Wikipedia

Growing Up

2022 album by the Linda Lindas

Growing Up is the first album by the Linda Lindas, released on April 8, 2022, by Epitaph Records. Produced by Carlos de la Garza, father of band members Lucia and Mila, the album was recorded in Los Angeles from June to October 2021. It's a punk rock album with lyrics about growing up and teenage anxieties, written during the COVID-19 pandemic, which made it hard for the band to work together.

Growing Up
Studio album by
the Linda Lindas
ReleasedApril 8, 2022 (2022-04-08)
RecordedJune 11 – October 25, 2021
StudioMusic Friends, Los Angeles
GenrePunk rock
Length25:35
LanguageEnglish, Spanish, Japanese (bonus edition)
LabelEpitaph
ProducerCarlos de la Garza
the Linda Lindas chronology
The Linda Lindas
(2020) 		Growing Up
(2022) 		No Obligation
(2024)
Singles from Growing Up
  1. "Oh!"
    Released: July 21, 2021
  2. "Nino"
    Released: December 1, 2021
  3. "Growing Up"
    Released: February 1, 2022
  4. "Talking to Myself"
    Released: March 2, 2022

The album received mostly positive reviews and appeared on several year-end lists in 2022. It reached number 19 on Billboard's US Top Album Sales chart and also charted in Japan and the UK. The singles "Oh!", "Nino", "Growing Up", and "Talking to Myself" were promoted with music videos featuring guest appearances from skateboarder Ray Barbee and Bikini Kill's Kathleen Hanna. To support the album, The Linda Lindas toured in late 2022 with Japanese Breakfast, Bacchae, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Background

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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 inspired by the Blue Hearts' song "Linda Linda." The group consists of Bela Salazar (guitar), Eloise Wong (bass guitar), Lucia de la Garza (guitar), and Mila de la Garza (drums).

The band began as a cover band, playing songs by groups like the Go-Go's and Le Tigre. They released their first extended play (EP), The Linda Lindas, independently in December 2020. In 2019, they opened for Bikini Kill, which led to an appearance in Amy Poehler's 2021 film Moxie. The band also released an EP with covers of Bikini Kill's "Rebel Girl" and the Muffs' "Big Mouth."

In May 2021, a video of them performing "Racist, Sexist Boy" at a library event went viral, earning praise from musicians like Tom Morello, Flea, and Kathleen Hanna. Shortly after, on May 22, Epitaph Records announced they had signed the band.

Writing and recording

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Most of Growing Up was written during the COVID-19 pandemic, which made it difficult for the Linda Lindas to write together. They attended school remotely and wrote about their "feelings of loneliness and confusion." While "Oh!" was written by the whole band, many songs were written by just one or two members. Mila de la Garza wrote "Racist, Sexist Boy" after experiencing racism for the first time during the pandemic.

The album was recorded and mixed at Carlos de la Garza's backyard studio, Music Friends, from June to October 2021.

Composition

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Growing Up features 10 regular songs, with a bonus cover of the Blue Hearts' "Linda Linda." Each band member contributed to the songwriting. The album's themes include growing up, finding oneself, and the anxieties of being a teenager. Critics have described the music as punk rock, pop-punk, and power pop, with some comparisons to riot grrrl.

Art

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The album cover features a photograph of paper dolls, designed by Eloise Wong to represent the band members as cats. The photo was taken by Zen Sekizawa, a friend of the band. Cutouts resembling the album cover were included in the vinyl pressings of the album.

Release and promotion

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Growing Up was released on April 8, 2022, by Epitaph Records. The album spawned four singles: "Oh!", "Nino", "Growing Up", and "Talking to Myself." Each single was accompanied by a music video, with guest appearances from skateboarder Ray Barbee and Bikini Kill's Kathleen Hanna.

In support of the album, The Linda Lindas embarked on a tour from June to October 2022, performing with Japanese Breakfast, Bacchae, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Reception

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.8/10[1]
Metacritic80/100[2]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [3]
DIY     [4]

Growing Up received generally favorable reviews. On Metacritic, it holds a score of 80 out of 100, based on 10 critic reviews. The album was praised for its catchy and fun music, though some critics debated the quality of its production. It also appeared on several year-end lists in 2022.

Year-end lists

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Rankings for Growing Up
Publication Accolade Rank
Alternative Press The 55 best albums of 2022[5] *
Billboard The 50 best albums of 2022 so far[6] *
Good Morning America 50 best albums of 2022[7] 38
Kerrang! The 50 best albums of 2022[8] 48
Loudwire Best Rock + Metal Debut Albums of 2022[9] *
NME The 25 best debut albums of 2022[10] *
No Ripcord The 50 best albums of 2022[11] 34
Punknews Samantha B's Picks: Top 10 LP's of 2022[12] 7
Rolling Stone Best Music of 2022 (Lisa Tozzi)[13] 7
Tape Op The Rest of the Best List 2022[14] *
Under the Radar Top 100 Albums of 2022[15] 41
(*) denotes an unranked list

Tracks

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  1. "Oh!" (Lucia de la Garza, Mila de la Garza, Bela Salazar, Eloise Wong) – 2:35
  2. "Growing Up" (L. Garza) – 3:06
  3. "Talking to Myself" (M. Garza) – 2:22
  4. "Fine" (Wong) – 2:02
  5. "Nino" (Salazar) – 1:49
  6. "Why" (Wong) – 2:19
  7. "Cuántas Veces" (Salazar) – 3:13
  8. "Remember" (L. Garza) – 3:39
  9. "Magic" (L. Garza, M. Garza) – 2:36
  10. "Racist, Sexist Boy" (M. Garza, Wong) – 1:49

Bonus edition[16][17]

  1. "Linda Linda" (Hiroto Kōmoto) – 2:34

Personnel

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Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Growing Up.[18]

The Linda Lindas

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  • Bela Salazar – guitar, vocals
  • Eloise Wong – bass guitar, vocals
  • Lucia de la Garza – guitar, vocals
  • Mila de la Garza – drums, percussion, vocals

Other musicians

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  • Lil' Dude[a] – piano on "Nino"

Technical

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Artwork

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  • Wendy Lau – design
  • Eloise Wong – cover paper art
  • Zen Sekizawa – cover photo, sleeve background photos
  • Albert Licano – photography
  • Alice Baxley – photography
  • Humberto Leon – photography[b]
  • 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

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Weekly charts for Growing Up
Chart (2022) Peak

position
US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[20] 19
US Vinyl Albums (Billboard)[20] 10
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[21] 49
Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[22] 92
Japanese Top Album Sales (Billboard Japan)[22] 47
UK Independent Album Breakers Chart (OCC)[23] 4
UK Vinyl Albums (OCC)[23] 37
UK Album Sales (OCC)[23] 60
UK Physical Albums (OCC)[23] 51
UK Record Store (OCC)[23] 14

Release history

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Release history for Growing Up
Region Date Type
Multiple April 8, 2022 Digital download
May 17, 2023 Digital download (bonus edition)
United States April 8, 2022 CD, LP
Japan June 3, 2022 CD
Europe
June 24, 2022 LP

Notes

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  1. ↑ Lil' Dude is a cat,[19] but he is still credited in the liner notes.[18]
  2. ↑ Credited as "Cat eye photos"

References

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  1. ↑ "Growing Up by The Linda Lindas reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. n.d. Archived from the original on February 5, 2024. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Reviews for Growing Up by The Linda Lindas". Metacritic. Archived from the original on February 4, 2024. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  3. ↑ Yeung, Neil. "The Linda Lindas – Growing Up". AllMusic. Archived from the original on February 4, 2024. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  4. ↑ Tipple, Ben (April 8, 2022). "The Linda Lindas – Growing Up review". DIY. Archived from the original on August 3, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  5. ↑ "The best albums of 2022". Alternative Press Magazine. December 12, 2022. Archived from the original on December 15, 2022. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Best Albums of 2022 So Far: Top 50". Billboard. June 6, 2022. Archived from the original on June 24, 2023. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  7. ↑ 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.
  8. ↑ Beebee, Steve; Carter, Emily; Hickie, James; Law, Sam; Morton, Luke; Richardson, Jake; Ruskell, Nick; Sutherland, Mark; Thomas, Olly (December 19, 2022). "The 50 best albums of 2022". Kerrang!. Archived from the original on January 4, 2023. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  9. ↑ Staff, Loudwire (December 8, 2022). "Best Rock + Metal Debut Albums of 2022". Loudwire. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  10. ↑ NME (December 12, 2022). "The 25 best debut albums of 2022". NME. Archived from the original on May 14, 2024. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  11. ↑ "The 50 Best Albums of 2022". No Ripcord. December 21, 2022. Archived from the original on December 21, 2022. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  12. ↑ Punknews.org (January 8, 2023). "Best of 2022 – Samantha B's Picks". Punknews. ISSN 1710-5366. Archived from the original on May 8, 2024. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  13. ↑ Stone, Rolling (December 27, 2022). "Best Music of 2022: Staff Picks". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 28, 2022. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  14. ↑ "The Rest of the Best List 2022". Tape Op. Archived from the original on May 14, 2024. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  15. ↑ "Under the Radar Magazine". Under the Radar. Archived from the original on December 24, 2022. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  16. ↑ "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.
  17. ↑ 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
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Growing Up (liner notes). Epitaph Records. 2022. 87875-1SLE. {{cite AV media notes}}: Unknown parameter |people= ignored (help)
  19. ↑ 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.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Zellner, Xander (July 27, 2022). "Black Midi Tops Emerging Artists Chart, Thanks to Hellfire Debut". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 16, 2024. Retrieved May 16, 2024. The Linda Lindas launch at No. 4, thanks to their debut studio album Growing Up, released via Epitaph. The set debuts at No. 19 on Top Album Sales (5,000 sold) and No. 10 on Vinyl Albums (4,000).
  21. ↑ "The Linda Lindas' works" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on May 2, 2024. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 "ザ・リンダ・リンダズ". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on February 1, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 23.4 "Growing Up – Linda Lindas | Official Charts". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on May 26, 2024. Retrieved June 30, 2024.

Other websites

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