Punk-pop-rockers Fall Out Boy have finally released their much anticipated seventh studio album this week and well… fans have had quite a reaction.
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With speculation that the album’s release was delayed almost four months due to the lack of fan love for their lead single “Young and Menace,” the band seems to have hope that their latest creation will remind fans what made them fans in the first place.
While music is always subjective, we at DODoubleJ wanted to do our best to break down the new album and give you a track by track review, along with this writer’s personal take on each song. So here it is!
YOUNG AND MENACE
Oops, I did it again, I forgot what I was writing this song about.
When “Young and Menace” was first released, it was every Fall Out Boy fan’s worst nightmare turned reality. Not only did FOB change their sound completely, but they became an EDM mix of emotionless lyrics and generic beats.
While “Young and Menace” is fantastic for radio play and the mainstream electronic scene, it lacks the same feel as older songs. The lyrics do question the band’s longevity (“we’ve gone way too fast for way too long, we were never supposed to make it half this far”) and this may hint at their reasoning for changing up their styles, but it was clear from fan’s reactions that this song was NOT what they wanted.
With a sample of Britney Spears’ “Oops I Did it Again,” and references to Nikki Sixx, the band not only dated themselves but simultaneously made themselves unrelatable to the younger fans this song would have appealed to. The song felt rushed, and as if it was more of a “we need content,” than “we like this.”
Writer’s opinion: The day this song was released I thought I was going to cry tears of anger. I missed the meaningful verses and power packed choruses. Not only is the band not that young, but they also have never done anything menacing. It felt like a stretch to appeal to a younger audience and I wasn’t buying it… until a week later when I played it every day on my way to work and sang my heart out. It’s still not my favorite, but it’s a great workout tune.
CHAMPION
While “Champion,” is not a bad song, it is also not original or creative. It is a standard pop song that has a “you can do it, you will win,” message.
Similar to Panic! At The Disco’s “Victorious,” this song exists solely to pump up the crowd and get fans ready for what is to come next. It is a filler song, with average guitar and bass lines, and nothing exciting on drums. Even lyrically it falls flat.
However. “Champion” could also be the band’s way of saying that they’ve over come their past demons and struggles. They’re still here, even though it’s been a long time, and they’re still fighting. Even after reading the bad reviews from “Young and Menace.” But regardless of the intent, this song falls flat of expectations.
Writer’s opinion: This song is good to listen to while working out, but very rarely will I listen to it anywhere but the gym. It’s nothing special.
STAY FROSTY ROYAL MILK TEA
For fans of Fall Out Boy’s old sound, this song is the most similar to their previous work. Everything from the seemingly random title, the beat, and the vocals call back to the earlier days of Fall Out Boy- specifically 2013’s “Save Rock and Roll.” This song will have you dancing in your seat the same way you did the first time you heard “The Phoenix.”
Instrumentally, “Stay Frosty” has heavy drums and a bass line. It is the most ‘rock’ song of their album. Lyrically, it also is a bit heavier than some of the other “MANIA” pieces. With lyrics like “I’m about to go Tonya Harding on the whole world’s knee,” the band is sort of reminding us that just because they have gone lyrically softer with more EDM dance tracks than emo kid anthems, they’re still ready to be hardcore and light ’em up.
Writer’s opinion: This is one of my favorite songs on this album. It reminds me of SRAR and while the lyrics are weird, I like them. It’s a good song to jam to. And the random long title? Classic.
HOLD ME TIGHT OR DON’T
Pop at it’s finest, “Hold Me Tight or Don’t” is one of the songs on this album you can expect to hear a lot on the mainstream airwaves this winter. (Or at your neighborhood Planet Fitness, where I hear it almost every day.)
Fall Out Boy are known for writing songs about relationships. This song is no different. It describes a relationship going sour (one of the themes of this album) and it talks about the fear of said relationship coming to an end.
“Oh n-n-n-o this isn’t how our story ends, so hold me tight / hold me tight, or don’t.”
Though this song is not anything remarkable, the lyrics and the beat are rather catchy. The whistle intro is just long enough to get stuck in your head, and though the following lyrics are seemingly non-nonsensical, it somehow works well enough to be a hit.
It may not sound like Fall Out Boy, but it has what it takes to be a winter 2018 classic.
Writer’s opinion: My first thought upon hearing this song was that it sounds like a 90’s No Doubt rejected track. I tried so hard to like it, and do find myself singing along, but I don’t understand it. It’s catchy, but it’s not really Fall Out Boy.
LAST OF THE REAL ONES
“Stay Frosty” and “Church” may be classically Fall Out Boy in their not-quite-rock sounds, but no song on this album will hit home for old Fall Out Boy fans like “Last of the Real Ones.”
With a piano intro that is reminiscent to Folie a Deux’s “27,” “Real Ones” starts off slow and steady but quickly transitions into a banger. The fast guitars and quickening drum beat get you pumped up and ready to dance as soon as the chorus kicks in– and it kicks hard.
“You’re the last of a dying breed / write our names in the wet concrete / I wonder if your therapist knows everything about me.”
While the intro and the verses aren’t particular special, something about this song screams OLD FALL OUT BOY IS BACK.
And, if you’re not fully convinced that this song is great, just think of how fun these lyrics are to sing along to. Almost as fun as “I’m just a notch here in your bedpost but you’re just a line in a song.” Just give it a try.
Writer’s opinion: Hands down, this is my favorite song on the album. This song not only gave me hope for a great album, but also it’s just a fantastic new song to jam out to. 10/10.
WILSON (EXPENSIVE MISTAKES)
The day this song was released Fall Out Boy fans everywhere felt a mix of emotions and confusion about their feelings on the song. Is it good? Is it bad? Does it sample MIA’s “Paper Planes?” Did they get drunk and forget how to write a song? What are these lyrics?
While the song is a conglomeration of what sound like old Fall Out Boy lyrics and a newer pop/EDM sound, it is actually not that surprising or out of range for the band. The intro to this song sounds extremely similar to American Beauty/ American Psycho song “Fourth of July,” and the beat itself sounds like classic (pop) FOB. And, while the lyrics are.. odd, they do hint back to FOB’s emo roots. With lines like “I’ll stop wearing black when they make a darker color,” and “I hate all my friends,” the band is clearly holding onto the idea that they are emo and they will get out of this town. Just while being more mainstream pop than they used to be.
Writer’s Opinion: In all honesty, this song grew on me over time. I hated it at first and now every day I catch myself in my all black hoodie and singing about my favorite dark color. It’s not their best work, but it doesn’t hurt your ears.
CHURCH
“If you were church, I’d get on my knees. Confess my love, I’d know where to be.” A powerful line with so much meaning. Or innuendo. That’s up for debate.
What’s not up for debate is the fact that this is one of the most classic sounding of the newer Fall Out Boy songs. Much like “Stay Frosty,” “Church” has a more rock sound than an EDM (or reggae) backing, and while the lyrics are simple, they have a more real-life emo twist.
In fact, the entire second verse not only expresses the anxiety and uncertainty that comes with getting older, but it also hits home for a lot of fans (and non-fans) who find themselves struggling.
“I love the world but I just don’t love how it makes me feel / Got a few more fake friends and it’s getting hard to know what’s real / and if death is the last appointment we’re all just sitting in the waiting room (Mr. Stump)”
This realistic take on life is some what of a callback to their earlier title track “Save Rock and Roll”‘s ‘only kid still kicking’ vibe. Deep cutting words set to an upbeat yet heavy track. It’s real, it’s honest, and it’s Fall Out Boy.
Writer’s opinion: This song is one of the ones that hits the hardest for me. The lyrics are relatable, the beat is good, and it is Fall Out Boy. It isn’t a newer sound and I don’t think another band could have done this track as well.
HEAVEN’S GATE
This album as a whole questions mortality quite a bit, and this song (along with “Church”) plays with the idea that in the end, love is all we have left.
Comparing getting into heaven with the idea of guest lists and backstage pass wristbands, this song ponders about what happens when we die and questions whether anything post-life will ever really feel as good as being loved now.
Musically, the song itself is a moderate ballad that shows off Patrick’s vocals and the band’s ability to play slower songs rather than anything else. It is a soul piece, and was clearly written to showcase Pat’s vocal ability. The lyrics aren’t particularly noteworthy and they don’t really fit in with the power behind the vocals. If anything, this song was meant to show more of FOB’s genre-changing range than anything else.
Writer’s opinion: I enjoyed this song, but I also skipped over it at least half of the times it came on. It’s not as remarkable as other tracks on the album, but it’s also not bad. Just average.
SUNSHINE RIPTIDE
In an odd turn of events, Fall Out Boy went reggae for this track. Featuring reggae singer Burna Boy, this song has a true sunshine/island feel. It’s almost as if you’re stuck in a sunshine riptide, dancing all alone.
On a more serious note, though, this song features groovy instrumentals and catchy lyrics that tell the story of a relationship gone sour. Even Burna Boy’s feature verse, though a seemingly odd choice for a rock band, blends in perfectly with the comparisons of islands and waves to love and loss. Very reminiscent to the odd, but always somehow fitting features on SRAR.
Plus, the song is not only relatable to all relationships, but also potentially gives fans an insight into the band’s feelings. Specifically with lines like “you say please don’t ever change but you don’t like me the way I am,” this song could also be a representation of how the band themselves feel as fans rip apart their newer sound. Though, as always, that is up to personal interpretation.
Writer’s opinion: This song confused me at first (especially at 1:40 as it features a car horn honking that gave me a heart attack as I drove to work the other day) but I don’t hate it. The chorus is super catchy and while the lyrics are set to a non-FOB feeling instrumental background, they are actually rather meaningful. A classic FOB staple.
BISHOPS KNIFE TRICK
This song not only show’s off Patrick’s range, but also drives home the idea that MANIA is a giant existential crisis written into power ballads and EDM jams. If “Church” and “Heaven’s Gates” didn’t have you questioning life post love, this song certainly will.
“This is my pity party, pity party / And I’m living out of time, eternal heat stroke”
While instrumentally this song is nothing special, as it features no revolutionary guitar solos or beats, the lyrics show the band’s growth and uncertainty of their future. They are definitely questioning how much time they have left, and it feels almost like a call back or a follow up to AB/AP’s “Jet Pack Blues,” which deals with similar themes of wandering a city while pondering your mortality.
It’s definitely “emo,” and a great note to end the album on.
Writer’s opinion: This song, though slow, is one of my favorite’s from the album. It feels more age-appropriate for the band, and it shows just how much they have grown not only musically but emotionally since their debut. I love it.
What are your thoughts on MANIA? Let us know in the comments below, or tweet us @Dodoublejj!
D. O Double J 