspired new single 'Nino'". NME. Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  25. ^ Levin, Sam (May 24, 2021). "The Linda Lindas on their viral song Racist, Sexist Boy: 'It's good to let the anger out and scream'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on June 7, 2023. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  26. ^ a b c Richardson, Jake (April 7, 2022). "Album review: The Linda Lindas – Growing Up". Kerrang!. Archived from the original on February 4, 2024. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  27. ^ a b Hurst, Josh (April 11, 2022). "The Linda Lindas, Growing Up". Flood. Archived from the original on April 13, 2022. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  28. ^ a b Ranta, Alan (June 20, 2022). "The Linda Lindas Tap Into Youthful Punk Potential on 'Growing Up'". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on February 5, 2024. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  29. ^ a b c Inglis, Tony (April 5, 2022). "The Linda Lindas album review: Growing Up". The Skinny. Archived from the original on August 14, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  30. ^ Ryzik, Melena (March 9, 2022). "Punk Rock's New Hope: The Ferocious, Joyful Linda Lindas". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 14, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  31. ^ a b The Linda Lindas (July 15, 2022). The Linda Lindas – 'Growing Up' Vinyl Unboxing. Archived from the original on May 2, 2024. Retrieved May 2, 2024 – via YouTube.
  32. ^ "Growing Up by The Linda Lindas reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Archived from the original on February 5, 2024. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  33. ^ a b "Reviews for Growing Up by The Linda Lindas". Metacritic. Archived from the original on February 4, 2024. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  34. ^ a b c Yeung, Neil. "The Linda Lindas – Growing Up". AllMusic. Archived from the original on February 4, 2024. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  35. ^ a b Tipple, Ben (April 8, 2022). "The Linda Lindas – Growing Up review". DIY. Archived from the original on August 3, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  36. ^ johnathon1069 (April 9, 2022). "The Linda Lindas – Growing Up". Punknews.org. Archived from the original on February 5, 2024. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  37. ^ a b Christgau, Robert (2022). "Album: The Linda Lindas: Growing Up". Archived from the original on February 27, 2024. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  38. ^ Erwann S (April 25, 2022). "Review: The Linda Lindas – Growing Up". Sputnikmusic. Archived from the original on February 12, 2024. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  39. ^ a b Raible, Allan (December 28, 2022). "Review: 50 best albums of 2022". Good Morning America. Archived from the original on December 29, 2022. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  40. ^ a b Beebee, Steve; Carter, Emily; et al. (December 19, 2022). "The 50 best albums of 2022". Kerrang!. Archived from the original on January 4, 2023. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  41. ^ a b "The 50 Best Albums of 2022". No Ripcord. December 21, 2022. Archived from the original on December 21, 2022. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  42. ^ "The best albums of 2022". Alternative Press. December 12, 2022. Archived from the original on December 15, 2022. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  43. ^ "Best Albums of 2022 So Far: Top 50". Billboard. June 6, 2022. Archived from the original on June 24, 2023. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  44. ^ "世界を席巻するティーンエイジ・バンド THE LINDA LINDAS（ザ・リンダ・リンダズ）が 待望のデビュー・アルバム『GROWING UP』を 本日デジタル・リリース！" [The world-beating teenage band THE LINDA LINDAS releases their long-awaited debut album "GROWING UP" digitally today!]. Bigmouth (in Japanese). April 8, 2022. Archived from the original on February 29, 2024. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  45. ^ a b Growing Up (Bonus Edition) by The Linda Lindas, Apple Music, May 16, 2023, archived from the original on November 7, 2023, retrieved March 24, 2024
  46. ^ "The Linda Lindas = ザ・リンダ・リンダズ* – Growing Up = グローイング・アップ". Discogs. June 3, 2022. Archived from the original on February 4, 2024. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  47. ^ "The Linda Lindas – Growing Up (2022, CD)". Discogs. June 3, 2022. Archived from the original on February 4, 2024. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  48. ^ "The Linda Lindas – Growing Up (2022, Vinyl)". Discogs. June 24, 2022. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  49. ^ "Top 1 selling album by The Linda Lindas" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on May 3, 2024. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  50. ^ "ザ・リンダ・リンダズ". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on February 1, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  51. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 19, 2024.

External links[edit]

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