Having not released an official single since 2012, it’s refreshing to know that Simple Plan are back. Although it wouldn’t take a genius to work out that their sound has drastically changed over the years, gradually becoming more pop rather than pop punk, their recent singles are a lot more upbeat to say the least.
11 years ago, Simple Plan released the single ‘Welcome To My Life’ which is an enjoyable song but is full of a lot of frustration and appeals more to angry teenagers that still think the world is hard on them. However, their latest single ‘I Don’t Wanna Be Sad’, which was released on September 18th, hands you the package you expect from the title. The song describes all the ways the singer, Pierre Bouvier, has tried to overcome sadness and about how he has simply come to the conclusion he does not want to be sad anymore.
The song is enjoyable but sounds like something you’d hear in a Broadway musical or even on Glee!, which is not the worst thing a song could be, but it definitely doesn’t add to their pop punk credibility. Although I like the change in sound as it’s a lot more positive than their previous work and doesn’t make me want to wallow in self-pity, can we really still call this pop punk?
Make up your own mind and check out Simple Plan’s most recent singles available for download on iTunes now.
Words by Zara Rowden
@zaraannecharlie