21st Century Breakdown is the eighth studio album by American punk rock band Green Day. It is the band's second rock opera, following American Idiot, and its first album to be produced by Butch Vig. Vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong described 21st Century Breakdown as a "snapshot of the era in which we live as we question and try to make sense of the selfish manipulation going on around us, whether it be the government, religion, media or frankly any form of authority."

The span of nearly five years between American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown was the longest gap between studio albums in Green Day's career. The band had been working on new material since January 2006. By October 2007, Armstrong had 45 songs written, but the band showed no further signs of progress until October 2008, when a video of the group recording with producer Butch Vig in the studio was posted on YouTube. The writing and recording process, spanning three years and four recording studios, was finally finished in April 2009.

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