Written by Emily Lutz
It's no secret that Waterparks has grown tremendously since their start in 2011, but let’s take a trip back to 2018. The release of their sophomore album “Entertainment” would quickly become a staple for the band and introduce them to many new fans, including myself.
“11:11” is the perfect first track for this album as it draws you in with its electronic opening. By the time the chorus comes in, you’re hit with an upbeat and catchy hook that pulls everything together and gets you excited for everything to come.
“Blonde” is the second song on the album but the first single that was released. This track has become a fan-favorite and it’s easy to see why; it's super fun and gets the crowd jumping around from the first second.
Next up is “Peach (Lobotomy)”, which slows things down just enough that it can still be a heavy hitter. Thematically, it deals with being so in love with someone that you can’t think about absolutely anything else but that person; the music video captures moments from Warped Tour in 2018 and is perfect for anyone missing live shows.
“We Need to Talk” is the album's breakup song, complete with the lyrics, “I wish you didn’t tell me I was special / ‘Cause now it’s far too hard to see through / ‘Cause you shine brighter than morning / At least I thought you did.” Frontman Awsten Knight has discussed the title of this song revolving around his anxiety over the titular phrase.
On the other hand, “Not Warriors” is clearly a love song. This track has become iconic to fans, most notably for the lines “But hey, for what it’s worth / I think you saved my life” which you'll always hear them singing along with at shows.
In the bridge, Knight uses the lyric “Because we’re lucky people / And you’ll never have to sleep alone”, foreshadowing the next track as well as a later one. Continuing on the “love” theme, “Lucky People” is an acoustic track with powerful lyrics that would make anyone blush if their significant other sang it to them, including a callback to the song "Powerless" on their debut album "Double Dare", “My common sense is powerless.”
Reverting back to their pop rock style, “Rare” is catchy and super strong lyrically, detailing a special relationship that makes you feel young again. The bridge softens up and it’s indescribable how great it is.
“TANTRUM” is the perfect title for this next song; just by reading it you already know where this song is going to take you. Like the capitalization, it’s loud, in your face and the frontman, well, throws an angry tantrum, its raw emotion and passion making it one of the strongest songs by the band overall.
While “TANTRUM” is on one end of the emotional spectrum, “Crybaby” dials back on the anger and goes soft, switching out the guitars for electronic synthetic beats. Its lyrics are emotional and haunting, especially the reference to "Double Dare" favorite "Gloom Boys."
Closing out this album is “Sleep Alone”, another personal favorite that I feel doesn’t get the credit it deserves. Sonically, this sees Waterparks returning to their original pop-rock sound once again, while the lyricism is sticky-sweet and centered around a relationship.
Whether it’s your first listen or your millionth, take a half hour out of your day to stream “Entertainment” on its anniversary; you can continue to support the band by picking up some merch and following them on Twitter @waterparks. Let us know your favorite memory from the “Entertainment” era by tweeting us @lgndsoftmrw!
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