Panic! At the Disco has been around since 2004 (yes, that was thrown in to make you feel old). Throughout their existence, they have not attained the status of a number one album. Until now, that is.
It is hard to imagine that with the success of their debut studio album, “A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out,” that they haven’t already acquired the position of a number one album, especially with hits like “I Write Sins, Not Tragedies” that feverishly haunted radio stations, both then and now.
With the release of their new album, “Death of a Bachelor,” Panic! has finally achieved the position they deserve — at the top of the music charts. Although there is a stigma regarding parents picking favorites among their children, lead singer Brendon Urie has chosen to break the cardinal rule. Urie made the announcement on Reddit during an “Ask Me Anything” session that “DoaB” is his favorite album to date.
Panic! At the Disco, along with all of their dedicated fans, must be feeling pretty “Victorious” after this accomplishment. The song “Victorious” is a form of self-fulfilling prophecy, predicting their victory at the top of the music charts over some heavy hitting artists in the industry, like Adele, David Bowie, Twenty One Pilots, and Kidz Bop 31 (yes, really).
“Victorious” is more than just a pun or a prophetic vision. Panic! reminds audiences to appreciate the little wins in this music video, from winning a boxing match to the accomplishment of not texting an ex.
“Hallelujah,” the first single off “Death of a Bachelor,” is a combination of celebration in lyrical form with the same kind of preordained success that “Victorious” implies. Are they jinxing themselves? No. Clearly, P!ATD believes talent trumps superstition.
The album shows growth on all musical fronts. Urie’s vocal range reflects the lyrical maturity of the album. While each new album has been a point of divergence for P!ATD, providing new means to explore other musical styles, “Death of a Bachelor” sets the precedent for bridging certain aspects across separate albums. Namely, “Emperor’s New Clothes” from DoaB is a continuation of the story told in Panic!’s previous single, “This is Gospel” from the album, “Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!”
Perhaps one of the most interesting new sounds that Urie has worked with on the new album has been with the old Vegas style, reminiscent of Frank Sinatra. It’s safe to say that Sinatra is a direct influence on Urie, seeing as how the singer has a Sinatra tattoo.
Urie himself has aged like a fine wine, his music with a bolder flavor, and his voice smoother than ever. It is about more than just the evolution of sound over the course of releasing five albums. The maturity of lyrics reflect the growth of the group in a semi-autobiographical nature. Urie went from writing songs like “Nine in the Afternoon,” which was about getting high, to writing songs about ridding himself of the rock-star lifestyle in exchange for married life.
This album is the death of the figurative bachelor (no bachelors were harmed in the making of this album).
WARNING: These songs are catchy. You might find yourself inclined to sing along, but they will get stuck in your head in the best kind of way. Catching Panic! fever may manifest in symptoms including, but not limited to: karaoke in the shower, much more embarrassing public karaoke, and humming the tunes on your commute. The cure for Panic! fever is to give in to the impulse to sing your heart out and jam to this album.