FALL OUT BOY: MANIA’S MEN LOOK TO THE FUTURE

Fall Out Boy’s seventh studio album, M A N I A (DCD2/Island), dropped on 1/19. At press time, with 24 hours or so left in this week’s chart race, the set looks poised for a triple-digit, #1 bow. Single “HOLD ME TIGHT OR DON’T” has officially crossed to Pop radio, where it’s #36 and growing. On a related note, when Crush told bassist Pete Wentz they were putting him in touch with us for a quick Q&A, we imagine his answer was “Or don’t.”

In what respects is M A N I A a departure from your prior work? Do you feel you’re venturing into new stylistic territory?
I think everything about it is a departure. This album is our sonic response to the world we live in—one where genre matters so much less than it ever has before.

How do the singles we’ve heard so far fit into the larger picture of the album?
The album sits somewhere between “Young and Menace” and “Champion.” The record is more “Last of the Real Ones” and “HOLD ME TIGHT OR DON’T” than anything that came before it... to me, at least.

How will the new tour differ from past treks?
It’s bigger than anything we’ve ever done before. The visuals… All of it feels brand new, which is super refreshing as a band that’s been doing this for 15 years.

Fall Out Boy is one of the few bands with a large commercial profile still playing rock. What’s your sense of where the genre is, and its future?
We must move forward. We must evolve. That's really the answer to what rock becomes in the future, unless it’s relegated to a niche thing sold to dads in Guitar Center.