"Dilemma" is a song by American rock band Green Day from their fourteenth studio album, Saviors (2024). The fifth song on the album, "Dilemma" is a punk rock song which has been stylistically compared to power pop and '50s rock. The song is lyrically inspired by frontman Billie Joe Armstrong's struggles with alcohol addiction and mental health.
"Dilemma" was first released on December 7, 2023 as the third single from Saviors. The accompanying music video for the song, directed by Ryan Baxley, begins with an intoxicated Armstrong having what seems to be a fun night out, before revealing the actual, "uglier" events from the night. "Dilemma" received acclaim from music critics, with multiple declaring it as a standout track on Saviors. The song is included in the setlist of The Saviors Tour, the ongoing concert tour in support of Saviors. "Dilemma" topped the US Rock & Alternative Airplay and the Canada Rock charts, and was nominated for Best Rock Song at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards.
Background and release
"Dilemma" was inspired by frontman Billie Joe Armstrong's struggles with alcoholism. Following an onstage meltdown during the 2012 iHeartRadio Music Festival, Armstrong first entered rehab for his alcohol addiction; however, after five years of sobriety, he noted how he gradually began to drink excessively again, and struggled to receive help due to loneliness and him feeling unable to receive help through organizations like Alcoholics Anonymous due to being a celebrity. Armstrong noted on The Howard Stern Show how he wrote the song while drinking, and has called it one of the most honest songs he had ever written.[1][2]
Alongside other songs from Saviors, "Dilemma" was recorded at RAK Studios in London after the band learned the Liam Gallagher recorded his studio album C'mon You Know there.[3][4] The band teased the single release on December 4, 2024 through a "festive" social media post featuring a photo booth image strip and the text "A Very Green Day Holiday!".[5] On December 7, "Dilemma" was made available for digital download and streaming as the third single off Saviors, and an accompanying music video was simultaneously released to the band's YouTube channel.[6][7]
A 19-second sample of "Dilemma". The song's introduction consists of Armstrong singing over a "nostalgic-sounding" chord progression played on an electric guitar, before a drum hits and the song takes on a heavier sound.
"Dilemma" is a "punk bossa nova"[1] song which stylistically draws from power pop,[8]doo-wop,[9] and '50s rock.[10][11] The song begins with a slow, "nostalgic-sounding" introduction containing only an electric guitar for instrumentation. Afterwards, the introduction finishes with an open cadence, before a drum hits and the song transitions into a heavier sound more reminiscent of "classic Green Day".[12][13] Dana Poland of Slant commented on the song's "bright, Beach Boys-esque guitar tones", which complemented its "bursts of pop-punk energy".[14] Marko Djurdjić of Exclaim! stylistically compared "Dilemma" to songs by the Menzingers,[15] while Kory Grow of Rolling Stone noted that the song was likely inspired by Ramones.[10]
Lyrically, "Dilemma" focuses on Armstrong's struggles with alcoholism and mental health.[16] Armstrong explained that the lyric "I was sober, now I'm drunk again" from the chorus could be seen as both a celebratory statement for having gotten drunk, or as a representation of "someone that's fallen".[17] Armstrong also acknowledged how the first line of the song, "Welcome to my problems, it's not an invitation", was designed to be self-pitying akin to a Facebook post, however commented that people should interpret the lyric how they want.[18]
Reception
Critical response
"Dilemma" received acclaim from music critics, with Far Out's Kelly Scanlon calling it a "punk anthem destined to infiltrate your mind for weeks, if not months".[19] Tom Breihan of Stereogum praised the composition of "Dilemma" for being "fun" and "catchy",[20] while Kory Grow of Rolling Stone called the song a "plaintive, swinging rocker".[10] The song's lyrics have also received positive reviews, with The Independent's Helen Brown calling "Dilemma" an "enjoyably self-pitying whinge"[21] and BrooklynVegan's Andrew Sacher calling the lyrics some of the "most impacting" on Saviors.[22] Multiple critics regarded "Dilemma" as a standout on Saviors,[a] with Madison Walters of New Noise Magazine going as far as to declare it "one of the best songs Green Day has ever released".[24]
On April 6, 2024, "Dilemma" topped Billboard's Rock & Alternative Airplay chart, making it the eighth song by the band to do so.[28] "Dilemma" also individually topped Billboard's Mainstream Rock Airplay chart and Alternative Airplay chart on April 27 and May 4 respectively, becoming the ninth and thirteenth song by the band to do so.[29][30] Outside the United States, "Dilemma" also topped the Canada Rock chart,[31] and charted in New Zealand,[32] Germany,[33] and the Czech Republic.[34]
Music video
The music video for "Dilemma", directed by Ryan Baxley, was released on December 7, 2023 to coincide with the single release.[6] The video begins in black-and-white, with Armstrong waking up on a floor and remembering a night out at a bar and a Christmas party. However, towards the end of the video, it changes to full color and reveals that, in reality, the events of that night were much "uglier".[20][35] According to Baxley, the video represents the "personal, honest side" of the band, and is the third video in a cycle where color was gradually introduced — the video for "The American Dream Is Killing Me" was entirely in black-and-white, while that of "Look Ma, No Brains!" was black-and-white with pink accents.[36] The music video for "Dilemma" was nominated for Best Rock Video at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards, losing to the music video for "Human" by Lenny Kravitz.[37]
Live performances
Green Day played the live debut of "Dilemma" during their performance as part of the 2024 edition of Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve.[38] The band then performed an acoustic version of "Dilemma" on January 16, 2024 in a New York City subway station with Jimmy Fallon, as part of a segment for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon; while the performance did not air, it was uploaded to the show's YouTube channel on January 18.[39][40] The song was included in the setlist of their January 18, 2024 show at Irving Plaza, as part of the Small Stages Series by Sirius XM.[41] On April 3, 2024, the band played the song at the Fillmore during a charity concert for the United Nations Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance.[42]
"Dilemma" is included in the setlist of the Saviors Tour, the ongoing concert tour in support of Saviors which began on May 30, 2024.[43] On July 26, 2024, the band played "Dilemma" during their appearance on Good Morning America's televised "Summer Concert Series".[44] The band also played the song during their appearance on the American Music Awards 50th Anniversary Special on October 6, 2024.[45]
^ ab"ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 16. týden 2024 in the date selector. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
