Over the years, Fall Out Boy has produced many different albums through various different eras. But how have these eras affected their music and ideas over time?
When I first really started to get into Fall Out Boy, “So Much (For) Stardust” hadn’t been released yet, but I knew Fall Out Boy and casually enjoyed some of their songs. With all the hype for the new album, I decided to listen to some of their music before the album came out. Little did I know, that would start a year-long obsession with one of my favorite bands of all time.
Fall Out Boy’s new album “So Much (For) Stardust” was quite an anticipated album, closing off their five-year gap from music. And boy did they come back with a bang. This album is full of elements from every album they have created in the past, incorporating the upbeat pop sound of “Mania,” but also including emotional melodic songs you’d hear from “Folie a Deux” and “Infinity on High.” Creating a composition of songs that truly show what Fall Out Boy is as a whole.
This album does a great job at showing their musical journey throughout the years.
“They continue to evolve their sound with each new album, experimenting with many genres,” junior Elliott Stewart said.
Listening to their debut album “Take This To Your Grave” then “So Much (For) Stardust” really shows their growth. The instrumentals have improved drastically, showcasing how much each member has grown throughout each album. The upbeat instrumentals are a great contrast from their earlier albums’ more moody and rough sounds. Lead vocalist Patrick Stump’s voice has always been phenomenal, but he really shows that off in SMFS. In the song “What A Time To Be Alive,” Stump belts these amazing high pitch notes showing off how talented he truly is.
While bassist/song-writer Pete Wentz stated that “So Much (For) Stardust” is not a concept album, the songs on this album feel so magical and powerful. Especially with all the themes of mortality and the stress of growing older. I feel as though the song “Love From The Other Side” really encapsulates this idea, with lyrics such as “Nowhere left for us to go but heaven, Summer falling through our fingers again and You were the sunshine of my lifetime” leaning into the idea of how life is truly out of our hands, and we need to accept that. I feel like Fall Out Boy really tapped into their emotions for this album, seeing that it was being written during quarantine, the boys expressed how quarantine affected their lives and mental health.
Overall this whole album is a great combination of their music as a whole. And I highly recommend listening to it to get a sense of how Fall Out Boy is.
