After a few short years of coping with the pain of their 2009 “hiatus,” eager fans can finally take a deep breath and embrace the overwhelming excitement from the news of Fall Out Boy’s recently announced reunion. Since their humble beginnings in 2001, Fall Out Boy has left their mark on the music scene from small clubs to big arenas, blending their signature style with harmonizing lines that complement beautifully with a nostalgic pop punk sound. During their prime, the band released a plethora of singles like “Sugar We’re Going Down,” “Grand Theft Autumn,” and “Thnks Fr th Mmrs,” which have won over the hearts of many fans outside of the underground music scene.
Within the last few weeks, the Internet began to burst with the news that a Fall Out Boy reunion has been confirmed by trusted sources that are close with the band. As many fans began to jump for joy, others began to speculate whether or not the news was too good to be true from the beginning. For example, sites like Property of Zack in particular have been following up with the story since day one.
To disclose any lack of credibility from provided sources of the story, POZ’s founder Zach Zarrillo released a statement on his Tumblr page immediately after the announcement stating:
“In early-December, shortly after the band began discussing making a comeback, I was told by a longstanding source that things were moving again in the band’s camp. I knew he was not lying to me.”
News of an upcoming album along dates for a U.S. tour in the spring were also announced as well, and confirmed by POZ, along with other websites like People.com and Alternative Press. Before their spring tour begins, Fall Out Boy announced selected tour dates including dates in Chicago, New York City and Los Angeles, which sold out in a matter of minutes according to POZ.
Fall Out Boy’s reunion was not only one of the biggest announcements to shock the Internet, but also became the buzz around campus. Once hearing about the news from POZ, junior Zach Cabanas was overwhelmed with joy.
“I was immediately hit with a surge of nostalgia and excitement,” Cabanas said. “It bought back a lot of great memories of being in high school and screaming along to ‘Take This To Your Grave’ with my best friends in my basement.”
On Sunday, fans were surprised with the release of a new Fall Out Boy single for the first time in years, entitled “My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light Em Up).” The song is an older demo song that was recreated featuring a collaboration with the artist 2 Chainz. Within a short period of time, not only did this song receive over a million hits on YouTube, it reached all the way up to second on the Top Singles list on iTunes.
“I was surprised about how much I enjoyed their new single,” Cabanas added. “It’s basically what I’d expect from Fall Out Boy at this point in their careers.”
Though refreshing to hear a new Fall Out Boy song resurface to the general public, some students voiced mixed feelings towards this single, as it shines away from their traditional pop punk sound.
“It’s a decent song, but it’s nothing like their old music,” freshman Tom Chupela commented. “I still think Patrick’s voice in this song is impeccable.”
Even students who aren’t really too thrilled about the new Fall Out Boy single are still in support of the maturity and progression the band has experienced since their early days.
“Let’s face it, FOB will never go back to making the ‘Sugar We’re Going Down’s’ or ‘Grand Theft Autumn’s.’ That’s just not them anymore,” said senior Dennis DePrimo. “They have all had a lot more life experience and have even broadened what they do musically.”
Whether you love the band or not, there is no doubt that news of Fall Out Boy’s triumphant return to the music scene shocked the world in so many ways. 2013 definitely looks like a promising year with many more surprises to come, and as of now, the future is looking bright for these Illinois pop punk heroes.
—
rmcgrath@ramapo.edu
