 21st Century Breakdown was released internationally on May 15 , 2009 , through Reprise Records . The special edition vinyl version was limited to 3 @,@ 000 copies and consisted of three 10 " records , one for each of the album 's " acts " , a CD copy of the album , a 60 @-@ page art booklet , and a code for the digital download of the full album . The album artwork process was led by Chris Bilheimer and is based on a work from artist Sixten , who confirmed that the couple on the cover were " just friends of a friend at a party in <unk> , Sweden " and explained that a mutual friend snapped a picture of the pair kissing . He added : " I love their passion , and just had to make a stencil out of it to spread the love . " The cover art was noted for a marked similarity with that of Blur 's 2003 album Think Tank , itself a stencil by artist Banksy . Green Day showcased a collection of similarly themed art , called " The Art of Rock " , at an art exhibition in London between October 23 and November 1 , 2009 . 
