 21st Century Breakdown continues the rock opera style of its predecessor , American Idiot . The album is set in Detroit , Michigan and is divided into three acts : " Heroes and Cons " , " Charlatans and Saints " , and " Horseshoes and Handgrenades " . Its loose narrative follows a young couple named Christian and Gloria through the challenges present in the U.S. following the presidency of George W. Bush . Bassist Mike Dirnt has compared the relationships between the songs to those in Bruce Springsteen 's Born to Run , saying that the themes are not as tightly interwoven as in a concept album , but that they are still connected . Many of the record 's themes and lyrics are drawn from Armstrong 's personal life and he sings in the first @-@ person narrative style about abandonment and vengeance in " Before the Lobotomy " , " Christian 's Inferno " , and " Peacemaker " . Rolling Stone noted that the album is " the most personal , emotionally convulsive record Armstrong has ever written " . 
