By Acadia Otlowski and Jacqueline Stoughton
Fall Out Boy fans rejoiced last week after the band officially released a statement saying it is back together, bringing with it a new album and a score of tour dates, after going on an indefinite hiatus three years ago.
“This isn’t a reunion because we never broke up. We needed to plug back in and make some music that matters to us,” said the band in an official statement on their website.
Rumors of the bands regrouping surfaced weeks before the official statement. Band members denied any sort of reunion until last week.
“I’d say … don’t hold your breath that it’s happening,” said Pete Wentz, lyricist and bassist of the band, to The Chicago Tribune just 48 hours before the band announced the end of its hiatus.
But on February fourth, the band came together, announcing tour dates and streaming a single that represents their reunion.
“You can take a breath now,” Wentz tweeted, likely in response to his previous comments.
Lead guitarist Joe Trohman also consistently denied reports of the band getting back together.
“The rumors are still untrue, unreal, and totally out of this world,” tweeted Trohman back in January. “Seriously, it’s not going down.”
Fall Out Boy’s first new single since ending their hiatus, “My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark”, was posted on iTunes the same day that they announced its reunion The band is scheduled to release its first full-length album since 2008’s Folie a Deux titled Save Rock and Roll. The new album is set for release on May 6, 2013. This is also the tenth anniversary of their first full-length album, Take This To Your Grave.
During the band’s three-year hiatus, each of the members tried to work on separate projects. Patrick Stump, lead vocalist, released his debut solo album Soul Punk in Oct 2011. Trohman and Fall Out Boy drummer Andy Hurley branched out to create their own heavy metal group called The Damned Things and released an album with the group titled Ironiclast in 2010. Wentz also went off to create his own reggae-pop group turned electronic dance group called Black Cards. The group released an EP on iTunes titled “Use Your Disillusion” in July 2010.
“Of course it feels nice”, said Wentz to the Chicago Tribune regarding his reaction to the news of his band reuniting. “Honestly, I didn’t expect it. It blows my mind when people actually care and give a crap, which is good because it manages my own expectations.”
Students at CCSU reacted to the new song as well as the news that Fall Out Boy had returned to the music scene.
“I’ve been a fan of Fall Out Boy since I was 13 and I was so excited to hear that they reunited,” said Alyssa Merrick, 19, about the band.
“People complain that they were gone, but when they come back to do what they love, people bitch and moan. It’s okay to not like something, but to just write them off and call them ‘sell outs’ is not correct,” said Stephanie Lehr, sophomore.
Lehr is reacting to complaints by other fans who have criticized the new song. Fans have called the band sell-outs and criticized the mainstream qualities of the song. This includes “2 Chainz,” a rapper being featured in the song.
Lehr responds to these criticisms.
“This is a remake of an old song. I don’t find it bad. It may be a bit more electronically inclined, but then again, it still sounds like Fall Out Boy,” said Lehr in defense of the new song and its sound.
Fans highly anticipate the release of the album this May.
“I really like their new song. It’s different from their older work but it still sounds like a Fall Out Boy song, just more mature and updated. I’m very excited about the new album!” said Merrick.
“Believers never die,” quoted Lehr, referencing not only a song, but an album by Fall Out Boy, which featured their greatest hits.
Fall Out Boy’s reunion tour tickets went on sale Friday Feb. 8 at 10 a.m, all of their US tour dates selling out within the hour. The band kicked off their tour with a show in their hometown of Chicago the same day the news broke that the band reuinited. Fall Out Boy is currently continuing their Save Rock And Roll tour with dates in various cities in the US and worldwide.
