I have been a fan of Panic! at the Disco since “I Write Sins, Not Tragedies” came out when I was in elementary school. They have evolved over the years from emo to alternative pop. This time around, they’re playing their first arena show in Kansas City at the Sprint Center and I couldn’t be more proud of them.
This album is deep, but also great music to listen to if you want to have fun with your friends. Most of the songs on this album are made for dancing (there’s literally a song called “Dancing’s Not a Crime”). Below is a list of my top 5 favorite songs off of Pray for the Wicked.
5.“(F*ck A) Silver Lining”
It’s just cherries, cherries
Everything is cherries on top
No wings of wax or endless mountains
Tragedies with penniless fountains
“(F*ck A) Silver Lining” starts the album off strong with a pessimistic anthem. This song seems to foreshadow what this album is ultimately about: betrayal in Hollywood, the ups and downs of stardom, and Brendon Urie showing off his incredible whistle tone. “Silver Lining” is the perfect song to listen to when it has been a rough day and you need to listen to a song to let off some steam.
4.“High Hopes”
Had to have high, high hopes for a living
Shooting for the stars when I couldn’t make a killing
Didn’t have a dime but I always had a vision
Always had high, high hopes
“High Hopes” is a song that motivates me even when I’m feeling at my lowest. It is equivalent to a cup of cold-brew coffee, an instant pick me up, and prepares me for the day ahead. The lyrics “Didn’t have a dime but I always had a vision” accurately describes life as a college student. This song is sure to bring down the house at your favorite karaoke bar.
3.“Hey Look Ma, I Made It”
And if you never know who you can trust
Then trust me you’ll be lonely
The music video to “Hey Look Ma, I Made It” features Brendon Urie as a puppet, designed by the same artist who made the puppets in Avenue Q, that makes some questionable life choices. Brendon Urie being a puppet controlled by the music industry shows how controlling the entertainment industry is. It definitely exposes the ups and the downs of striving for success and the expectations that arise from being famous.
2.“King of the Clouds”
Some days I lie wide awake ’til the sun hits my face
And I fade, elevate from the Earth
Far away to a place where I’m free from the weight
This whole world, this whole world
Although I listed this song as number two on my list, it is probably the song I listen to the most from Pray for the Wicked. This song is on another level, with mentions of Carl Sagan, an American astronomer and cosmologist, and alludes to concepts of the multiverse theory. According to Clara Moskowitz, author and assistant managing editor at SPACE.com, the multiverse theory is the idea that “our universe may not be the only one out there.” She goes on to explain that “our universe could one of an infinite number of universes making up a ‘multiverse’”. The visuals are incredible as well and part of the reason why this is one of my favorite songs not only on this album, but of 2018.
1. “Dying in LA”
But nobody knows you now
When you’re dying in LA
And nobody owes you now
When you’re dying in LA
With the most meaningful lyrics on the album, Dying in LA has earned its place as number one on my list. This song reflects a sadder aspect of Hollywood; the idealistic dreamer growing up and seeing that fame and success won’t be an instant key to happiness.
As the teens say, I was shook when this album came out. The music on Pray for the Wicked seems to show a different side of the band that fans haven’t seen before. This album alludes to Brendon Urie’s struggles with drug use, navigating success in Hollywood, and ultimately questioning his purpose as an artist and as a human.