"in loving memory" is a pop-punk collaboration album between pop singer blackbear and blink-182 drummer Travis Barker. He revealed during an interview for SiriusXM Hits 1 on July 14, 2022 that the theme of the project is “ego death,” the metaphorical killing of his past self and the attitudes that he held, seen in the cover art (as represented by the 2017 mansionz era version of him). The album is dedicated to blackbear’s biological father whom he was separated from at a young age. In a 2018 interview with Clash Music, bear revealed that he, his mother Lisa, and his brother TJ moved away from the heroin-addicted father in Pennsylvania while he was still a toddler and moved to Florida where he began making music. He was raised by his stepdad Tom Musto, and both of bear’s parents have been involved greatly in his own life and the life of his children. blackbear’s biological father passed away from organ failure as a result of his drug abuse. Following this news, blackbear decided to title the album for him. The genre of the album is a callback to and revitalization of the earliest music blackbear is known to have worked on. During high school, he was the singer of a Florida pop-rock band known as Polaroid. Starting in his freshman year, he released two projects with Leakmob Records. They released the EP "Inside And Out" in 2006 and the full-length album "Paint The Town" in 2007. In 2008, he moved onto a solo career under his given name Mat Musto. The Travis Barker placement i