Panic! at the Disco’s dedicated fans gave the band a hard time after they dropped the exclamation point from their name in 2008 for the release their second full length album, Pretty. Odd. The band dealt with months of interviews regarding punctuation. With the amount of commotion caused over a change in band name grammar, I can only imagine how fans are reacting to the group’s newest single “Miss Jackson.” After years of hard work and style development, P!ATD became known for their unique and almost cabaret approach in performance and sound. “Miss Jackson” strays from this path completely. Initially I was disappointed to hear such a drastic change from a favorite childhood band, but I can honestly say that I commend them for taking such a huge risk.
The similarity of “Miss Jackson” to Fall Out Boy’s comeback sound is undeniable, but does it not solely exist because the two bands are friends. P!ATD decided to use Butch Walker as the producer for their newest album, Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die, to be released on October 8, 2013. Walker also happens to be the producer of FOB’s most recent album, Save Rock And Roll. With both of the bands’ genres moving towards pop with the incorporation of powerful drumming and dance-friendly beats, it is only natural that people oppose the change. However, for what it’s worth, the song is actually very good. The lyrics unfortunately stray from their irreplaceable past image and are slightly bland, but the chorus is catchy and lead singer Brendon Urie is as provocative and as sensual as ever. The band pays tribute to their Las Vegas roots with a glitzy music video displaying a vintage yet contradicting modern setting.
I can only presume that the band’s shocking new sound is here to stay and will persist throughout Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die. Now is the time for dedicated fans to adapt to its presence. With tours scheduled for the rest of the summer, Panic! at the Disco wastes no time. In August, they will be teaming up with Fall Out Boy on the Save Rock And Roll Fall Arena Tour and in October, they kick off the release of their new album in their hometown of Las Vegas, NV. As for now, the acceptance of “Miss Jackson” plays a vital role in determining how the new album will be perceived.
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