With their 6th album taking the world by storm in June, Panic! At The Disco remains one of my favorite bands. I've been around since their "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" days, and I consider myself a loyal follower of Brendon Urie and his music. I'm a huge fan of all of the albums that have been released to date, and this one is no exception. The album boasts some of Panic!'s iconic-ly off the wall beats that I love, as well as lyrics that dig right through you.
While I was listening to those lyrics and reflecting on the song titles on "Pray for the Wicked," I got to thinking that this album seems like a testimony from Urie on what popularity can do to you. In case you haven't heard the album, I'll give you a quick rundown of it (though I would recommend that you listen to the full thing, and then check out this playlist to get a real taste of Panic!'s excellence).
This album highlights (at least in my opinion) the consequences of an individual's rise and eventual fall with popularity. The album begins with the song "(F*ck A) Silver Lining" and goes on to embrace the popularity that someone gains with "Hey Look Ma, I Made It." The first four songs on the album make listeners believe that this album is going to be an album filled with jams to blast in your car, until you reach "Roaring 20s" and "One of the Drunks," where the album's focus shifts to the onslaught of alcoholism and depression that comes when popularity is taken from you. And I think Brendon was making an intentional point with this.
Now, I am an English major, and we are known for making mountains out of molehills, but this album really makes me concerned for the fate of a generation obsessed with popularity. As we've seen in cases such as Miley Cyrus, Brittany Spears, and Lindsay Lohan, people in the spotlight can lose their grip on themselves. They can fall into bad mental health habits, alcoholism, and drug addictions, and I think that this album is a cautionary tale for everyone.
With Instagram being the new place to share your life and gain followers, it's easier to become obsessed with the number of digital people pressing a blue follow button than it ever was before. But before you do that, think of the consequences of becoming consumed by the attention that is placed on you. More popularity can lead to poor actions and choices to gain even more, and while that might not be the case for everyone, "Pray for the Wicked" proclaims that everyone should follow their dreams, but keep an eye on reality while they are running after them.
