Fake Your Death

Last updated

"Fake Your Death"
My Chemical Romance - Fake Your Death - Cover.jpg
Single by My Chemical Romance
from the album May Death Never Stop You
ReleasedFebruary 17, 2014
Recorded2012
Length3:20
Label Reprise
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
My Chemical Romance singles chronology
"The Kids from Yesterday"
(2012)		"Fake Your Death"
(2014)		"The Foundations of Decay"
(2022)
Music video
"Fake Your Death" on YouTube

"Fake Your Death" is a 2014 song by the American rock band My Chemical Romance. Written during the band's unsuccessful 2012 sessions at writing a fifth studio album, the song was later released as a single for their greatest hits album, May Death Never Stop You (2014). "Fake Your Death" was written by band members James Dewees, Frank Iero, Ray Toro, Gerard Way, and Mikey Way, and was produced by the group alongside Rob Cavallo and Doug McKean.

Contents

A "bittersweet" song which begins as a piano ballad, the lyrics of "Fake Your Death" have been interpreted as being about the band's 2013 breakup, with Gerard Way referring to the song as being an unintentional "eulogy" for the band. An accompanying music video for the track, additionally serving as a trailer for May Death Never Stop You, featured a montage of clips from the band's previous music videos. The song received generally positive reviews from music critics, who deemed "Fake Your Death" as a strong final effort for the band. The song topped the UK Rock & Metal Singles Chart, and appeared on various others.

Background and release

In 2012, following the end of the tour cycle for their fourth studio album Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys (2010), My Chemical Romance returned to Los Angeles to set up a studio and begin writing their fifth studio album. [1] Originally, the record was planned to be a concept album about a "group of parents in a support group because they had all lost their children in a horrible way". [2] "Fake Your Death" was completed during these sessions, with Gerard Way noting that it was written on the day of the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals and "started to form" later that day when other band members arrived at the studio. [3] However, the album was ultimately scrapped, with the majority of the songs from the sessions being too unfinished to be released; [2] the band would break up the following year in March 2013. [4]

On January 21, 2014, May Death Never Stop You, the band's greatest hits album, was announced, with a release date of March 24, 2014; "Fake Your Death", billed as a "previously-unreleased song", was announced as being the album's first track. [4] [5] The song was later debuted on BBC Radio 1 ahead of the album's release on February 17, 2014, [6] and was released to iTunes as a single the same day. [7] Additionally, an accompanying music video for "Fake Your Death" was released to the My Chemical Romance's YouTube channel on the same day. The video, also serving as a trailer for May Death Never Stop You, features a montage of clips from the band's previous music videos, as well as behind-the-scenes footage. [6] [8] The song made it's live debut on October 17, 2022 at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California during the band's reunion tour. [9]

Composition and lyrics

"Fake Your Death" is a "bittersweet" song, which starts as a piano ballad before drums, guitar, and handclaps are introduced; [6] [10] My Chemical Romance biographer Tom Bryant observed how the song had an "almost AOR-like stomp". [11] Various critics noted the song's stylistic similarity to those on the band's 2006 studio album The Black Parade, [10] [12] with Hanif Willis-Abdurraqib of MTV News considering the song a "companion piece" to the album. [13]

Lyrically, the song was interpreted as being on the band's breakup, with Gerard Way noting in the statement that the song unintentionally served as a "eulogy" for the band. [3] James Montgomery of MTV News wrote that "Fake Your Death" was a reflection on the band's rise, while also serving as a "farewell to MCR's fervent fans". [10] Similarly, Jake Richardson of Loudwire highlighted the lyric "I choose defeat, I walk away and leave this place the same today" as reflecting the song's interpretation as a eulogy. [14] Willis-Abdurraqib provided an alternate view on the song's lyrics, suggesting that the song was instead about "shedding old skin and stepping into a newer, lighter version of oneself". [13]

Reception

"Fake Your Death" received generally positive reviews from music critics, with Montgomery calling it a "fitting send-off" for the band and a "true testament to [their] enduring greatness". [10] In reviews of the compilation, Evan Sawdey of PopMatters praised "Fake Your Death" for being a "solid anthem" though "a bit mainstream in intent", [12] while Alternative Addiction described the song as "decent", comparing it to the quality of the band's 2013 Conventional Weapons singles. [15] Ali Cooper of Alternative Press placed "Fake Your Death" at the second spot of a list of the 10 most underrated My Chemical Romance songs, noting how it was overshadowed by the announcement of May Death Never Stop You but remained the "swan song fans needed". [16] In reviews of the band's discography as a whole, Cassie Whitt and Jake Richardson of Loudwire placed the song at #43 of 71, with the latter praising it as being "one final reminder" of the band's music [14] while Chloe Spinks of Gigwise placed the song at #53 of 79, calling it "simple but effective". [17]

In the United Kingdom, "Fake Your Death" topped the UK Rock & Metal Singles Chart, [18] and reached #63 on both the UK singles [19] and the UK Singles Downloads charts. [20] The song also appeared on the Mexico Ingles Airplay chart (45) [21] and the US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart (47). [22]

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from iTunes. [23]

Charts

Weekly chart positions for "Fake Your Death"
Chart (2014)Peak
position
Mexico Ingles Airplay ( Billboard ) [21] 45
UK Rock & Metal (OCC) [18] 1
UK Singles (OCC) [19] 63
UK Singles Downloads (OCC) [20] 63
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs ( Billboard ) [22] 47

Release history

RegionDateFormatLabel(s)Ref.
VariousFebruary 17, 2014
 Reprise [7]
ItalyFebruary 28, 2014 Radio airplay [24]

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References

Books

Sources

  1. ↑ Bryant 2014 , pp. 300–301, 303
  2. 1 2 Bryant 2014 , pp. 303
  3. 1 2 Whitt, Cassie (January 21, 2014). "My Chemical Romance reveal 'May Death Never Stop You' tracklisting, comment on their final song". Alternative Press . Archived from the original on November 27, 2022. Retrieved January 12, 2025.
  4. 1 2 "My Chemical Romance to release greatest hits album 'May Death Never Stop You' next month". NME . January 21, 2014. Archived from the original on December 26, 2024. Retrieved January 11, 2025.
  5. ↑ Bryant 2014 , pp. 313
  6. 1 2 3 Rutherford, Kevin (February 17, 2014). "My Chemical Romance Debuts Final Song, 'Fake Your Death': Listen". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 11, 2025. Retrieved January 11, 2025.
  7. 1 2 "My Chemical Romance to release "Fake Your Death" next week". Alternative Press. February 10, 2014. Archived from the original on January 10, 2025. Retrieved January 10, 2025.
  8. ↑ Chaudhry, Aliya (July 15, 2021). "Every My Chemical Romance music video, ranked from 'worst' to best". Kerrang! . Archived from the original on December 27, 2024. Retrieved January 11, 2025.
  9. ↑ Robinson, Ellie (October 19, 2022). "My Chemical Romance perform ultra-rare 'Sister To Sleep' for the second time ever in California". NME . Retrieved January 17, 2025.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Montgomery, James (February 18, 2014). "Hear My Chemical Romance's Final Song, 'Fake Your Death,' Now". MTV News . Archived from the original on February 18, 2014. Retrieved January 12, 2025.
  11. ↑ Bryant 2014 , pp. 304
  12. 1 2 Sawdey, Evan (April 16, 2014). "My Chemical Romance: May Death Never Stop You: The Greatest Hits (2001-2013)". PopMatters . Archived from the original on December 26, 2024. Retrieved January 12, 2025.
  13. 1 2 Willis-Abdurraqib, Hanif (September 8, 2016). "Life & Death: My Chemical Romance And 10 Years Of 'The Black Parade'". MTV News. Archived from the original on September 9, 2022. Retrieved January 12, 2025.
  14. 1 2 Whitt, Cassie; Richardson, Jake (March 24, 2019). "Every My Chemical Romance Song Ranked". Loudwire . Archived from the original on December 27, 2024. Retrieved January 12, 2025.
  15. ↑ "Review of My Chemical Romance "May Death Never Stop You"". Alternative Addiction . September 26, 2020. Archived from the original on September 26, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2025.
  16. ↑ Cooper, Ali (July 6, 2020). "10 most underrated My Chemical Romance songs". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on January 27, 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2025.
  17. ↑ Spinks, Chloe (June 13, 2022). "Every My Chemical Romance song ranked from worst to best". Gigwise . Archived from the original on February 4, 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2025.
  18. 1 2 "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 10, 2025.
  19. 1 2 "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 10, 2025.
  20. 1 2 "Official Singles Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 10, 2025.
  21. 1 2 "My Chemical Romance Chart History (Mexico Ingles Airplay)". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 5, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2025.
  22. 1 2 "My Chemical Romance Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 10, 2025.
  23. ↑ "Fake Your Death — Song by My Chemical Romance — Apple Music". Archived from the original on January 10, 2025. Retrieved January 10, 2025.
  24. ↑ "My Chemical Romance – Fake Your Death (Radio Date: 28/02/2014)" (Press release) (in Italian). Italy: Airplay Control. Archived from the original on January 10, 2025. Retrieved January 10, 2025.
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