Jinx Album Review
By Lena Rieman
‘JINX’ by the band Waterparks is certainly a controversial album. It was released on July 24th, 2026, with five songs released as singles beforehand. Some say it’s the worst album Waterparks has ever made; others call it a magnum opus of sorts. I believe it’s something entirely different. The album feels as though they melded all the best parts of their older albums into one fun-filled ride of ups and downs. It includes the nostalgic sounds of ‘Double Dare’, the lyricism of ‘Greatest Hits’, the commentary of ‘Intellectual Property’, the emotion of ‘Fandom’, and the romantic yearning of ‘Entertainment’. The album is a mix of all the things that have made Waterparks the band it is today. In this review, I will focus on the highlights of the album, avoiding most of the singles, as my opinions on them are no longer new and fresh.
The album begins with “TELL ME WHY”, a song about questioning the meaning of life and why we exist. This song is packed full of features and is a storytelling rollercoaster ride. This song is definitely the most controversial on the album due to its “cringy” sound, but it tells an important message about persevering through life despite all of its unanswered questions.
The next four songs on the album were released as singles, with “RED GUITAR” being released July 18, 2025, “IF LYRICS WERE CONFIDENTIAL” being released September 19, 2025, “PROWLER” on April 17, 2026, and “BETTER THAN THERAPY” on June 26, 2026. With these four songs already having been released as early as over a year before the album release, and them being played in succession, it made listening to the album less of a new experience. Though, of course, new listeners of Waterparks won’t have this issue.
The overall best song on the album, which is agreed to by many of the fans, is track number 7, “GWEN STEFANI.” This song was a demo originally meant to go on the album ‘Greatest Hits’ in 2021. It wasn’t until lead singer Awsten Knight released snippets of the song that the fans begged him to release it. It’s no surprise that the fans wanted it so badly, since it then became the fan favorite. It does deserve this title, as it has become my favorite as well. The mix of an incredibly catchy chorus and the instrumental that you can’t get out of your head really makes it an unforgettable track that you have to put on repeat. It’s not often you hear minor chords in a song with such a strong beat and fast rhythm. It makes for such an interesting listening experience.
Then follows my personal second favorite, “NO NO NO NO NO”, the most nostalgic-sounding song off the album. The repeating guitar riff is definitely the best part of the song. Whether it’s the syncopation of the rhythm or the bend and release at the end of the riff, it stimulates your brain in such a good way. Not to mention the rest of the song, especially the chorus, is just as good. This song definitely displays the romantic yearning aspect of the album very well. To have two highlights of the album right next to each other is great; it saves me the trouble of having to queue it after “GWEN STEFANI” manually.
Track number 10, “MIRAGE,” is the song that makes you feel like you're ascending to the heavens. I recommend either listening to it in a dark room with headphones on, or on a nighttime car ride with the windows down. It just makes listening to it that much better. It begins with a slow and calm verse, then suddenly you’re hit with the drums in a thunderous chorus that rattles your bones in your body. Then it becomes calm again, with drums still in the background so the mood doesn’t go all the way back to zero– just down to a nice medium. Then there’s the beautiful instrumental and the painfully relatable lyrics of the bridge.
Made it through October
But it just starts over
Why does time heal everything but me?
You’re always told that time will heal the pains that you’re going through, but sometimes it doesn’t, or it takes a lot longer than you expect. This song is definitely the one to cry to, or to just feel to.
Then the vibe completely shifts in the next track, “TASTES LIKE TANGERINE.” Described in Awsten’s own words as “cyber,” this song sounds like something you’d hear in the background of a motorcycle chase scene in a futuristic movie. The distortion in his voice and instruments, mixed with the heavy guitar and drums, leads to a very interesting yet addicting sound. Then, of course, there’s another complete vibe change into the next track, “ANY MINUTE NOW,” also the last single on the album. It was released November 14th, 2025. It’s another song about going through life without knowing why, but this song definitely dives deeper into the emotional aspect of questioning one's own existence.
Then, another hard hitter, and the last song of the album, “GIRLS NEED GUNS,” is a commentary on today’s society and how it treats women. The majority of the song isn’t even Awsten; it’s his mother speaking about women’s rights to their own bodily autonomy and the misogyny that women have to deal with on a daily basis. When Awsten does sing, he says this:
Little by little, one by one
Mothers grow to fear their own damn sons
A sad fact of today. The song spreads an important message, and it forces you to think, like, really think.
In conclusion, ‘JINX’ by Waterparks is an exceptional album. It switches genres constantly, yet it feels like a cohesive record. It comments on many important topics, while still being enjoyable to listen to. Whether you listen to the lyrics on a deep level, analyze the musicality of each and every song, or just casually listen, ‘JINX’ is an album that anyone can appreciate. Not every song will hit the same for every person, but you might want to play the album on repeat until you get sick of it. Despite what people might say, I believe it is not their “worst album”; I don’t think all of their previous albums outshine it. As well, it is not a “magnum opus”; it doesn’t outshine the other albums either. It simply allows all of their past and present sounds, new and old, to shine together in one album. All in all, I give ‘JINX’ an 8.5/10.
Stream JINX
Tracklist
TELL ME WHY
RED GUITAR
IF LYRICS WERE CONFIDENTIAL
PROWLER
BETTER THAN THERAPY
NOBODY BUT YOU
GWEN STEFANI
NO NO NO NO NO
PLAYING MUSIC
MIRAGE
TASTE LIKE TANGERINE
ANY MINUTE NOW
GIRLS NEED GUNS