The year is 2004. Facebook is circulating the campus of Harvard University.“Shrek 2” and “The Notebook” have each just premiered to vastly different audiences. It is the first presidential election since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and all eyes are on Washington D.C. and sitting President George W Bush. Enter Green Day. 

Nearly 10 years have passed since the release of the band’s breakout success “Dookie,” which won them a Grammy in 1995, and, following a few subpar critical releases, the band is in need of another hit. Luckily, they have one. 

Following advice from the band’s producer, Rob Cavallo, to “make an epic statement,” the trio crafted a punk rock opera meant to highlight American society’s dysfunction amid extreme political and social tensions. And “American Idiot” did just that. The album follows the story of Jesus of Suburbia, a lower-middle-class teenager harboring disdain for his hometown. A coming-of-age tale, “American Idiot” details Jesus of Suburbia’s exploration of America beyond his hometown with his girlfriend, Whatsername. Prodded by his newfound friend, St. Jimmy, the Jesus of Suburbia finds himself entrenched in drugs and alcohol until his girlfriend leaves, prompting him to realize what his life has come to and abandon St. Jimmy to return to his hometown. 

Through hard-hitting ballads and evocative lyrics, “American Idiot” gave voice to the political unrest of the early 2000s and mobilized a punk-rock movement. “American Idiot” debuted at number one on the Billboard charts and stayed in the top 200 for over 100 weeks. The album went on to receive a Grammy, a Broadway musical adaptation, and sell 23 million copies around the world. 

Despite the album’s intention as a not-so-subtle condemnation of the current Bush administration, its themes resonate with the American public now just as much, if not more, than it did 20 years ago. America is in no less political turmoil than it was 20 years ago, and Green Day knows that. When asked whether a follow-up to “American Idiot” was in the works, Green Day bassist Mike Dirnt revealed that it was not entirely out of the question. Dirnt cited the broader state of the country as a potential reason for a new piece — the fact that American society had changed in so many ways since the release of “American Idiot,” and, yet, not necessarily for the better. In a performance following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade’s initial ruling, Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong expressed his urge to “renounce his citizenship” and move to the United Kingdom in light of the decision. A recent change of “American Idiot’s” titular song’s lyrics from “I’m not a part of a redneck agenda” to “I’m not a part of a MAGA agenda” proves that the band is more than aware of the album’s continued relevance in American society and are determined to speak out for as long as it remains so.  

It has been 20 years since the release of “American Idiot,” and though the words may have changed, the message is the same: Don’t trust your government, kids. It’s impossible to know what the state of our country will be in 20 more years, but I know that Green Day will be there to welcome them with either open arms or a special-edition release. 

To commemorate “American Idiot’s” 20th anniversary on Sept. 21, the band will be releasing a box set edition of “American Idiot” featuring previously unreleased demos, bonus songs and live tracks. Green Day is performing “American Idiot” along with “Dookie” on their current “Saviors” world tour, which takes them and The Smashing Pumpkins across the U.S. until the end of September.