Well, give Fall Out Boy the award for most appropriately titled new single, "The Phoenix." Four years after they broke hearts around the world by announcing an indefinite hiatus, the pop-rock group is back with a new album, Save Rock and Roll, due for release April 16.
This isn't the group's first nod to the Valley of the Sun -- their live DVD, Live in Phoenix, was filmed here, so perhaps the name of the new single is more than just a reference to the band's resurgence this year.
The song, like their first single, "My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark," is anthemic, with pounding drums and strings catapulting it beyond basic pop. "Put on your war paint," singer Patrick Stump announces to start the track, and listeners are led through a passionate performance that shows off the group's fervor to reclaim their spot high on the singles charts.
The lyrics are in typical bassist Pete Wentz fashion -- lots of hyperbole and metaphors that fans will easily be able to read into. "Because the world is just a teller, and we are wearing black masks. 'You broke our spirit,' says the note we'll pass," Stump sings in-between confident proclamations of "We can take the world back from the heart-attacked." Yep, fans probably had a hard time adjusting to news of the band's demise back then, but the band is imploring them to get back on board.
The video for the single is dark, creepy, and bloody, painting the band in a victim role as each member is captured by a team of hot women on a mission to inflict pain on the band. Maybe this is the band's cathartic way of saying sorry for leaving, of punishing themselves in the clip to show fans that maybe their decision to go on hiatus wasn't as easy as it seemed.
Check out the clip below and let us know what you think of the song and video in the comments.
