Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz and Patrick Stump Go Deep About Their New Album, the Emo Revival and Surviving Pop Radio: ‘It Was Like “The Last of Us”’

variety.com:

William Earl Fall Out Boy is back with their first record in five years, and although the musical landscape has changed dramatically since the pandemic and the rise of TikTok, “So Much (for) Stardust” returns to the classic sound many fans grew up on.

While recent records like 2015’s “American Beauty/American Psycho” and 2018’s “Mania” were successful, Fall Out Boy took on a pop sheen that was a far cry from their punky hits like “Dance, Dance” and “Thnks fr th Mmrs.” For “Stardust,” the band — singer and guitarist Patrick Stump, bassist Pete Wentz, guitarist Joe Trohman and drummer Andy Hurley — worked again with Neal Avron, who produced the band’s biggest rock records, 2005’s “From Under the Cork Tree,” 2007’s “Infinity on High” and 2008’s “Folie à Deux.” The result isn’t a nostalgia trip, but rather a return to the group’s core strengths, with big riffs, huge singalong choruses, and lyrics that are in-tune with the woes of modern life.

The band is also headed on a world tour this year, playing for the first time without Trohman, who is taking a break from the band to focus on his mental health.

Variety spoke with Stump and Wentz about embracing classic sounds to find a new direction on “Stardust,” their place in the current Emo Renaissance, the ways pop culture influences their music, and how to write a perfect song title. How did you land on the sound of “Stardust?” Joe has said that he stepped back a bit on “Mania” because it wasn’t his vibe.