blink-182 return with Tom Delonge and a slew of surprises
Original lead singer Tom DeLonge returns to the band after almost 10 years, with massive announcements in tow.
Photo: Columbia Records
A very big day for fans of the infamous pop-punk band — the original lineup of Mark Hoppus, Travis Barker, and Tom DeLonge has been resurrected after almost ten years. Hinted at throughout recent months, the anticipated return of DeLonge was announced with a bold statement: “We’re coming. Tour’s coming. Album’s coming. Tom’s coming.”
Backtracking a few years, the last studio album the band released, Nine, had Hoppus as the frontman while on bass, Barker remaining on the drums, and Matt Skiba on guitar and vocals. Pre-pandemic, the future of blink-182 appeared to be solidified; however, it seemed that would be the furthest from the truth. A messy tour with rapper Lil Wayne, future tour dates postponed due to the pandemic, Hoppus’s cancer diagnosis (he has since been declared cancer free!), Barker having a health scare with pancreatitis, and DeLonge hoping to return to the band. Moving forward to today, the future of the band seems as optimistic as ever.
The band announced across social media that DeLonge was returning, with a new single. Entitled EDGING, the song serves as the lead single off of blink-182’s upcoming tenth studio album. According to Delonge, the album is “...the best album of our career.” An announcement for the album itself has yet to be made.
Image: Live Nation/Blink-182
On top of the return of the formative lineup and a new single, a 2023/2024 world tour was announced. It is the first tour with the original lineup since the 20th Anniversary Tour in support of their sixth album Neighborhoods and the Dogs Eating Dogs EP. Supporting acts include hardcore band Turnstile, punk-rock band Rise Against, pop-punk act The Story so Far, and alternative band Wallows. Stops include festivals Lollapalooza in Brazil, Argentina, and Chile, When We Were Young Festival 2023, and various arenas across the world. Yes, it’s actually a world tour.
Fans may also preorder limited edition vinyl of the upcoming tenth studio album on the band’s website. There has been no indication of the title or release date beyond spring/summer 2023; however, they’ll be sure to tell everyone when the time comes, perhaps in a similar, goofy fashion. At least we know it’s coming.
New single EDGING is out now.