'My Chemical Romance' makes unexpected comeback
Courtesy of Billboard
On Thursday, Oct. 31, the most important cultural event of this century happened.
Yes, that means the return of emo legends My Chemical Romance, also known as MCR.
The hype began with a new Instagram account for the band – for context, the band went on hiatus in the distant year of 2013, so long ago that Instagram wasn’t yet a social media essential. Four images were posted to the account’s story; different symbols captioned with “devotion,” “sacrifice,” “courage” and “clarity”. They followed this with a new “MCR” logo that incorporates all of the new symbols, and a new merchandise drop on their website that incorporates all of the rebranding as well.
Though hopes were high, fans everywhere still held their breath. The band had pulled a similar stunt in 2016, with cryptic videos and rebranding, only to ultimately reveal that they were not reuniting and were merely re-releasing “The Black Parade” for its 10th anniversary. This was still cool, but it was somewhat of a letdown after everyone thought they were announcing a reunion.
This time, it wasn’t a red herring – it was the real deal. MCR is back for good, with their first show since 2012 set to take place next month in Los Angeles, a show for which tickets sold out in minutes. They’re also slated to play a few festivals in Australia and Japan, as well as a one-off show in New Zealand. There are strong rumors that they’ll be touring the U.S. in 2020, and several booking agencies in various countries around the world have added MCR to their rosters. In conclusion, there’s a good chance that they’re about to announce a worldwide reunion stadium tour and we have no choice but to “stan” forever.
The band has chosen to return at an interesting time. For one, their last full-length record, “Danger Days and the True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys,” is set in post-apocalyptic California in 2019, in a world where a corporation called “Better Living Industries” rules all due to their part in putting out the enormous fires that essentially destroyed the state. It’s strangely prescient, especially when you consider that it was released on Nov. 22, 2011. On Friday, Nov. 1, all of the members of the band posted the same image, depicting two angel statues in an embrace, with the caption “California 2019.” One can’t help but wonder what MCR has in store for Friday, Nov. 22 of this year.
It’s also interesting to consider that MCR formed after lead singer Gerard Way witnessed the 9/11 attacks while on a ferry from his native New Jersey to Manhattan. Though the band is often (rightfully) associated with teenage melodrama, their first song, “Skylines and Turnstiles,” is Way’s direct response to the attacks. “And after seeing what we saw / Can we still reclaim our innocence? / And if the world needs something better / Let’s give them one more reason now,” he nearly screams, angst palpable. It’s one of the strongest tracks not just on their first album, but in their whole catalog. Considering the political strife of the past three years and the turmoil that 2020 is about to be, it’s worth considering what effect the upcoming presidential election will have on MCR’s creative output.
Moreover, it’s interesting to consider what MCR’s effect on the political climate will be. In their heyday, MCR provided a light in the dark for millions of millennials who are now not only of voting age but are also very nihilistically inclined. During the hiatus, Way probably remained the most politically engaged, urging people to vote in the 2016 election and criticizing the pharmaceutical industry on his blog. Additionally, in MCR’s absence, they have grown to almost mythic proportions in the cultural imagination and gained huge swaths of new fans. Ironically, it was only after their hiatus that “serious critics” even began to examine them seriously as a cultural phenomenon of merit, rather than dismissing them for their “mall goth” reputation. Now, their platform is arguably larger than it ever was before. It’s very likely that MCR might use their platform for change, or at the very least to put out some bangers that will soothe the inevitable pain of the 2020 election.
Regardless, it’s a pleasure to have the best American rock band of the 21st century back to usher us into the “RAWRing” ‘20s.
