After pushing back ‘M A N I A’ to January 2018, Fall Out Boy returns with the project’s fourth single, “Hold Me Tight or Don’t.”

Early on, Fall Out Boy seemed to be on the “struggle bus” with album,  M A N I A.  Originally due in September 2017, Fall Out Boy pushed the album back to January 19, 2018.  Smart move considering all indications suggested a lackadaisical response to a seemingly lackadaisical project. They return with the fourth single from the 10-track project, “Hold Me Tight or Don’t.”

Like many bands, Fall Out Boy tightly embrace the pop portion of their punk-pop categorization. Perhaps this is offensive to some, who might feel that rock music in general has ‘sold out’ to pop.  Honestly, pop and FOB seems to go together without a hitch, proven by “Hold Me Tight or Don’t.”  It’s removed from the music they’ve released in the past, but this sounds modern and eclectic like the pop music of the moment.

The lyrics aren’t particularly deep, but it’s always awesome when you can incorporate comatose into a verse, right? The lyrical highlights actually hail from the catchier sections of the song – the pre-chorus and the chorus.  On the pre-chorus, the emo is amped up to the nth degree:

“And when your stitch comes loose / I wanna sleep on every piece of fuzz / And stuffing that comes out of you, you / I took too many hits off this memory / I need to come down.”

That emo-ness continues on throughout the chorus, where it’s clear this relationship needs max effort or to be curbed.

“Another day goes by / So hold me tight / Hold me tight, or don’t / Oh n-n-no, no this isn’t how our story ends / So hold me tight…”

Final Thoughts

With “Hold Me Tight or Don’t,” Fall Out Boy continues to take a step in the right direction with M A N I A.  As long as fans embrace pop and FOB being eclectic, they should be on board.  Perhaps the bigger question is, has the promo campaign of M A N I A truly turned the corner? Can and will the album be a success?

Fall Out Boy • M A N I A • Island • Release: 1.19.18

 Photo Credit: Island