MEGAN COURTNEY | A&E Editor
Released on Jan. 19 of this year, it’s no secret that “M A N I A” is noticeably different from the band’s past albums.
Songs such as “Young and Menace” and “HOLD ME TIGHT OR DON’T” have an electronic, machine-generated feel, while songs like “Champion,” and “Bishops Knife Trick” incorporate elements of “older” Fall Out Boy style.
Despite the electronic-rock crossover that’s experimented with on the album, the songs do have meaningful messages behind them.
“Champion” is a song about struggles and successes. It is a song that lets listeners know that if they make it through something that is traumatizing or especially hard for them to go through, then they can conquer anything else that stands in their way.
“Church” is a love song that is paired with Christian imagery, according to lyric website Genius. The Christian imagery is used for “metaphors for worship in terms of a romantic relationship.”
“The Last of the Real Ones” is also a love song that talks about devotion to a loved one. This song is one of the tracks that has a modern feel to it with some of the “older” Fall Out Boy styles as well.
Even though the album was met with mixed reactions when it was released earlier this year, it has received many positive reviews throughout the fan community.
“I loved the emotion in it as well as the new direction they are going with the music,” said Luke Smith, who has been a longtime Fall Out Boy fan. “You can tell they had a genuinely good time making it.”
Tiana Alexander, another longtime Fall Out Boy fan, said that the album is a”beautiful masterpiece,” and that she loves everything that Fall Out Boy has ever done.
“This was really worth the wait and it’s amazing in every way,” Alexander said. “They’ve came back super strong and I couldn’t be more proud of them.”
The band has managed to pull off a completely new style while not forgetting the styles that made their music as popular as it is today.
