Pop-punk trio Blink-182 are back.
Earlier in the week, the band — made up of Mark Hoppus, Tom DeLonge and Travis Barker — surprised fans by announcing they had reunited and are embarking on a 70-stop world tour next year, as well as releasing new music and a new album ahead of it.
Scroll through the gallery above to see images of Blink-182 through the years
Their new single Edging was released on Friday. It marks Blink-182’s first new music in almost three years. Ahead of its debut, DeLonge took to Instagram and shared a photo from the band’s earlier years.
“What if I was to tell you we just made the best album of our careers,” he captioned the post.
The release date for the new album has yet to be announced. However, the group has been around for more than two decades and have put out eight studio albums — including two that topped the Billboard 200 — so if that's anything to go by, fans should be in for a treat.
From the commercially successful breakthrough Enema of the State to the band's earlier sounds in Dude Ranch, here’s where their albums rank:
8. 'Cheshire Cat' (1995)
Is there really a bad album when it comes to Blink-182? Cheshire Cat was the group’s debut album with original members DeLonge, Hoppus and Scott Raynor.
It was met with unexpected success thanks to songs such as M+Ms and Wasting Time showcasing the band’s early pop-punk sound. Although most of the tracks on it are mostly jokes, such as a song about enjoying watching television, fans were given an early insight of what was to come.
7. 'Neighborhoods' (2011)
This album would come after an eight-year hiatus from their last album in 2003 and after the members decided to go on an “infinite hiatus” in 2005, later reconciling to put out Neighborhoods in 2011.
Unfortunately, it did not sell as well as its predecessors, although it reached No 2 on the Billboard 200 when first released. Some critics suggested that the long gap and sudden reunion after members had worked on other musical side projects led to a disjointed album that at times felt bland. Lead singles Up All Night and After Midnight were released from it, which found moderate success.
6. 'Dude Ranch' (1997)
The second album from the group was also the last to feature Raynor as the drummer before he was fired. Dude Ranch hit No 67 on the Billboard 200 thanks to its lead single Dammit, which was a commercial success getting major airplay on rock radio stations across the US. The song has also been a long staple in setlists as well as a crowd favourite. Blink-182’s soon-to-be signature pop-punk sound really shines as Hoppus and DeLonge sound more assured than ever through the album’s 16 tracks.
5. 'California' (2016)
This is the first of two albums to feature Alkaline Trio frontman Matt Skiba, who was recruited to replace DeLonge after he left the band in 2015. Blink-182’s first album in five years since Neighborhoods, the 16-track album felt like a return to form for the punk-pop trio despite DeLonge’s departure. It hit No 1 on the Billboard 200 when it was released and was nominated for Best Rock Album at the Grammys. Its first two singles Bored to Death and She’s Out of Her Mind notched respectable US rock chart positions, too — six and 11.
4. 'Nine' (2019)
The second and final album to include Skiba, Nine is more pop-centric in style, though it features darker lyrics and tones as it was reportedly inspired by Hoppus’s battle with depression, as well as world events such as Donald Trump’s presidency and the influx of mass shootings in the US.
Fans were left divided over the album with its blend of radio-friendly songs such as Happy Days to heavier tracks like Darkside and Heaven.
3. 'Blink-182' (2003)
This album, also known as Untitled, features Blink-182 trying a different sound than most fans were used to hearing. Inspired by lifestyle changes, including fatherhood for Hoppus, DeLonge and Barker before the album’s release, the lyrics are deeper and the sounds are more mature. Four singles were released from this including the successful and catchy pop-punk track Feeling This and the swelling ballad I Miss You.
2. 'Enema of the State' (1999)
This album is credited with bringing Blink-182 to the mainstream and will be likely remembered as one that also helped pop punk reach a wider audience. It’s also the first album to include Travis Barker on drums as a replacement for the departing Raynor. It includes breakthrough hits What’s My Age Again and All The Small Things as well as the more serious Adam’s Song, showing the trio could be versatile with their music, writing songs about not wanting to grow up to feelings of loneliness and depression.
1. 'Take Off Your Pants and Jacket' (2001)
The anticipated follow-up to 1999’s Enema of the State did not disappoint as Take Off Your Pants and Jacket became the first punk rock record to reach No 1 on the Billboard 200 on its debut. It featured three hit singles The Rock Show, First Date and Stay Together for the Kids — each portraying different themes of adolescence. While it was reported that there was some strife between the members and their record label at the time, this album has Blink-182 at the top of the game and is arguably one of the best pop-punk albums of all time.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Fixtures
Friday Leganes v Alaves, 10.15pm; Valencia v Las Palmas, 12.15am
Saturday Celta Vigo v Real Sociedad, 8.15pm; Girona v Atletico Madrid, 10.15pm; Sevilla v Espanyol, 12.15am
Sunday Athletic Bilbao v Getafe, 8.15am; Barcelona v Real Betis, 10.15pm; Deportivo v Real Madrid, 12.15am
Monday Levante v Villarreal, 10.15pm; Malaga v Eibar, midnight
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Rest
(Because Music)
JOKE'S%20ON%20YOU
%3Cp%3EGoogle%20wasn't%20new%20to%20busting%20out%20April%20Fool's%20jokes%3A%20before%20the%20Gmail%20%22prank%22%2C%20it%20tricked%20users%20with%20%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Farchive.google%2Fmentalplex%2F%22%20target%3D%22_blank%22%3Emind-reading%20MentalPlex%20responses%3C%2Fa%3E%20and%20said%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Farchive.google%2Fpigeonrank%2F%22%20target%3D%22_blank%22%3E%20well-fed%20pigeons%20were%20running%20its%20search%20engine%20operations%3C%2Fa%3E%20.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIn%20subsequent%20years%2C%20they%20announced%20home%20internet%20services%20through%20your%20toilet%20with%20its%20%22%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Farchive.google%2Ftisp%2Finstall.html%22%20target%3D%22_blank%22%3Epatented%20GFlush%20system%3C%2Fa%3E%22%2C%20made%20us%20believe%20the%20Moon's%20surface%20was%20made%20of%20cheese%20and%20unveiled%20a%20dating%20service%20in%20which%20they%20called%20founders%20Sergey%20Brin%20and%20Larry%20Page%20%22%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Farchive.google%2Fromance%2Fpress.html%22%20target%3D%22_blank%22%3EStanford%20PhD%20wannabes%3C%2Fa%3E%20%22.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EBut%20Gmail%20was%20all%20too%20real%2C%20purportedly%20inspired%20by%20one%20%E2%80%93%20a%20single%20%E2%80%93%20Google%20user%20complaining%20about%20the%20%22poor%20quality%20of%20existing%20email%20services%22%20and%20born%20%22%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fgooglepress.blogspot.com%2F2004%2F04%2Fgoogle-gets-message-launches-gmail.html%22%20target%3D%22_blank%22%3Emillions%20of%20M%26amp%3BMs%20later%3C%2Fa%3E%22.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
HWJN
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Yasir%20Alyasiri%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Baraa%20Alem%2C%20Nour%20Alkhadra%2C%20Alanoud%20Saud%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20WallyGPT%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2014%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESaeid%20and%20Sami%20Hejazi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20raised%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%247.1%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2020%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPre-seed%20round%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Stree
Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Movies
Director: Amar Kaushik
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee
Rating: 3.5
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