Olivia Rodrigo [1] might have said it best when she conjured up one the most angsty lyrics of 2021: "I'm so sick of 17. Where's my f*cking teenage dream?" Even 20 years after the height of the punk-rock era, her song "Brutal" embraces the prevailing "I hate this town — you wouldn't understand" sentiment that rings through some of the best pop-punk songs of all time, reminding us that skater culture, DIY [2] nose piercings, and crunchy guitar riffs didn't fade away in 2003.

The days of pop-punk past never truly dissolved, with bands like Blink-182, Green Day, The Offspring, Sum 41, and Newfound Glory still going strong, but 2021 has ushered in a whole new crew of pop-punk icons. From established rockers like Willow Smith and Halsey to rising artists like Meet Me at the Altar [3] and Action/Adventure, there's no shortage of new punk songs to blast at full volume when you're in the mood to sulk or just need an excuse to rock out.

So pump up the volume and check out some of our favourite pop-punk and punk-rock songs from 2021 ahead.