Travis Barker has a long-standing reputation for collaborating with Rap artists, but his band Blink-182 is mixing things up, as well. The Pop-Punk icons are preparing for the release of their ninth studio album, a follow-up to 2019’s NINE. The group has been in the game since 1995 and has accumulated all of the successes that artists vie for, especially rock stars, but they aren’t quite finished sharing their talents.
During his visit to Spotify’s podcast Rock This with Trippie Redd, Barker spilled the beans on a few appearances on Blink’s next project, also revealing that the album is “60 percent” completed. “There’s like a song with Grimes right now that’s really, really cool that I love,” said the drummer. “There’s a song with Uzi that’s really, really cool that we did with Pharrell.”
He made sure to clarify that this isn’t Blink’s attempt to switch genres. “I mean, it’s not like Blink’s making a Rap song or anything. It’s like bringing Uzi over to our world. So it’s more of a Punk kind of like reggae feeling song,” said Barker. “I don’t think Blink will ever be anything but a Pop-Punk band… I mean, that’s who we are and I feel like our fans have kind of journeyed with us when we’ve done songs like ‘Miss You’ or ballads like ‘Adam’s Song.'”
“But, like, we’re never going to veer too far off from what we are. Like, I’m like a punk kid at heart, you know what I mean?” Last July, Barker also shared that Blink has an “amazing” unreleased collaboration with the late Juice WRLD, so that may be on the record, as well. Listen to their Rock This episode below.