Fall Out Boy has been around for years, 17 years to be precise. A Pop/Punk/Emo band from Chicago made up of lead singer Patrick Stump, bassist Pete Wentz, drummer Andy Hurley, and guitarist Joe Trohman. Their first album “Evening Out With Your Girlfriend” released in March of 2003, and they have released 6 studio albums since. Everyone has heard their song “Centuries” “Sugar We’re Going Down”, and  “Thnks Fr Th Mmrs”, songs that have even been played at our school dances.

Their newest album, M A N I A, was originally scheduled to release September of 2017 but was moved back to Jan.18. M A N I A is very different from any of their other albums, and it seems they have taken a completely different approach, moving away from their Pop/Punk roots. The album explores more EDM and Electronic inspired music, and after being a band for 17 years, changing a little is understandable. After all, each member has their own family, children, and are all nearing their 40s. Like every band and every person, change happens.

Even before the release of the album, the fanbase was still divided on the new sound coming from their favorite band, that had been prominent in the “Emo” music community. The teaser singles “Champion” and “Young and Menace” set up the theme of M A N I A as a whole, and set up some fans for disappointment in the new style. However, Patrick Stump himself said in response to a fan’s question that  “Yes, I do feel very confident in this one – a lot more than I did when releasing some of the other records.”

While M A N I A may be straying far from their original sound, each and every song has time and emotion poured into it from the whole band and is worth a listen. You can find the album on Spotify and iTunes.