As self proclaimed “God’s Favorite Boy Band” front man, Awsten Knight’s hair color 

changes, the band Waterparks’ sound seems to evolve accordingly. Teasing the start of a new Waterparks era, Knight changes his Entertainment chapter purple hair to an eccentric green to match the band’s highly anticipated new album, Fandom.  

With this new album, Waterparks has reached number 37 on the billboard charts, as well as being named Billboard’s number 1 emerging artist.

The pop punk band from Texas pushed past the boundaries of the genre with this new record. 

“I just don’t see the point of doing what’s already been done,” says Knight. “You have to reinvent yourself, and in a lot of ways.”

Comprised of 15 songs, the album encompasses themes of both heartbreak and brings to light the pressure rising bands face, and directs the song “Watch What Happens Next” to their previous label Equal Visions Records. 

The album also featured “Worst”. A song Knight uploaded to his YouTube channel in November of 2017, then almost immediately took down. 

While seeing this song featured on the album was exciting for most fans, the song talks about the mental challenges our green haired Knight has faced post break up.

“Anxiety is real, depression’s very heavy, I wear them both inside my hoodie, wear them out to get me”.

This album, while both about a breakup, had a much more angry than positive tone compared to Entertainment. 

In “Not Warriors”, Knight sings “I think you saved my life”. But in “War Crimes” on the new album he saved his own.

Fandom, in all its green glory, is a heavy album including themes of mental health, and dealing with overwhelming heartbreak. The lyrics are more upfront and direct, and hold more aggressive and dismal themes as compared to the softer, more lighthearted era of Entertainment, which was more metaphorical, according to Knight. But this new version of Waterparks has made fans excited for what’s to come, and the Waterparks, well, Fandom, is excited to hear more of the band’s evolving style, opening more doors and breaking the rules of the stiff genre that is pop punk.