The Kanz Frontman Fabio Nania Selects His Top 10 Most Bangin’ Pop-Punk Anthems

Although they now reside in London, pop-punkers The Kanz’s make-up is comprised of charismatic vocalist/guitarist Fabio Nania from Northern Italy, bassist Joaquin Antonio Ramirez who hails from Brazil, and drummer Jan who originates from Switzerland. Despite their cultural diversity, one thing they share in common… Judging by their brilliant new single “Borderline,” and that common ground is the love of a banging pop-punk anthem. That being the case, we sat down with frontman Fabio and got him to pick his Top Ten Bangin’ Pop Punk Anthems. Before that though, check out their own banger in the form of that new single “Borderline.”

1. My Chemical Romance – “Welcome To The Black Parade”

“There is absolutely no doubt for me in putting this song at number one in my personal punk rock anthem chart. This track has just everything that a song should have, strong emotion, insanely catchy chorus, never-ending energy, hype, sadness, introspection, tears, laughs, outstanding musical arrangement, and so on. I can’t think of a song that is more ‘complete’ than this one. Every time I listen to this track I experience some kind of transcendental journey that just gives me goosebumps… It is another level of creativity and musical composition. The highest level of punk rock awesomeness ever reached so far!”

2. Blink 182 – “Feeling This”

“‘Feeling This’ is a truly unique, powerful, insanely good anthem. The way the song is written is so different from the standard punk rock songs I heard before and therefore it stuck in my head for so long (it’s still there actually!). This track perfectly describes (not necessarily because of the lyrics) the ultimate feeling and meaning of punk rock. Every time I listen to this track, especially towards the end, the world starts spinning around and it’s just me and the music, wherever I am. It’s a song that makes me feel at home, a song that truly represents my energy as a punk rock artist and that to me has been such a great inspiration.”

3. Green Day – “Holiday”

“Everyone who knows me, knows how much I LOVE Green Day and how much this band heavily influenced my music and, most of all, how much they inspired me in doing what I do! This song, in particular, was one of my favourite ones when I first listened to the album American Idiot. I played this song an insane amount of times and it was one of the songs that really got me started playing electric guitar, playing punk rock in a band, and writing my own songs.”

4. Good Charlotte – “I Just Wanna Live”

“I don’t know if this one can be described as a 100 percent punk rock anthem because it contains so much rapping, hip hop, and cleanish guitars! But for some reason, this song gives me goosebumps! The chorus is freaky amazing, super catchy, vibey, and the verse is just so groovy and well written. A true masterpiece of punk rock in my opinion, and because it is so different I think it deserves to be in the top five of the best punk rock anthems. Also, the music video of this song is absolute genius. I remember laughing like an idiot when watching it the first time.”

5. Sum 41 – “Still Waiting”

“I remember listening to this song when I was a kid and almost being scared by how much energy this track was capable of giving me! Ladies and gentlemen this is the fine line between punk rock and metal, and it is such a sweet one! ‘Still Waiting’ is just so catchy and powerful… I could never get enough of it. Despite loving so many songs by Sum 41, this one really takes me to another level of madness! It is just incredible. And the part with the guitar solo towards the end makes me jump higher than I ever thought I was capable of!”

6. Avril Lavigne – “What The Hell”

“How can I describe this song in just a few words? Well, let’s just say that This is my first choice of song when I start dancing on my own in my bedroom! Such a good tune! The rhythm of this track is so addictive and despite it is not one of the most famous songs by Avril, I love it so much and I think that’s exactly the kind of chorus that I would like to sing when I just want to have a lot of fun! Most of Avril’s songs are still on my personal playlist by the way and I am happy that she has been the leader of all the pop-punk Queens that followed in the years!”

7. YUNGBLUD feat. Machine Gun Kelly – “Acting Like That”

“Absolute banger! ‘Acting Like That’ is such a simple song but with an incredible potential. I loved the way MGK and Yungblud sing two very different verses that suit the song perfectly, the chorus is so catchy, and Travis Barker on the drums really makes the difference. If I had to pick the best punk rock anthem out of the lockdown, that would certainly be this song. MGK and Yungblud are really shaping the future of punk rock and I am so happy about it!”

8. Forever The Sickest Kids – “La La Lainey”

“To be honest, I only discovered this song very recently but for some reason, I couldn’t stop playing it! It has such a cool punk rock chorus and I love the fact that the band used a lot of synths and electronic sounds that made this punk rock anthem pretty unique to me! Also, I got to say, this song is just perfect when running. The BMP is just right and puts you in a good mood straight away. I highly recommend it for your next workout session!”

9. Fall Out Boy – “This Ain’t A Scene, It’s An Arms Race”

“Fall Out Boy joined the crew of the best pop-punk artists a long time ago and this song I think best represents the incredible contribution they gave to the alternative rock scene. The track has got a powerful strong chorus and insane energy. I especially love the bridge section in which you can hear the crowd screaming the chorus together with no other instruments playing in the background and that just gives me the chills.”

10. Yellowcard – “Only One”

“If I had to pick a song that best describes the feelings of love when I was a teenager. That would certainly be ‘Only One’ by Yellowcard. It’s a song that still has such a strong emotional impact on me and You can really feel that vibe of passionate love and energy that every true pop-punk kid goes through. I remember when I heard it the first time I almost cried!”

Artwork for “Borderline” by The Kanz