Green Day Preview "21st Century Breakdown" Single "Know Your Enemy"

Green Day have posted a 30-second sneak peek of "Know Your Enemy," the first single off 21st Century Breakdown, on their official Website. The LP, due out May 15th, is the band's follow-up to their Grammy-winning, soon-to-be-musical, American Idiot. As Rock Daily noted in our first listen to Breakdown, " 'Know Your Enemy' is a straight-ahead rock song with a chanty 'oh-way-oh-way' refrain. Opening powerfully like an AC/DC track, Tre Cool drums furiously as Armstrong sings 'Silence is the enemy so give me revolution.' "

Even if the preview amounts to Armstrong repeating "Know Your Enemy" ad infinitum, the song still has the makings of a classic Green Day single. However, if you want more than the 30-second glimpse the Green Day site is currently teasing, you might want to watch tonight's NCAA championship game between the University of North Carolina Tar Heels and the Michigan State Spartans, as the game's "opening tease" will feature a whole 90 seconds of "Know Your Enemy." The song's video will debut April 24th on Viacom's galaxy of stations like MTV, MTV 2, VH1, Palladia, the N and their respective Websites.

The cover art for the "Know Your Enemy" single is also up for viewing over at Green Day's official site. "American Idiot marked a really high bar for us," Armstrong recently told Rolling Stone. "It's easy to go, 'OK, we can just write a collection of songs.' But there was something about trying to keep going for it.'" For much more on 21st Century Breakdown and a ton of upcoming records, check out our Spring Music Preview:

• Spring Music Preview: Inside 45 of the Year's Biggest Albums

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• First Listen: Green Day Revive Dramatic Political Punk on 21st Century Breakdown
• Green Day's Build Up to the "Breakdown": A Look Back at the Punk Trio's Career
• Green Day Nail Down "21st Century Breakdown" Release Date: May 15th

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Song Stories

“Youth Knows No Pain”

Lykke Li | 2011

“Like on 'Youth Knows No Pain' — we are the ones that should demonstrate, because we can take it,” Likke Li said. “We can pierce ourselves, take Ecstasy, dance all night and still go to work at our McDonald's jobs.” Despite the hedonistic sentiment in the song, the Swedish singer also admitted in hindsight her youth had repercussions. “I remember when I was 18-19 and feeling that I know it all,” Li said. “I always feel that I know it all. But that song is about realizing you don’t, and reflecting, ‘Boy, if I only knew what would follow.’”

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