Growing Up

***Growing Up*** is the first album by the Linda Lindas, released on April 8, 2022, by Epitaph Records. Produced by Carlos de la Garza, father of band members Lucia and Mila, the album was recorded in Los Angeles from June to October 2021. It's a punk rock album with lyrics about growing up and teenage anxieties, written during the COVID-19 pandemic, which made it hard for the band to work together.

The album received mostly positive reviews and appeared on several year-end lists in 2022. It reached number 19 on _Billboard_s US Top Album Sales chart and also charted in Japan and the UK. The singles "Oh!", "Nino", "Growing Up", and "Talking to Myself" were promoted with music videos featuring guest appearances from skateboarder Ray Barbee and Bikini Kill's Kathleen Hanna. To support the album, The Linda Lindas toured in late 2022 with Japanese Breakfast, Bacchae, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

## Background

The Linda Lindas formed in 2018 as a part of a pickup band for Kristin Kontrol. The band's name comes from the 2005 Japanese film _Linda Linda Linda,_ which was inspired by the Blue Hearts' song "Linda Linda." The group consists of Bela Salazar (guitar), Eloise Wong (bass guitar), Lucia de la Garza (guitar), and Mila de la Garza (drums).

The band began as a cover band, playing songs by groups like the Go-Go's and Le Tigre. They released their first extended play (EP), _The Linda Lindas,_ independently in December 2020. In 2019, they opened for Bikini Kill, which led to an appearance in Amy Poehler's 2021 film _Moxie._ The band also released an EP with covers of Bikini Kill's "Rebel Girl" and the Muffs' "Big Mouth."

In May 2021, a video of them performing "Racist, Sexist Boy" at a library event went viral, earning praise from musicians like Tom Morello, Flea, and Kathleen Hanna. Shortly after, on May 22, Epitaph Records announced they had signed the band.

## Writing and recording

Most of _Growing Up_ was written during the COVID-19 pandemic, which made it difficult for the Linda Lindas to write together. They attended school remotely and wrote about their "feelings of loneliness and confusion." While "Oh!" was written by the whole band, many songs were written by just one or two members. Mila de la Garza wrote "Racist, Sexist Boy" after experiencing racism for the first time during the pandemic.

The album was recorded and mixed at Carlos de la Garza's backyard studio, Music Friends, from June to October 2021.

## Composition

_Growing Up_ features 10 regular songs, with a bonus cover of the Blue Hearts' "Linda Linda." Each band member contributed to the songwriting. The album's themes include growing up, finding oneself, and the anxieties of being a teenager. Critics have described the music as punk rock, pop-punk, and power pop, with some comparisons to riot grrrl.

## Art

The album cover features a photograph of paper dolls, designed by Eloise Wong to represent the band members as cats. The photo was taken by Zen Sekizawa, a friend of the band. Cutouts resembling the album cover were included in the vinyl pressings of the album.

## Release and promotion

_Growing Up_ was released on April 8, 2022, by Epitaph Records. The album spawned four singles: "Oh!", "Nino", "Growing Up", and "Talking to Myself." Each single was accompanied by a music video, with guest appearances from skateboarder Ray Barbee and Bikini Kill's Kathleen Hanna.

In support of the album, The Linda Lindas embarked on a tour from June to October 2022, performing with Japanese Breakfast, Bacchae, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

## Reception

_Growing Up_ received generally favorable reviews. On Metacritic, it holds a score of 80 out of 100, based on 10 critic reviews. The album was praised for its catchy and fun music, though some critics debated the quality of its production. It also appeared on several year-end lists in 2022.

### Year-end lists

|Publication|class="unsortable"|Accolade|Rank|
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
|_Alternative Press_|The 55 best albums of 2022|style="text-align:center;"|*|
|_Billboard_|The 50 best albums of 2022 so far|style="text-align:center;"|*|
|_Good Morning America_|50 best albums of 2022|style="text-align:center;"|38|
|_Kerrang!_|The 50 best albums of 2022|style="text-align:center;"|48|
|_Loudwire_|Best Rock + Metal Debut Albums of 2022|style="text-align:center;"|*|
|_NME_|The 25 best debut albums of 2022|style="text-align:center;"|*|
|No Ripcord|The 50 best albums of 2022|style="text-align:center;"|34|
|Punknews|Samantha B's Picks: Top 10 LP's of 2022|style="text-align:center;"|7|
|_Rolling Stone_|Best Music of 2022 (Lisa Tozzi)|style="text-align:center;"|7|
|_Tape Op_|The Rest of the Best List 2022|style="text-align:center;"|*|
|_Under the Radar_|Top 100 Albums of 2022|style="text-align:center;"|41|
|colspan="3" scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-size:10pt;"|(*) denotes an unranked list|||

## Tracks

1. "Oh!" (Lucia de la Garza, Mila de la Garza, Bela Salazar, Eloise Wong) – 2:35
1. "Growing Up" (L. Garza) – 3:06
1. "Talking to Myself" (M. Garza) – 2:22
1. "Fine" (Wong) – 2:02
1. "Nino" (Salazar) – 1:49
1. "Why" (Wong) – 2:19
1. "" (Salazar) – 3:13
1. "Remember" (L. Garza) – 3:39
1. "Magic" (L. Garza, M. Garza) – 2:36
1. "Racist, Sexist Boy" (M. Garza, Wong) – 1:49

**Bonus edition**

1. "Linda Linda" (Hiroto Kōmoto) – 2:34

## Personnel

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of _Growing Up_.

### The Linda Lindas

- Bela Salazar – guitar, vocals
- Eloise Wong – bass guitar, vocals
- Lucia de la Garza – guitar, vocals
- Mila de la Garza – drums, percussion, vocals

### Other musicians

- Lil' Dude – piano on "Nino"

### Technical

- Carlos de la Garza – producer, engineer, mixer
- Dave Cooley – mastering
- Sergio Chavez – engineer
- Matt Maroalakos – engineer
- Alec Wingfield – engineer

### Artwork

- Wendy Lau – design
- Eloise Wong – cover paper art
- Zen Sekizawa – cover photo, sleeve background photos
- Albert Licano – photography
- Alice Baxley – photography
- Humberto Leon – photography
- Batsheva – outfits
- Opening Ceremony – outfits
- Thy Mai – hair
- Valerie Vonprisk – cat eye makeup
- Littlerock Nia – additional hair, makeup
- Michael Meeks Silva – additional hair, makeup

## Charts

|Chart (2022)|Peak position|
| --- | --- |
|19||
|10||
|49||
|92||
|47||
|4||
|37||
|60||
|51||
|14||

## Release history

|Region|Date|Type|||
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|rowspan="2"|Multiple|April 8, 2022|Digital download||
|May 17, 2023|Digital download (bonus edition)||||
|United States|April 8, 2022|CD, LP|||
|Japan|rowspan="2"|June 3, 2022|rowspan="2"|CD|
|rowspan="2"|Europe||||
|June 24, 2022|LP||||

## Infobox (album)

- **name**: Growing Up
- **type**: studio
- **artist**: the Linda Lindas
- **recorded**: June 11 – October 25, 2021
- **studio**: Music Friends, Los Angeles
- **genre**: Punk rock
- **language**: English, Spanish, Japanese
- **label**: Epitaph Records, Epitaph
- **producer**: Carlos de la Garza (music producer), Carlos de la Garza
- **prev title**: The Linda Lindas
- **prev year**: 2020
- **next title**: No Obligation
- **next year**: 2024