The Only Thing I Want Is For Fall Out Boy To Be Back Together: Confessions of a Girl Who Grew Up On 'That One Emo Band'

Last night, February 28, 2012, Patrick Stump released a blog that I now (cleverly) call The Blog Heard Round The World. Patrick Stump, lead singer of Fall Out Boy, producer and now a solo artist, went AWOL the last month or so when a rumor spread like wildfire that Fall Out Boy was doing a reunion show. Joe Trohman, the guitarist of Fall Out Boy and Pete Wentz the bassist of the band, both claimed it wasn’t true and Joe pretty much wished hell upon anyone who would spread such a thing. Maybe he understands how much damage a rumor could do to his loyal fans (believers never die after all). Or maybe he was just pissed off. Probably the latter. I’ll get back to the point now because this is about Patrick, no one else. Since being a fan of Fall Out Boy since I was merely 12 years old (7 years dedication now) the blog really affected me and I can’t seem to think of nothing else than my favorite lead singer and one of the four men that saved my life being this depressed and getting the hate he is. The Wonder Years lyric from the song “Hoodie Weather” comes to mind stating:
“Growing up means watching my heroes turn human in front of me.”

The thing that really gets to me is the hate he is getting. Much like Patrick I loathe the word “haters”; it’s overused and doesn’t hold any meaning to it anymore. But there is nothing else you can really call these people who are sending hate to the singer other than haters. When I first became a fan of the band it was when From Under The Cork Tree came out so they were still in their solid pop punk stage. Through the years, like many musicians, as the times change and as they hit the studio more and more their music will change. Patrick stated that Folie A Deux was “their most critically panned and audiences openly hated it”. I can see that, unfortunately, because Folie A Deux sounds nothing like Take This To Your Grave or From Under The Cork Tree and people were/are still living in the past. Many fans wanted that old pop punk sound but Fall Out Boy just wasn’t feeling it anymore; they were growing up. Fans never want to realize their favorite bands are growing up because that means they weren’t who they used to be (duh) and they won’t be making their favorite record over again. And artists shouldn’t do that. Who honestly wants to hear a new album sound just like their old one? No one. If there are two songs on the radio that sound the same someone is going to say ‘that sounds just like that other song that sucks.’ Or ‘yeah that cd is good but all the songs sound the same’. No one wants that and yet people are telling Patrick and I’m sure other artists that they want their new cd to sound just like that old one. Fall Out Boy would never be able to make another cd sound like Take This To Your Grave because they aren’t in that point in their lives anymore; they’ve grown up and their musical tastes have changed. I fully understand how bad it sucks to know that you’re favorite artist is growing up, that they won’t sound like that one cd that you still have on repeat but to quote an old Fall Out Boy song ‘this is growing up’.

It infuriates me that people are so quick to criticize Patrick Stump for being brave enough to release something after Fall Out Boy. Don’t you think he knew releasing Soul Punk, a record completely different than Fall Out Boy wasn’t risky? Of course the thought must have crossed his mind but instead of hiding away in the afterglow that is the Fall Out Boy hiatus, he worked his ass off and created an amazing record. He toured again, across the country and what do people do? They buy tickets and go to the show just to tell him he is nothing without the band. How dare you waste Patrick’s time by telling him the worse insult you could to a now solo artist. How dare you even think that saying something like that is okay or even thinking it. Patrick has always been and always will be more than Fall Out Boy and if you couldn’t see the talent just waiting to be shown while he was still in the band then shame on you. I pity anyone who doesn’t see Patrick for the incredibly talented singer, songwriter, producer, and all around artist that he is. Its one thing to think the nasty things about Patrick but it’s another to go up to his face and say those things or write letters to him telling him your distaste for his new music or you wish he were fat. I don’t understand nor will I ever understand why someone would take the time and energy to say something so mean to someone else. Why would you want to bring down the one person who used to mean so much to you? Shouldn’t you be supporting him not tearing him down? I have a feeling that these fans that are telling him he’s nothing, telling him they wish he was fat, and telling him that his music will never live up to Take This To Your Grave are the same kids who when Fall Out Boy was on top were claiming that they were their biggest fans and probably going as far to say that the band saved their life.

Let me try to put things into perspective. Let’s say you are a football player and you are with the dream team for years and everyone loves you. You have to make the decision to play for another team and you lose some fans. No matter how great you’re playing, not matter what wonderful things you are doing for the team, not matter if you got the team to the super bowl, there will be fans writing to you saying they hate you. They wish you were still wearing whatever colors of your old team. How would that make you feel? Instead of a football player, you are an actor or actress in small productions all across your city. One day you decide to do something you always love which is to dance. You make a ballet and on your opening night some people are outside waiting for your autograph or so you think. Instead of praise they say “I liked you better when you were acting.” Or “I liked you better in Romeo & Juliet.” That would make you feel like crap, wouldn’t it? Isn’t it the worst feeling in the world finally getting the courage to do something you’ve always wanted to do and instead of people being open to it they automatically shut you down and say ‘you were better off without doing it’. What makes you doing what you love and Patrick doing what he loves so different? Take away the fame Patrick has acquired and there is no difference. Patrick Stump knew that trying to make his own music after Fall Out Boy was going to be hard but he didn’t give up. He made an EP and a full length album. That takes courage, dedication and perseverance that not many people have. You may not like the style of the new music he created, to each their own as they say, but you can’t deny the fact that the man is talented.

I can’t believe so many people are cruel enough to make Patrick Stump rethink doing what he loves. No one should ever be bullied to the point that they stop doing the only thing that brought joy to their lives. No one should be sent threatening letters; no one should be told they are nothing. And yet because of who Patrick Stump used to be, he is getting thrown all this hate. I hope and pray that Patrick Stump will continue to create music, maybe not for us (we don’t deserve it) but for himself because he deserves to be happy. He deserves to wake up in the morning and think ‘life is perfect’. He deserves happiness, plain and simple. I hope all the people who told him those cruel things read what Patrick wrote and they feel bad for saying those things. You hurt the person who is behind your favorite record; you were so cruel that he might quit doing what he loves. I hope you’re happy. But most of all, I hope you are working a low paying job or no job at all replaying Take This To Your Grave as Patrick lives off of the well deserved money he made from not only Fall Out Boy but Soul Punk as well.

I’m just an eighteen year old girl living in a small town, working in a retail store with big dreams but I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for Patrick Stump. I wouldn’t be smiling, I wouldn't be laughing, I wouldn’t have the relationships I have without Patrick. I wouldn’t be consistently inspired to do the one thing I want to do with my life without Patrick. Seven years ago Patrick Stump saved my life, he helped me turn it all around and without really knowing me, he supported me, he was always there and he loved me. He gave me a second chance and he deserves a second chance. So with open ears and an open heart, I will continually love and support Patrick in anything he chooses to do. I will buy his cds, I will go to his tours and I will defend him against any one. Because you don’t turn your back on someone who has done so much for you.