So for my song, I selected American Idiot by Green Day. The genre of the song is alternative rock, and this genre is often defined by absolute BANGER guitar with dark lyrics over high temp music. This song does follow these conventions however, this song makes a strong political statement, which is not endemic to the genre. Released after the attacks of 9/11 to criticize both the American people and their government. The hysteria and paranoia of the American people caused them to allow the government to take several freedoms from them. The titular “American idiot” refers to the American people. They also serve to criticize. The use of the line “Don’t want a nation under the new media/ And can you hear the sound of hysteria?” serve to further the idea that Americans were being manipulated after the terrorist attacks. The idea of the government manipulating the American public is furthered throughout the song. Overall, the hypocrisy of the American Government is also emphasized with the line “All across the alienation”. This play on words plays into the idea that America is inherently a natio of people who immigrated (like illegal aliens). But it also emphasizes that the people who run the nation are alienated from the citizens, the cares/worries of the average American are alien to them. Another reference is made by the band towards conservatism, and overall, how conservatives react to queer spaces is “Well, maybe I’m the f*****, America/I’m not a part of a redneck agenda”. Billie Joe Armstrong used this line to emphasize the lack of voice queer people are given within politics, especially in the early 2000s. Armstrong himself is a bisexual man and has talked about how he felt that activists were silenced with insults and slurs. In addition, these same insults were used to people who opposed the Iraq and Afghanistan wars by the same group of people, the “rednecks”.