Fall Out Boy Reunited

On November 20, 2009, the band that paved the way for mainstream pop-punk anthems announced they were taking an indefinite hiatus. Hearts all over the world (mine included) were shattered as Fall Out Boy packed up their instruments and headed on their solo paths. But on February 4th, the alternative music lover in all of us rejoiced as the quartet ended the painful hiatus and is back in the music world, stronger and wiser than ever!

For those of you who never explored the alternative pop realm of the music world, Fall Out Boy came onto the scene in 2003 with the release of their full-length album Take This To Your Grave. The Chicago-based band (made up of singer/guitarist Patrick Stump, lyricist/bassist Pete Wentz, drummer Andy Hurley, and lead guitarist Joe Trohman) quickly won over listeners with their emotionally-driven lyrics and angsty pop-punk beats reminiscent of blink-182. As singles “Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy” and “Dead on Arrival” flooded the music scene, the band  caught the attention of Island Def Jam Records and music great Jay-Z. They signed with the label in late 2003, and in 2005 the band gained mainstream success with their extreme popular single “Sugar, We’re Goin Down”. Their sophomore album From Under The Cork Tree earned the emo band a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist (Kayne West took home the coveted trophy that year).  

Fall Out Boy’s third and fourth albums, Infinity on High (2007) and Folie á Deux (2009), failed to reach the double-platinum success of their sophomore effort. The band was labeled a “sell-out” for evolving to a more pop-based sound, straying far from the teen angst emo roots of their first album.  That being said, Infinity on High did not fail to disappoint—the first single “This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arm’s Race” led the album to a number one debut. The video for their second single “Thnks Fr Th Mmrs”, which was also incredibly successful, featured famous-for-nothing socialite and Kayne West’s baby mamma Kim Kardashian. Folie á Deux brought for a sound that was completely unexpected—when played in sequence with music from the band’s early days it’s hardly recognizable that it’s the same group. Despite a major turn out of famous voices in various collaborations (Elvis Costello, Debbie Harry, Lil Wayne, and many others lent their vocal talents to the album), Folie á Deux only went certified gold, a large departure for Fall Out Boy’s previous success.

And now, after over two years of “decompressing”, as frontman Pete Wentz put it, the band is back in action! With three essentially failed solo projects behind them, one divorce in the past (like we all didn’t know the end was inevitable when Ashlee Simpson hyphenated her last name for her “career”. Um, what career? Lip syncing and terrible acting on 7th Heaven?) and plenty of writing fodder later, Fall Out Boy is getting back to its emo-punk hardcore roots. Following the announcement that their hiatus was over, the band released the first single “My Songs Know What You Did in The Dark (Light Em Up)”. It’s incredibly catchy, and features a mix of their pop-punk early years with obvious signs of musical evolution. Their latest album Save Rock and Roll is set to drop on May 6th, commemorating the ten-year anniversary of Take This to Your Grave.  

As if you couldn’t tell, I haven’t been this excited for something since One Direction announced that their film 1D3D would be released later this year. Yes, that’s right, this collegiette™’s first boy band love was the emo rhythms and tattoos of Fall Out Boy. And if their latest single can’t make you see why they’ve had a special place in my heart for over 8 years you will never understand what it means to be a true fangirl.