Young and Menace

Last updated
"Young and Menace"
Single by Fall Out Boy
from the album Mania
ReleasedApril 27, 2017 (2017-04-27)
Genre
Length3:44
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Fall Out Boy singles chronology
"Ghostbusters (I'm Not Afraid)"
(2016)
"Young and Menace"
(2017)
"Champion"
(2017)
Music video
"Young and Menace" on YouTube

"Young and Menace" is a song by American rock band Fall Out Boy, released on April 27, 2017, through Island Records and DCD2. It was released as the lead single from the band's seventh studio album, Mania . [1] The music video was released simultaneously with the single. [2] [3]

Contents

Background

In deciding what "Young and Menace" would sound like, Pete Wentz took inspiration from artists he admires like The Clash, David Bowie, and Kanye West whose musical direction evolved over time. Wentz told Andrew Trendell of NME that the original version of the song was so "extreme" and "chaotic" that "It sounded like a 1990's modem. It didn't even sound like music. So we reigned [ sic ] it in from there." The band felt that the track might not be radio-friendly, but that it could resonate with the wider culture. [4]

Initially, the song made a reference to the personal life of Britney Spears, and included the lyric "Oops I did it again/ I’ve got my head shaved and my umbrella out/ I just forgot what I was talking about." Wentz removed the references to Spears' personal struggles, as he was not comfortable discussing them in his music. [5] The finished song still name-drops Spears' single "Oops!... I Did It Again" (2000). [6] Wentz told Nylon 's Ilana Kaplan that he referenced Spears in "Young and Menace" because "To me, Britney Spears is a mirror we hold up to pop culture: We build her up, tear her down, root for her or against her. I think it says so much more about us as a culture than it does about Britney herself." [5]

Composition

Andrew Trendell of NME described "Young and Menace" as an industrial and EDM song, in contrast to the pop-punk and pop rock sound of the band’s previous album, American Beauty/American Psycho . [7] Anna Gaca of Spin described the song as bringing together "EDM drops" and "heavy metal bombast". [8] Britney Stapos of Rolling Stone described it as "harsh electro-rock". [2]

Music video

The music video for "Young and Menace" premiered on April 27, 2017 on Fall Out Boy's official Vevo and YouTube channels. A trailer ran for it briefly in select Chicago theatres on April 21, 2017.

The music video features a young biracial child suffering through domestic violence within their household. The child's parents are dressed as llama/alpaca puppet "monsters". Wentz has stated "The concept of the video is realizing that your place in the world is maybe not just what you thought it was growing up. I grew up as a weird kid in a place where I felt like I didn't fit it. It wasn't until punk/rock and stuff where I felt like I found other people [who] similarly didn't fit in." [9]

Personnel

Fall Out Boy

Additional personnel

Charts

Related Research Articles

<i>Britney</i> (album) 2001 studio album by Britney Spears

Britney is the third studio album by American singer Britney Spears. It was released on October 31, 2001, by Jive Records. Looking to transition from the teen pop styles of her first two studio albums ...Baby One More Time (1999) and Oops!... I Did It Again (2000), Spears began to embrace a significantly more mature sound with Britney. The record incorporates genres of pop and R&B with influences of EDM and occasionally dips into disco, hip hop, rock, and electronica. Its lyrical themes address the subjects such as coming of age, adulthood, control, and sexuality. Contributions to its production came from a variety of collaborators, including Max Martin and Rami Yacoub. Spears herself assumed a more prominent role in the album's development, co-writing six of its tracks.

<i>In the Zone</i> 2003 studio album by Britney Spears

In the Zone is the fourth studio album by American singer Britney Spears. It was released on November 1, 2003, by Jive Records. Spears began writing songs during her Dream Within a Dream Tour, not knowing the direction of the record. She stated she was an autobiographical songwriter, although not to the point where she felt self-exploited. During the process, she ended her highly-publicized relationship with singer Justin Timberlake. With the tour's conclusion in July 2002, Spears planned to take a six-month break from her career; however, recording for the album commenced in November.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oops!... I Did It Again (song)</span> 2000 single by Britney Spears

"Oops!... I Did It Again" is a pop song by American singer Britney Spears from her second studio album of the same name. It was released on April 11, 2000, by Jive Records as the lead single from the album, and her sixth single overall. It was written and produced by Max Martin and Rami Yacoub. The lyrics refer to a woman who views love as a game, and she decides to use that to her advantage by playing with the emotions of a boy who likes her. Its bridge features spoken dialogue which references the hit 1997 film Titanic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucky (Britney Spears song)</span> 2000 single by Britney Spears

"Lucky" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her second studio album, Oops!... I Did It Again (2000). It was released on July 25, 2000, by Jive Records as the second single from the album. After meeting with producers Max Martin and Rami Yacoub in Sweden, the singer recorded numerous songs for the album, including "Lucky". The song's narrative follows the story of the eponymous famous actress, who, despite seemingly having it all – fame, wealth, beauty – is truly lonely and unhappy on the inside. It received critical acclaim, with critics praising its melody and rhythm, and Spears' vocals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stronger (Britney Spears song)</span> 2000 single by Britney Spears

"Stronger" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her second studio album, Oops!... I Did It Again (2000). It was released on October 31, 2000, by Jive Records as the third single from the album. After meeting with producers Max Martin and Rami in Sweden, Spears recorded several songs for the album, including "Stronger". The dance-pop, synth-pop and teen pop song features self-empowerment lyrics about a girl who is tired of her cheating boyfriend and decides to move on without him. It received acclaim from music critics, who described the song as being both musically and lyrically innovative, with some deeming it the best track on Oops!... I Did It Again.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know</span> 2001 single by Britney Spears

"Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her second studio album, Oops!... I Did It Again (2000). It was released on March 12, 2001, by Jive Records as the fourth and final single from the album. After meeting with producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange in Switzerland, Spears recorded several songs for the album, including "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know", which she considered one of her favorites on the album. Additional lyrics were written by guitar player Keith Scott and country pop singer Shania Twain. The pop ballad speaks of a woman wanting to hear her boyfriend say that he loves her, and is sonically similar to David Bowie and Iggy Pop's song "China Girl" (1983).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toxic (song)</span> 2004 single by Britney Spears

"Toxic" is a song recorded by American singer Britney Spears for her fourth studio album, In the Zone (2003). It was written and produced by Bloodshy & Avant, with additional writing from Cathy Dennis and Henrik Jonback. Released as the second single from In the Zone, the song was initially offered to Kylie Minogue for her album Body Language, but she turned it down. After trying to choose between "(I Got That) Boom Boom" and "Outrageous" to be the second single, Spears selected "Toxic" instead. A dance-pop and techno-pop song with elements of South Asian music, "Toxic" features varied instrumentation, such as drums, synthesizers and surf guitar. It is accompanied by breathy vocals and high-pitched Bollywood strings, sampled from Laxmikant–Pyarelal's "Tere Mere Beech Mein" (1981). Its lyrics draw an extended metaphor of a lover as a dangerous and addictive drug.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pete Wentz</span> American musician

Peter Lewis Kingston Wentz III is an American musician who is best known as the bassist and lyricist for the rock band Fall Out Boy. Before the band's formation in 2001, Wentz was a fixture of the Chicago hardcore scene and was the lead singer and songwriter for Arma Angelus, a metalcore band. During Fall Out Boy's hiatus from 2009 to 2012, Wentz formed the experimental, electropop and dubstep group Black Cards. He owns a record label, DCD2 Records, which has signed bands including Panic! at the Disco and Gym Class Heroes.

<i>Blackout</i> (Britney Spears album) 2007 studio album by Britney Spears

Blackout is the fifth studio album by American singer Britney Spears. It was released on October 25, 2007, by Jive Records. Its production and release occurred as Spears' personal struggles were highly publicized and overshadowed her professional projects. She executive-produced the album, working with producers Danja, Bloodshy & Avant, Sean Garrett, and the Neptunes, among others; it remains Spears' sole album to be executive produced by her. The final result was primarily a dance-pop and electropop record with Euro disco and dubstep influences, with lyrical themes revolving around love, fame, media scrutiny, sex, and clubbing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fall Out Boy</span> American rock band

Fall Out Boy is an American rock band formed in Wilmette, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Patrick Stump, bassist Pete Wentz, drummer Andy Hurley, and lead guitarist Joe Trohman. The band originated from Chicago's hardcore punk scene and was formed by Wentz and Trohman as a pop-punk side project; Stump joined shortly thereafter. The group went through a succession of drummers before Hurley joined. Their debut album, Take This to Your Grave (2003), became an underground success and helped the band gain a dedicated fanbase through heavy touring. Take This to Your Grave is cited as influential on pop-punk music in the 2000s.

<i>Folie à Deux</i> (album) 2008 studio album by Fall Out Boy

Folie à Deux is the fourth studio album by American rock band Fall Out Boy, released on December 10, 2008, by Island Records. As with their previous two albums From Under the Cork Tree (2005) and Infinity on High (2007), its music was composed by lead vocalist and guitarist Patrick Stump, with lyrics penned by bassist Pete Wentz. Regarding the writing process, the band considered Folie à Deux to be their most collaborative record.

<i>Circus</i> (Britney Spears album) 2008 studio album by Britney Spears

Circus is the sixth studio album by American singer Britney Spears. It was released to coincide with her 27th birthday on December 2, 2008, by Jive Records. Transitioning from the "darker and more urban" themes of her fifth studio album Blackout (2007), Spears wanted to make her next project "a little bit lighter". She recorded much of the album between March and September 2008, after being involuntarily placed under a conservatorship earlier that year, following her highly-publicized personal struggles in 2007. As executive producers, Larry Rudolph and Teresa LaBarbera Whites enlisted Spears' previous collaborators such as Max Martin, Bloodshy & Avant, Guy Sigsworth and Danja, as well as new ones, including Dr. Luke, Benny Blanco and Claude Kelly. Their efforts resulted in a primarily pop and dance record, whose lyrical themes addressed fame, infidelity, and infatuation.

<i>Oops!... I Did It Again</i> (album) 2000 studio album by Britney Spears

Oops!... I Did It Again is the second studio album by American singer Britney Spears released on May 3, 2000, by Jive Records. Following the enormous commercial success of her debut studio album ...Baby One More Time (1999) and the completion of its accompanying concert tour of the same title, Spears began recording material for her second studio album in September 1999. Pressured to duplicate the success of ...Baby One More Time, she collaborated with a wide range of producers, including Max Martin, Rami Yacoub, Per Magnusson, David Kreuger, Kristian Lundin, Jake Schulze, Darkchild, and Robert John "Mutt" Lange for Oops!... I Did It Again. The final result was a pop, dance-pop and teen pop record exceedingly in the vein of ...Baby One More Time, but incorporating funk and R&B. The production, sonic quality, and Spears' vocal performance received critical acclaim upon the album's release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Love Rock 'n' Roll</span> 1975 single by the Arrows

"I Love Rock 'n' Roll" is a rock song written by Alan Merrill and Jake Hooker and first recorded by the Arrows, a British rock band, in 1975. A 1981 cover version by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, released as the first single from her album of the same name, became Jett's highest-charting hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming the No. 3 song for 1982. The single was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, representing two million units shipped to stores. Jett's version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perfume (Britney Spears song)</span> 2013 single by Britney Spears

"Perfume" is a song by American singer Britney Spears, taken from her eighth studio album, Britney Jean (2013). It was written by Spears, Sia and Christopher Braide, while the song was produced by will.i.am and co-produced by Keith Harris and Braide. The song was released as the second single from the album on November 3, 2013 by RCA Records. "Perfume" is a synth-pop, power ballad, which is influenced by music of the 1980s. Lyrically, the song is built around themes of jealousy and suspicion in a relationship. Spears revealed that the song was about her split with her ex-fiancé, Jason Trawick, in early 2013.

"It Should Be Easy" is a song recorded by American singer Britney Spears for her eighth studio album, Britney Jean (2013). It features the vocal collaboration of American rapper will.i.am. The song was written by Spears, will.i.am, David Guetta, Giorgio Tuinfort, Nicky Romero and Marcus van Wattum. According to EarOne, it was made available to Italian radio stations on June 13, 2014. It is the third collaboration between Spears and will.i.am, following "Big Fat Bass" from Spears' seventh studio album Femme Fatale (2011), and "Scream & Shout" from will.i.am's fourth studio album #willpower (2013).

<i>Mania</i> (Fall Out Boy album) 2018 studio album by Fall Out Boy

Mania is the seventh studio album by American rock band Fall Out Boy, released on January 19, 2018, on Island Records and DCD2 as the follow-up to their sixth studio album, American Beauty/American Psycho (2015). The album was produced by Jonny Coffer, Illangelo, Dave Sardy, Jesse Shatkin, and longtime collaborator Butch Walker, as well as self-production from the band. The album was preceded by five singles; "Young and Menace", "Champion", "The Last of the Real Ones", "Hold Me Tight or Don't", and "Wilson ".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Champion (Fall Out Boy song)</span> 2017 single by Fall Out Boy

"Champion" is a song by American rock band Fall Out Boy, released on June 22, 2017 in the US and on June 23 worldwide through Island Records and DCD2. It was released as the second single from their seventh studio album, Mania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hold Me Tight or Don't</span> 2017 single by Fall Out Boy

"Hold Me Tight or Don't" is a song by American rock band Fall Out Boy, released on November 15, 2017, through Island Records and DCD2. It was released as the fourth single from their seventh studio album, Mania. A music video was released with the single.

"Wilson (Expensive Mistakes)" is a song by American rock band Fall Out Boy, released on January 11, 2018, through Island Records and DCD2. It was released as the fifth single from their seventh studio album, Mania. A music video was released with the single.

References

  1. Payne, Chris. "Fall Out Boy Share New Song". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  2. 1 2 Stapos, Britney (April 27, 2017). "Fall Out Boy Preview New LP 'Mania' With Sinister 'Young and Menace' Video". Rolling Stone . Retrieved April 27, 2017. She then escapes to see the human world, an adventure ominously soundtracked by the harsh, electro-rock song that references Nikki Sixx and Britney Spears' "Oops!… I Did It Again."
  3. Bacle, Ariana. "What if I Told You ..." Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  4. Trendell, Andrew (April 28, 2017). "Fall Out Boy discuss 'extreme' new single 'Young And Menace' and their 'political' new album 'M A N I A'". NME . Retrieved June 16, 2018.
  5. 1 2 Kaplan, Ilana (March 5, 2018). "Pete Wentz On The Britney Spears Lyric Removed From The New Fall Out Boy Album". Nylon . Retrieved June 16, 2018.
  6. McIntyre, Hugh (April 27, 2017). "Fall Out Boy Quotes Britney Spears On New Single 'Young And Menace'". Forbes . Retrieved June 16, 2018.
  7. Trendell, Andrew (27 April 2017). "Fall Out Boy unveil new song and video". NME . Retrieved April 27, 2017. Moving away from the punkier, rock n' roll sound of 'American Beatuty/American Psycho', 'Young And Menace' takes the band down a uprising, industrial EDM and electronic sound.
  8. Gaca, Anna (January 19, 2018). "Review: Fall Out Boy Have The Wrong Ideas About Pissing Off Punk Purists". Spin . Retrieved February 2, 2023. M A N I A stumbled out of the gate after missing its initial release date last September, following the muted reaction to early singles like "Young and Menace," which wedded EDM drops to heavy metal bombast.
  9. FallOutBoyVEVO (2017-05-16), Fall Out Boy - Young And Menace (Beyond The Video) , retrieved 2017-05-27
  10. "ARIA Chart Watch #419". auspOp. May 6, 2017. Archived from the original on September 23, 2020. Retrieved May 6, 2017.
  11. "NZ Heatseekers Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. May 8, 2017. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
  12. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 6, 2017.
  13. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 6, 2017.
  14. "Fall Out Boy Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  15. "Fall Out Boy Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  16. "Hot Rock Songs – Year-End 2017". Billboard. Retrieved May 4, 2020.