"The Ballad of Mona Lisa" | ||||
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Single by Panic! at the Disco | ||||
from the album Vices & Virtues | ||||
Released | February 1, 2011 | |||
Recorded | Summer 2010 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:47 (album version) 3:34 (music video version) | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) |
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Panic! at the Disco singles chronology | ||||
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"The Ballad of Mona Lisa" (commonly referred to as simply "Mona Lisa") is a song by American alternative rock band Panic! at the Disco, released February 1, 2011, as the first single from the group's third studio album, Vices & Virtues (2011). Vocalist Brendon Urie wrote the song to express personal struggles and convictions many years prior to its official production for Vices & Virtues. The song impacted radio on February 15, 2011. [1] The song has received positive critical reviews upon its release and reached number 89 on the Billboard Hot 100.
"The Ballad of Mona Lisa", written by lead singer Brendon Urie, was one of the first tracks composed for the band's third album, Vices & Virtues. As a song written before the band even began recording their second album, Pretty. Odd. , it proved to be an inspiration for the production of Vices & Virtues. "A few of the ideas — like "The Ballad of Mona Lisa", specifically — was from an idea I had probably four years ago, before we even started touring on Pretty. Odd., and it was just sitting in my laptop collecting figurative dust on my hard drive, not really doing much," said Urie. "That ended up being a really good intro to the whole process." [2] "I showed the band a couple times," said Urie, "but it just fell to the wayside, we never did anything with it. Other ideas beat it out or whatever reason it was.” [3] He wrote the song dealing with his own personal convictions and struggles. "On the surface it can seem like just the story of drama between a guy and a girl," explains Urie. "But it's really about what I've been going through, an inner-struggle within myself, and fighting the dualities of my personality -- the side that fucks everything up and destroys everything and the other side that tries to pick up the slack. It's all growing pains." The song was also inspired by Urie's move from Las Vegas, Nevada, where he's lived his entire life, to Santa Monica, California, with Panic! drummer Spencer Smith. Urie notes that the move was "a huge part of growing up."
Musically, the song is similar to those produced for the band's debut album, A Fever You Can't Sweat Out (2005); however, Urie explained in a 2011 interview that the song represented more of a new beginning. Urie said "It was a new start when Spencer Smith and I started writing, so it was gonna end up sounding different, sonically." [4] The music has been described as a combination of buzzsaw riffs, punchy percussion and literate, multi-layered lyrics. [5] The song's title is an allusion to Mona Lisa , the famous Renaissance-era oil painting by Leonardo da Vinci. In a 2011 interview, Urie regarded the name and theme of the song as neither male nor female. “That whole thing with Mona Lisa was the idea that there is this character. For us, you look at the painting, and you can’t tell what this person is thinking. Not showing too much emotion, there’s this Mona Lisa smile masking what’s going on in that person’s head," he explained. "The song is about a battle in yourself […] an inner struggle in oneself. The duality in nature, where you see yourself as a bad person, and the good person trying to correct your bad habits. That’s what it was about. We thought that would be an easy way to describe how we were masking our own emotions and trying to figure out how we can solve the bad choices we make." [6]
The single was announced in the December 2010 issue of Alternative Press . [7] The track was originally titled "Mona Lisa", and was originally due for January 2011. [7] On January 17, 2011, Fueled by Ramen posted a 30-second clip of the track on their Tumblr and YouTube accounts. [8] On January 21, 2011, the song leaked in its entirety, [9] and Panic! at the Disco released a lyric video on YouTube on January 24, 2011. [10] Shortly after its February 1 debut on the iTunes Store, the single shot to #1 on iTunes' "Top Alternative Songs" chart, and remained a top ten favorite for the weeks following. [11] The music video has had an even greater success: the video debuted at #1 on iTunes' "Top Alternative Music Videos" ranking, having also recently entered into heavy rotation across the MTV Networks: MTV, MTV2, mtvU, MTV Hits, and Logo's NewNowNext PopLab. [11] The video received 120,000 streams on MTV.com within the week of its debut there and, as of April 3, 2022, has over 189.85 million views on Fueled By Ramen's official YouTube Channel. [11] In Australia, "The Ballad of Mona Lisa" held the top position on iTunes' "Top Alternative Songs" chart for months following its release. The single's greatest charting success was in Australia where it reached #21 on the ARIA singles chart, spending eleven weeks on it.
Stylistically, "The Ballad of Mona Lisa" has been labeled as alternative rock, [12] pop punk, [13] pop rock, [14] power pop, [15] baroque pop, [16] and emo. [17] The song has received positive reviews upon its release. Two journalists from Spin reviewed the song positively. William Goodman of Spin, regarding the single, described the song as "an anthemic power-rock ballad with dark and personal undertones," [18] while John MacDonald, in a review of the band's first official live show of the Vices & Virtues Tour, commented "At the Bowery, Panic! swung the song's sinister faux-cabaret verses into an absolutely towering chorus -- one that's destined to get blasted out of every sports bar and strip mall in the country over the next few months." [19] USA Today called the track a "midtempo rocker" in lieu of a "ballad." [20] Many journalists have noted the similarities between "The Ballad of Mona Lisa" and A Fever You Can't Sweat Out . Prior to the song's official release, Wendy Rollins, disc jockey for Philadelphia's WRFF (Radio 104.5) described the song via her Twitter account as "sounding a whole lot like A Fever You Can't Sweat Out." [21] [22] Emily Tan of AOL Music regarded the song's sound as "bringing fans back to the sound they were introduced to when the band first broke onto the scene." [23] The track was described by Alternative Press as "[having] the upbeat pop energy of A Fever You Can't Sweat Out, with the focus and clarity of Pretty. Odd." [24] The song was nominated for the Kerrang! Award for Best Single.
In the UK on BBC Radio 1, the song, which was not released until 27 March, was Scott Mills' record of the week and went on to make the Radio 1 A-list on Wednesday 23 March.
"The Ballad of Mona Lisa" re-entered the Billboard Hot Digital Songs chart at #142 upon the release of Vices & Virtues.
The video of "The Ballad of Mona Lisa" was directed by Shane Drake (who previously directed the video for the band's breakthrough hit "I Write Sins Not Tragedies") [25] and produced by Brandon Bonfiligo. [26] The video was released on February 8, 2011, on MTV's website shortly after midnight. [5] In a review of the video, MTV News' James Montgomery remarked, "In a lot of ways, "Mona Lisa" is as much about saying goodbye to the band's past as it is about embracing its future ... which sort of makes sense, and not just because the video takes place at a wake." [27]
The steampunk-themed video bears many similarities to the video for "I Write Sins Not Tragedies", from the church setting to various camera shots (The top hat used in the clip of the dusty pews, is the same one used years prior for the music video for "I Write Sins Not Tragedies"). [25] The video documents the steps for preparing and displaying a body before burial in the Victorian era, from shutting the windows and covering up mirrors to laying the body out in white so loved ones could mourn. This also serves as a way to stop communication between the dead and the living. The similarities to "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" were not lost on Smith and Urie. "When we were talking about the concept, somebody had the idea to kind of tie in to the beginning of the "Sins" video, and we realized it would work with it", Smith said. "It was a nice homage to some of the first stuff that we had done with Shane", Urie added. "And also, for us, mostly, it was closure." [27]
The video’s main feature was Urie encouraging a little girl to open the dead body’s hand and find a note. She picks it up and opens it, exposing it to the others at the funeral. The note says, “Mary did it,” saying that one woman from the crowd who had been trying to stop communication with Urie had murdered the man and she is captured by a net.
The League of STEAM's full ensemble cast appear in key roles in the video. [27] They also brought in additional cast members to further populate the scene and create a richer atmosphere with a unified aesthetic. With a newcomer by the name of Misty Rose acting as the betrothed of the deceased in which the wake is for. In addition, The League's Creative Director Nick Baumann acted as the production’s primary steampunk consultant. On the set for the video, shot in Newhall, California, in January 2011, nods to Panic! at the Disco's past were present, from a clock on the wall (the main one set to nine o'clock, in honor of their "Nine in the Afternoon" video) to the dusty top hat resting on a church pew and the closing of the church's door (recalling "I Write Sins Not Tragedies"). [27] Urie plays two separate characters, one "inspired by Sweeney Todd and very Johnny Depp," which Urie insists "was all [Shane Drake]'s direction." [27] The ranch at which the video was shot was once the set for the HBO series Deadwood . [28]
All tracks are written by Brendon Urie and Spencer Smith
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "The Ballad of Mona Lisa" | 3:48 |
Total length: | 3:48 |
Charts (2011) | Peak position |
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Australia (ARIA) [29] | 21 |
UK Singles (OCC) [30] | 43 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [31] | 89 |
US Alternative Songs (Billboard) [32] | 24 |
US Rock Songs (Billboard) [33] | 50 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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United Kingdom (BPI) [34] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [35] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Panic! at the Disco was an American pop rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada, formed in 2004 by childhood friends Ryan Ross, Spencer Smith, Brent Wilson, and Brendon Urie. Following several lineup changes, Panic! at the Disco operated as the solo project of frontman Urie from 2015 until its discontinuation in 2023.
A Fever You Can't Sweat Out is the debut studio album by American pop rock band Panic! at the Disco. Produced by Matt Squire, the album was released on September 27, 2005, through Decaydance and Fueled by Ramen. The group formed in Las Vegas in 2004 and began posting demos online, which caught the attention of Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz. Wentz signed the group to his own imprint label, Decaydance, without them having ever performed live. It is the only album released during original bassist Brent Wilson's time in the band, but the exact nature of his involvement in the writing and recording process became a source of contention upon his dismissal from the group in mid-2006.
"I Write Sins Not Tragedies" is a song by American rock band Panic! at the Disco. It is the second single from their debut studio album, A Fever You Can't Sweat Out (2005), and was released in the United States as a digital download on November 16, 2005. The song is built upon a pizzicato cello motif that was played by session musician Heather Stebbins. It reached a peak of No. 7 on the US Billboard Hot 100, the band's only top-40 hit until the release of "Hallelujah" in 2015, and only top-10 hit until "High Hopes" in 2018. While the song failed to reach the top 10 of the Modern Rock Tracks chart, peaking at No. 12, the song's success on the Hot 100 and Mainstream Top 40 made the song one of the biggest modern rock hits of 2006, and it is still one of the band's most-played songs on alternative radio stations.
"Miss Jackson" is a song by American rock band Panic! at the Disco, released on July 15, 2013, as the first single for the band's fourth studio album, Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die! (2013). The song features vocals from Lolo. A music video directed by Jordan Bahat accompanied the song's announcement as well as the album's title and release date, and headlining tour dates. It was the band's first release since 2011, and the first release to feature Dallon Weekes on bass. The Butch Walker-produced track has been described as "darkly anthemic". It reached the top 10 on iTunes on its release and sold 56,000 digital downloads in its first week to debut at No. 68 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 27 on Digital Songs. It also became Panic! at the Disco's first top ten hit on the Alternative Songs chart since "Nine in the Afternoon" in 2008. In January 2015, it was certified Gold by the RIAA.
George Ryan Ross III is an American musician, singer, and songwriter best known for his work as the former lead guitarist, backing and lead vocalist, and primary songwriter of the American rock band Panic! at the Disco before his departure in 2009. He alongside former Panic! bassist Jon Walker formed the Young Veins later that same year, in which Ross was the lead vocalist and guitarist. They broke up in 2010.
"But It's Better If You Do" is a song by American rock band Panic! at the Disco, released on May 1, 2006, as the third single from their debut album A Fever You Can't Sweat Out (2005). Taking its title from a quote said by Natalie Portman's character in the 2004 film Closer, the song was written by band members Ryan Ross, Brendon Urie and Spencer Smith, and is about being in and not enjoying the location of a strip club. "But It's Better If You Do" failed to recreate the success the previous single "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" had in the United States but found chart prominence in Europe and Oceania, peaking at number 10 in New Zealand, number 15 in Australia and number 23 in the UK. The accompanying music video for the song, directed by Shane Drake, features the band performing at a masquerade-style strip club.
Spencer James Smith is an American talent agent and former musician and songwriter. He is best known as a co-founding member and the former drummer of the rock band Panic! at the Disco. He recorded four studio albums with the band: A Fever You Can't Sweat Out (2005), Pretty. Odd. (2008), Vices & Virtues (2011), and Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die! (2013). The band's debut album went triple platinum and charted at No. 13 on the US Billboard 200, spearheaded by the hit single "I Write Sins Not Tragedies", which peaked at No. 7 in the Billboard Hot 100.
Brendon Boyd Urie is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who is best known as the former lead vocalist and frontman of Panic! at the Disco, the only constant member throughout the band's 19-year run.
Panic! at the Disco was an American rock band that originated in Las Vegas, Nevada. Their 2005 debut album, A Fever You Can't Sweat Out, reached number 13 on the US Billboard 200, and has sold more than 2.2 million copies in the US (pure) and has been certified 4x platinum by RIAAsince its September 2005 release, spearheaded by the eight platinum top-10 hit single, "I Write Sins Not Tragedies". The band's second album, Pretty. Odd., was released on March 21, 2008, entering the US chart at, and peaking at, number 2 and is certified platinum by RIAA. Their third effort, Vices & Virtues, was released on March 18, 2011, and peaked at number 7 in the US and is certified gold by RIAA, spawned iconic comeback smash hit "The Ballad of Mona Lisa". Their fourth album, 2013's Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!, entered and peaked at number 2 on the US chart, and contained hits such as "Miss Jackson", "This Is Gospel", and " Girls / Girls Boys". The band's fifth studio album, Death of a Bachelor, was released in January 2016 and became their first number-one album in the US. It has been certified 2x platinum in 2019. It is currently the most streamed album. Their sixth album, Pray for the Wicked, was released on June 22, 2018, and debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200. It has been certified 2x platinum by RIAA. It later became band's most successful era in terms of achievement and tour gross. Their seventh and final album, Viva Las Vengeance, released in August 2022 and became band's most critically acclaimed album to date.
"New Perspective" is a song by American rock band Panic! at the Disco, released on July 28, 2009, as a single promoting the film Jennifer's Body. Vocalist Brendon Urie began writing the song two years prior to its recording regarding a lucid dream he had. The song was completed in the summer of 2009, and was co-written by producer John Feldmann. "New Perspective" was Panic! at the Disco's first single in aftermath of the departure of guitarist Ryan Ross and bassist Jon Walker, both of whom had no involvement in the track. It also saw the return of the exclamation point in their name, after it was retired during the Pretty. Odd. era.
Vices & Virtues is the third studio album by American pop rock band Panic! at the Disco, released on March 22, 2011, by Fueled by Ramen. Produced by John Feldmann and Butch Walker, the album was recorded as a duo by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Brendon Urie and drummer Spencer Smith, following the departure of lead guitarist, backing vocalist and primary lyricist Ryan Ross and bassist/backing vocalist Jon Walker in July 2009.
Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die! is the fourth studio album by American pop rock band Panic! at the Disco. The album was released on October 8, 2013 by Decaydance and Fueled by Ramen. Recorded as a trio, the album was produced by Butch Walker, and is the only album to feature bassist Dallon Weekes since he officially joined the band in 2010. This was also the final album to feature drummer Spencer Smith, thus making this Panic!'s final album as a rock band, with further releases being made as a solo project fronted by Brendon Urie.
"Girls / Girls / Boys" is a song by American rock band Panic! at the Disco. It was released as the third single from their fourth studio album, Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!, on October 7, 2013. The music video for the song, directed by DJay Brawner, was also released on the day after. It peaked at number 31 on the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart.
"Hallelujah" is a song by American solo project Panic! at the Disco. It was released as a single on April 19, 2015 through Fueled by Ramen as the first single from their fifth studio album Death of a Bachelor. "Hallelujah" debuted at number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 selling over 71,000 copies, becoming the band's second top-40 hit single and the first in nine years since "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" was released in 2006. It is the first single not to include drummer Spencer Smith and bassist Dallon Weekes, thus making "Hallelujah" Panic! at the Disco's first single as a solo project.
Death of a Bachelor is the fifth studio album by Panic! at the Disco, and their first as a solo project, released on January 15, 2016 by Fueled by Ramen and DCD2. It is the follow-up to the band's fourth studio album, Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die! (2013), with the entire album written and recorded by vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Brendon Urie, who collaborated with other writers including Jake Sinclair, Morgan Kibby, Lolo, and Sam Hollander. It is the band's first album to not feature drummer Spencer Smith and also follows bassist Dallon Weekes' departure from the official line-up, subsequently becoming a touring member once again.
"Victorious" is a song by American solo project Panic! at the Disco released as the second single from the band's fifth studio album, Death of a Bachelor, on September 29, 2015 by Fueled by Ramen and DCD2. The song was written by Brendon Urie, CJ Baran, Mike Viola, White Sea, Jake Sinclair, Alex DeLeon, and Rivers Cuomo and was produced by Sinclair with additional production by Suzy Shinn. A music video for the song was released on YouTube on November 13, 2015. It was the final song released during Dallon Weekes's tenure in the band, though it was never confirmed if he played bass on the single. Notably, "Victorious" was the band's first single in almost 10 years to chart on Billboard Pop Songs chart, since 2006's "I Write Sins Not Tragedies".
"Say Amen (Saturday Night)" is a song by American pop rock solo project Panic! at the Disco from their sixth studio album, Pray for the Wicked (2018). It was released as the lead single for the album on March 21, 2018. The song became Panic! at the Disco's first number one single on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart in June 2018.
The Pray for the Wicked Tour was a concert tour by Panic! at the Disco, in support of the project's sixth studio album Pray for the Wicked (2018). The tour began in Minneapolis on July 11, 2018, and concluded in Rio de Janeiro on October 3, 2019. The tour sold over one million tickets. This was also the last Panic! tour where songs off Vices & Virtues were performed.
"Hey Look Ma, I Made It" is a song by Panic! at the Disco from their sixth studio album, Pray for the Wicked, through Fueled by Ramen and DCD2 Records. It was written by frontman Brendon Urie with Michael Angelakos, Sam Hollander, Morgan Kibby, and the track's producers Jake Sinclair and Dillon Francis. The song was made available via album release on June 22, 2018, and it was serviced to alternative radio on February 19, 2019, and US contemporary hit radio on February 26, 2019 as the album's third single. The music video was released on June 21, 2018.
"High Hopes" is a song by American pop rock solo project Panic! at the Disco. The song was released through Fueled by Ramen and DCD2 Records on May 23, 2018, as the second single from the band's sixth studio album, Pray for the Wicked (2018). The song was written and produced by Jake Sinclair and Jonas Jeberg, and co-written by Brendon Urie, Jenny Owen Youngs, Lauren Pritchard, Sam Hollander, William Lobban-Bean, Taylor Parks, and Ilsey Juber, with additional production by Jonny Coffer. It was serviced to alternative radio on July 31, 2018, and impacted hot adult contemporary radio on August 27, 2018, and US pop radio the following day.
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