Panic! is Back

HANNAH BUTLER - 7/24/2018

As a long-time fan of Panic! At The Disco, I was thrilled to see their new album, Pray For The Wicked released on June 22.

I embraced the change that Panic! went through with their overall sound when “Too Weird” came out in fall 2013. Fans of “Too Weird” and  “Death Of A Bachelor” will thoroughly enjoy Pray For The Wicked, which celebrates the band’s accomplishments while simultaneously showing off the astonishing talent of Brendon Urie.

Pray For The Wicked begins with the song “Fuck A Silver Lining.” The intro of the song states, “Ode to the old, and to the new, we rededicate this song to you” then follows with the continuously upbeat sound. The whole album could almost be a musical; and it may be a homage to the time Urie spent as part of the Kinky Boots cast on Broadway. “Roaring 20s” is specifically about the time he spent as a part of it, with the opening lyric being “Broadway is black like a sinkhole.”

It’s hard not to enjoy every single song in the album, with anthems like “Hey Look Ma, I Made It” and “High Hopes.” These songs are relatable and an inspiration to young artists or virtually anyone striving to reach their personal goal. Urie sings, “Are you ready for the sequel? Ain’t you ready for the latest?” showing fans that he is back and better than ever.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Urie said that Panic! has always been there for him to let out “nonchalant chaos.” With his diverse vocal range and the talent he carries, his so-called nonchalant chaos could go in any direction, with every single song sounding better than the last. I am psyched to see Urie tackle more musically, and in the meantime, I’ll have Pray For The Wicked on repeat.