Waterparks "JINX" Album Review
Magda Kanecka | August 2026
“JINX” is the alternative pop-punk band Waterparks’ highly anticipated sixth studio album, following the 2023 record “INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY”.
The band began the album cycle in July 2025 by posting saturated yellow images one by one on their Instagram account, as well as management and record label changes for the Texas-based three-piece – having signed with BMG and Range Media last year.
The album was released in full on July 24, after singles “RED GUITAR”, “IF LYRICS WERE CONFIDENTIAL”, “ANY MINUTE NOW” and “BETTER THAN THERAPY” were teased and later released over the course of a full year.
As a long-term fan of the band, having followed them since their debut album, “Double Dare” (2016), and having seen a fair share of their musical experimentation, it is safe to say I was just as excited for this album to come out. Being able to dive into another release of theirs is nothing but a pleasure.
Track 1: “TELL ME WHY” (ft. Danny Elfman, Dillon Francis, Eric Nally & Mark Hoppus)
The track opens with a question: “If the only point of life is not to die / Can you tell me why?” – a direct anecdote about the debate of living versus surviving, which carries throughout the track’s lyrics.
The vocal features on the opening song to “JINX” fit as if to echo a conversation that lead singer Awsten Knight presents in the beginning. The track as a whole feels like a discussion around death, fulfillment and religion, with each featured vocalist playing a different part in the conversation. It’s nihilistic at points, at others merely curious.
With features from Danny Elfman (film composer, singer-songwriter), Dillon Francis (music producer & DJ), Eric Nally (of Foxy Shazam, who previously opened for Waterparks) and Mark Hoppus (of blink-182), the opening track sets the tone for the rest of the tracklist as curious, accountable and direct. In its sound, the song has something for everyone: with a catchy chorus, a guitar riff in the bridge, and even electronic elements in its production.
Track 2: “RED GUITAR”
The first single from “JINX”’s tracklist discusses childhood delusions and the trials of breaking into the music industry. As a band that has been active since 2011, Waterparks has all the credentials for this.
“RED GUITAR” was released on July 18, 2025, but has lingered as a setlist staple since its release. It opens with a statement central to the track’s message: “I just bought a brand new red guitar / With six gold strings and a whammy bar / If I play it real good, it’ll take me far”.
I never thought I’d hear the name Awsten rhyme with the word ‘exhausted’, but here we are: “What’s up? I’m Awsten, and I’m fucking exhausted” – it’s whitty, and ironically funny in the context of the song’s lyrics. In its sound, the song is heavier than its precursor, but it gets stuck in your head equally as quickly: you’d think I, too, had just bought a new guitar to fulfil my childhood dreams, only to find I had dreamt far too big.
Track 3: “IF LYRICS WERE CONFIDENTIAL”
First played at Leeds Festival in late August last year, and later announced as the second single from Waterparks’ sixth album, is “IF LYRICS WERE CONFIDENTIAL”.
As the title suggests, this song is confrontation personified. Awsten talks directly at people who claim to be his fans, yet end up hurting him and those close to him while using fandom as an excuse. Motives include stalking, lies spread on the internet, and legal battles over restraining orders. Awsten takes them and, in a mocking but direct way, puts an end to them – and all of it is disguised as a fun track that gets the crowd going; and believe me, I’ve seen it happen.
Track 4: “PROWLER”
A noticeably louder track, “PROWLER” was the fourth single from “JINX”, released on 17 April 2026. It starts off with screaming vocals and a mocking electronic voice stating: “Wait, Waterparks / If this is heavy metal I’m gonna be so fucking pissed” – similar to how the band has previously utilised it on tracks like “TANTRUM” (2018).
While the single opens on a loud note, the guitar combinations in the post-chorus are the highlights to me: they pair well with the rest of the instrumental, and are honestly catchy on their own, which is always an added bonus.
In its lyrical contents, Awsten sings: “I’m a singer, not a saviour / Better learn that now or later” – addressing a common line that band members hear: people constantly telling them that they (the band) had saved their life with their music. On “PROWLER”, Knight feels a heavy responsibility that comes as part of being in the public eye; facing scrutiny and pressure even from his own fans.
Track 5: “BETTER THAN THERAPY”
The final pre-release single from this record, released 26 June 2026, is “BETTER THAN THERAPY”. The first thing that stood out to me is Geoff Wigington’s guitar riffs – upon listening to the album from start to finish, they are still the most memorable and catchy here.
Relying on someone for your own happiness is nothing new for a significant chunk of the population, and this song embodies that feeling exceptionally well. At the same time, Awsten sings of love and dependency as a replacement for getting help for one’s internal struggles: “I like that you take care of me / Love me so much it’s scaring me / Yeah, you might be the death of me / But you’re better than therapy.”
In its sound, the chorus particularly reminds me of the band’s earlier track “Watch What Happens Next” (2019) – it is so quintessentially pop-punk in its sound, while getting its message across.
Track 6: “NOBODY BUT YOU”
As the mid-point in the tracklist, this song takes the pace down a notch, sounding much more relaxed in its instrumental and vocals alike.
I would go as far as to say this is the most different-sounding and laid-back track amongst the songs on “JINX”, but that doesn’t take away from its sincerity expressed in the lyrics: not wanting anything else but to be close with someone you have your eyes on.
Track 7: “GWEN STEFANI”
Directly referencing the Californian “Just A Girl” and “The Sweet Escape” singer-songwriter and fashion designer, track seven discusses feeling restless, the inability to focus while your brain is racing, and hyperfixating on your own success while subsequently procrastinating the way to it: “I don’t need rest / I need caffeine / ‘Cause I gotta get some sleep / I even found the perfect place / Between a rock and a harder place” & “Now they’re picking up speed / I think I’ll be just fine”
As we know it, this song has been in the works since the recording of band’s fourth album, “Greatest Hits” (2021), but perhaps controversially, I believe it fits the tracklist of this album even better: right in between songs that are equally self-accountable and critical in nature.
“GWEN STEFANI” is definitely my favourite song from this record, primarily for its (yet again) catchy chorus and fun lyrics that find their way into relatable territory for me and many others alike. Caffeine rocks, but not when your neurodivergent brain doesn’t give you its primary benefit of feeling awake, and makes you sleepy instead when you have things to do.
Track 8: “NO NO NO NO NO”
To anyone not familiar with Waterparks’ sound and lyricism, this would sound like a sweet love song that maintains the band’s core sound, but looking beneath the surface, you’ll find the lyrics to be both lovey-dovey, and equally obsessive: “If everything’s what it takes / Well, then, that’s just what I’ll pay”.
As one of my favourite tracks on this album upon my first listen, I adore the way all parts go so well together: from guitars, to drums and vocals, and I think the bridge is particularly strong here – I imagine it would be even more fun when replicated live.
Track 9: “PLAYING MUSIC”
Switching up the sound and opening with acoustic notes, the album slowly draws to a close with Waterparks expressing their love for music, through music. Track nine’s working title appeared to be “WHAT WOULD I DO?” when it was teased during acoustic sets circa 2026. However, knowing the context of Awsten Knight stating that this is a love letter to the art of writing songs, the current title fits in equally as well.
I love the way the chorus briefly picks up the pace of the song as the lyrics turn more vulnerable, as if resembling chaos; and then tones down again to reiterate the questions, “What would I do? / If I ever lost you?”
Knowing the song’s lyrics to be about, well… “PLAYING MUSIC”, makes those questions linger even deeper.
Track 10: “MIRAGE”
An instant fan favourite, “MIRAGE” has received praise particularly for its relatable lyrics: with lines like “Why does time heal everyone but me?” and “I’m haunted by it always / Like shadows in the hallways” hitting close to home for many, undoubtedly amplifying mental health struggles.
In its sound, “MIRAGE” sounds almost melancholic, with subtle electronic elements in each post-chorus, yet this song is somehow unlike anything that Waterparks have shown us before. It explodes in the chorus, which isn’t new to this album or the band’s sound, but the added self-awareness and gloomy feel is what makes this one of the strongest tracks on “JINX” in my opinion.
Track 11: “TASTES LIKE TANGERINE”
This song feels like a fever dream, to be precise. Once I had listened to the album in order of the tracklist, I immediately re-visited this one to grasp more precise thoughts about it. The lyrics describe a manic, almost high-like feeling, and the sound reflects this perfectly. It’s intentionally messy, with alterations in Awsten’s vocal range.
At just over three minutes in duration, you’re in for a treat with this track. For lovers of Waterparks’ heavier tracks, this one’s for you.
Track 12: “ANY MINUTE NOW”
Released on November 14 2025, as the third single from “JINX”, “ANY MINUTE NOW” likens life to a ticking time bomb; being under pressure to make life-altering choices for yourself, all the while you’re not entirely sure what you want out of life.
It paints a ‘picture this’ scenario with lyrics such as “Think about how dumb the average person is / They’re still smarter than half the other people that exist”: later showcasing struggles of feeling behind in life and comparing yourself to other people your age. Wanting to be smarter, more than, or just as successful as others, but not knowing what it is that you exactly want.
With glockenspiel-like notes in the bridge, and a final chorus that – in true Waterparks style – draws in as a final conclusion, I’m still a huge fan of this track nearly a year since its release.
Track 13: “GIRLS NEED GUNS”
When the tracklist of this record was revealed to us, I was immediately intrigued by this title, even more so given this is also the closing track.
There is no way to describe this song other than politically confrontational, and for the right reasons: it features snippets of Awsten Knight’s call with his mum discussing abortion, safety, control over women’s bodies and autonomy. The chorus is repeated as the only melodic part of the track: the rest is spoken, like a voice note or an interview.
Notions in the song include possible matricide (“Mothers grow to fear their own damn sons”), and the title suggests women protect themselves as their rights are slowly being endangered around the world.
In a world where women’s rights seem to be regressing, this track is Waterparks using their platform to speak out – just as they’ve done before on their standalone track “ICE”, discussing immigration in an equally direct and confrontational way. As the album closes, “GIRLS NEED GUNS” tones it down musically, but leaves arguably the strongest message across the whole album.
Frontman and vocalist Awsten Knight shared in an Instagram post on the evening before the record’s release: “Let your first listen be intentional.
"Set cool lighting or just turn them off altogether, put your phone on DND (do not disturb); you never get that first listen back.”
In following his advice, I can confirm this album lives up to the three-year music drought we faced from the band. In its production, it maintains a classic Waterparks sound, while leaving room for guest features (such as in track one, “TELL ME WHY”) and experimentation (such as on “NOBODY BUT YOU”).
At the core of this album, however, is vulnerability and mental health struggles in daily situations: notions core to almost all of Waterparks’ work. Think of sacrifices made in the name of getting better, whether for yourself or someone else.
I think out of the band’s work, this one describes these feelings especially well.
Follow Waterparks here!
Listen to “JINX” here!
