Fall Out Boy revisits pop punk

Braedyn Wasserman, sophomore property management and real estate major, jams out to Fall Out Boy’s new song. PHOTO BY INDAYA BYER.

By Chloe Rousseau and Ronald Martinez •

Fall Out Boy has released “Love From the Other Side” and “Heartbreak Feels So Good,” two singles from their upcoming album “So Much (for) Stardust.”

These two songs are the band’s first releases since its “MANIA” album in 2018.

“MANIA” stands out from the rest of Fall Out Boy’s discography as it leans more toward electropop and rock.

With “Love From the Other Side” having a heavier sound, fans see a return to Fall Out Boy’s original style.

The song is a call-back to the peak of the Emo Era in the early 2000’s. The music video is a Claymation/CGI style, taking fans on a journey to Emo Island, where bass-wielding women fight weird wolf people in a dark, grungy forest to save the band. One of these women is the famous TikTok star @cruellamor-gan. Using her in the video aids the band in reaching a younger generation of fans, or even people who may have never heard of Fall Out Boy. The music video is a unique adventure following an amulet’s story.

The song itself maintains its identity of past Fall Out Boy themes with heavy guitars, new lore and meaningful lyrics that tell a story, almost like a theater show of rock. There is a catchy chorus, making this song quite an earworm. This style is on-brand for the band, with their last tour being an entire theatrical show using sets and pyrotechnics, including a flaming piano and flamethrower bass. Also, the heavy sound is reflected in the drummer Andy Hurley, clad in makeup commonly known as corpse paint used by metal bands and goth fashion.

Juxtaposing this is a string symphony and piano, adding a sweet, soulful, almost mournful sound that pairs well with Patrick Stump’s melodic voice. Included with this is a breakdown as the band arrives at Emo Island, with a piano aiding the drums and chunky guitar strums getting listeners ready for the battle ahead.

The second single, “Heartbreak Feels So Good,” remains melodious, using a synthesizer to back the drums. This song is much lighter than the previous. However, it still sounds like it belongs on the same album. Patrick Stump’s voice is yet again full of soul, even without includ-ing his famous falsetto in this song. In typical Fall Out Boy fashion, the chorus is catchy and memorable.

The music video is also different from the first song. This one is a prank video where the band attempts to fake kidnap Rivers Cuomo, the frontman for Weezer, and are chased by fans. The band has cameras strapped to their chests as they run to the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles for a show, only to fi nd it empty. Then, Joe Trohman, Fall Out Boy’s former guitarist who stepped away to focus on his mental health, calls and tells them they are a week early for the show.

“So Much (for) Stardust” marks a return to form for the band. It is signed with the company Fueled by Ramen, which released the band’s 2003 debut album. The album also finds them reuniting with producer Neal Avron, who worked with the band on previous albums such as “From Under the Cork Tree,” “Infinity on High” and “Folie á Deux.” Since 2005, Fall Out Boy has been signed with Island Records, with the exception of a hiatus between 2009 and 2013. After this hiatus, the band signed another three-album deal with Island, completed with “MANIA.”