Fall Out Boy performed their new single “Love From The Other Side” on Jimmy Kimmel Live! as a three-man group on Thursday, Jan. 19. The performance was taped only a few hours before guitarist Joe Trohman announced his musical hiatus on the band’s social media accounts.
The single is the band’s first musical release since their album MANIA in 2018. You can only imagine how eager their fanbase was to receive a much-needed emo throwback anthem.
While supportive of Trohman’s decision, fans were understandably disappointed. His social media post titled, “a note from Joe,” explained that his leave of absence is in response to his mental health. Moreover, he underscores his complete willingness to return to the band in the future.
“In the meantime,” he writes, “I must recover, which means putting myself and my mental health first.” On the same day as Trohman’s announcement, the band announced that their upcoming album, So Much (For) Stardust, is set to release on March 24 of this year. Although missing from the band’s new saga, the guitarist likewise relayed how much pride the upcoming album gives him.
The music video for “Love From The Other Side” recounts a little girl’s bedtime story. As the fantasy develops, a wizard transforms Trohman into a human-size racoon— a not-so-subtle nod toward his break from the band. Nonetheless, Trohman’s presence as a racoon was kept throughout the video. YouTube comments on the video’s post show nothing but love and support for Trohman, emphasizing the importance of taking time for oneself.
The song “Love From The Other Side” itself is extremely reminiscent of the band’s older works. Immediately, the listener is hit with melodic strings and soft piano, an orchestral combination not dissimilar from Fall Out Boy’s fourth album Folie à Deux.
It then transitions into a traditional, heavier sound, complete with thrashy guitars and a driving drum kick. Any emo fan would immediately connect the head-bumping sound to the band’s earlier albums, released during the pinnacle of pop-punk music.
The chorus begins strong with lead singer Patrick Stump belting, “Sending my love from the other side of the apocalypse,” perhaps alluding both to the COVID-19 pandemic and their seventh album MANIA, which received mixed reviews from critics and fans alike.
Nevertheless, the chorus is as catchy as it is nostalgia-inducing, making for an earworm like that of the 2005 emo scene. “Love From The Other Side” continues to show lyrical fluidity and sophistication, something that is unsurprisingly present throughout all Fall Out Boy songs.
Fall Out Boy’s new music is part of a long line of newer emo returns. Last May, the famed My Chemical Romance released their first single since 2014 after launching a tour for the first time in years. Panic! At The Disco released their seventh studio album Viva Las Vengeance last August, and Paramore gears up to release their sixth studio album This Is Why this February.
With Fall Out Boy’s next album on the horizon, it’s no surprise that fans are on the edges of their seats for more snippets of music from the bands they grew up with.
Overall, this newest single serves as its own amalgamation of the band’s career. By combining elements from almost every Fall Out Boy era to date, “Love From The Other Side” is the ultimate comeback for the band, despite lacking a member for the time being.
