Everyone who spent their days of teen angst praising Fall Out Boy has been awaiting the day the band would reunite ever since they first announced their indefinite hiatus in late 2009. Finally this past February, the anticipation came to an end when the band publicized their new album Save Rock and Roll, along with upcoming tour dates, and a statement on their official website that said, “The future of fall out boy starts now. Save rock and roll…” This was followed by the release of their first single from the album titled “My Songs Know What You Did In the Dark (Light Em Up).” This song got Fall Out Boy’s fans pumped up. It may or may not have been their best song ever, but that wasn’t what mattered. All that mattered was that this was real. The band that represented my emo days of wearing too much eyeliner and writing melodramatic poetry was finally reunited. Save Rock and Roll was released on April 16, and everyone can finally stop holding their breath, wondering if FOB would live up to their expectations.
Fall Out Boy was my go-to band for everything— heartbreak, fake friends, all that petty teenage drama. Posters of the band (and a lot of just Pete Wentz) covered the walls of my room. Their lyrics were written all over my notebooks and Myspace profile. Fall Out Boy was there for me. They understood me. They knew how I felt. And as they sing in Hum Hallelujah, they “could write it better than you ever felt it.” I got chills seeing them live for the first time at The Bamboozle Festival in 2009. They were my favorite band even long before “Sugar, We’re Going Down.” So obviously when the band first announced their break, I spent hours crying in my room, blasting their old music, and wondering how I would survive.
Somehow I did manage to survive, and it was definitely worth the wait. I don’t think there is a single song on the new album that I don’t like, and a lot of people who didn’t like FOB way back when admit that they like the new album too. They are still the same edgy, punk rock band they have always been, but they have a more mature sound to them now. The band grew up, just like we did. I’m not dressed in tons of black anymore, acting like my life is so hard just because my crush doesn’t like me back. But I still turn to music for everything, so it is great to have the boys back — especially with songs featuring other artists such as Courtney Love, Foxes, Big Sean, and even Elton John. Their music is still catchy, their lyrics are still genius, but it is different. The sound is more powerful and mature. But the angst is definitely still there, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.
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