State Champs

Despite their name, State Champs made four albums without a trophy on the cover. In 2024, that triumphant symbol finally appears, on album five, confidently named simply State Champs. 

Billboard calls State Champs “modern-day pop-punk torchbearers,” a reputation cemented by anthems like “Secrets,” “Everybody but You,” “Dead and Gone,” “If I’m Lucky,” and “Elevated.” They’ve delivered their music and heartfelt message of passion and resilience on tour with Fall Out Boy, 5 Seconds Of Summer, blackbear, Simple Plan, A Day To Remember, and Boys Like Girls. 

Classics from The Clash, Ramones, Foo Fighters, blink-182, and Paramore demonstrate the super significance of a self-titled album. Like Metallica, whose self-titled set is the biggest-selling album of the Soundscan era, State Champs waited till record number five to make the eponymous move.  

Songs like “Silver Cloud,” “Clueless,” “Sobering,” “Tight Grip,” “I Still Want To,” and “Golden Years” explode with high-energy, passionate, and smartly constructed precision. While big, bold, and slick, the production nevertheless sounds like a band in a room together or decimating the stage.