The Vibe Review

Fall Out Boy: (So) Relatable

Fall Out Boy played at the Shoreline in Mountain View California on July 5^th 2023 to promote their newest album: So Much (For) Stardust and to continue their stadium rock and roll trend. With their unique lyrics and high energy performances they are well on their way to becoming the greatest band of all time. Coming out the other side of the COVID-era (2020-2022) with an album that describes the multitude of emotions felt during lockdown as individuals, a band, and a country they continue to be relatable, relevant, and diverse.

The newest album So Much (For) Stardust highlights some of the feelings during the 2020 lockdown and the strange new world we all emerged into. Lyrics like “quarantine blues”, “trying to keep it together”, and references to masks reveal the dark emotions of the uncertainty of that time and how we all were being affected. The range of seemingly dark music with other upbeat tunes suggest the rollercoaster of highs and lows we were all on during 2020.

These lyrics also seem to suggest the way the band felt about bandmate Joe and his mental health struggles. Joe is not the only band member to go through it; Pete Wentz was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and has since become an advocate for mental health. So not only does this album speak to the global quarantine and the affect on mental health during that time it also highlights the struggle of poor mental health in general, which in turn creates very relatable songs, that could stretch over genres.

We’ve seen Fall Out Boy through the years since 2002, and generally they are an Emo-style band. But instead of sticking to that one genre they have slightly changed up their sound, specifically with the albums Folie a Deux (2008), Save Rock and Roll (2013), and Mania (2018) which range from heavy vocal ballads, pop-sounding songs, and even a little EDM. While their newest album goes back to their roots of their old sound, their diverse range over many albums has helped them reach fans of other genres, especially when going on tour. This show at Shoreline illustrated that fact because while Fall Out Boy was the headlining band, the opening bands were in a different genre than them. This is not new for Fall Out Boy because they have been on tour with bands such as Green Day, Weezer, and artists like Whiz Khalifa over the years.

Fall Out Boy has seen their ups and downs in their professional life and personal life and yet they keep on making music that millions can relate to. Listening to their fans after coming back from their hiatus back in 2009 really strengthened the relationship between band and fan and kept Fall Out Boy relevant and relatable throughout the years. Whether you are going through mental health hardship or relationship issues, there is a Fall Out Boy lyric for you.