Causing a Panic!: Panic! At The Disco's triumphant return with "Miss Jackson"
By the end of this year, I’m going to have musical whiplash. Artists and musicians that have been inactive for years are all pouring back onto the scene at a rate so fast that I don’t think my poor heart can take much more. Ready or not though, I’m preparing to brace myself because last Monday officially signaled the return of Panic! At the Disco, with a brand new single, “Miss Jackson” and the announcement of a new album due out October 8th.
So, the question I often ask myself when a band or musician releases their first single is what does this first track tell me? About the band, about the album, about the tour. It’s a clue in a much bigger mystery. One of my favorite high school English teachers told my class once that the first paragraph of any great novel pretty much lays out the overall message of the whole story. Back then in class, I had no idea what he was talking about and, to be honest, since I had the class at 8 in morning, I didn’t really care. However, as more bands are making grand comebacks and releasing impressive singles right out the gate, I’m starting to think my teacher might have been onto something.
So, what does “Miss Jackson” tell us about Panic! At the Disco and their new album Too Weird to Live Too Rare to Die? I think the most important thing to pay attention to with this single is the overall sound and style that Panic! At the Disco is going with this time around. While I will admit to not being a Panic! At the Disco expert, Panic’s sound has undergone some obvious and understandable reworking over the years, especially after the band’s lineup was cut down to just Brendon Urie, Spencer Smith, and Dallon Weeks. From the beginning, Panic! At the Disco had a theatrical and vaudeville style to their music. Fast forward to now, it’s clear that “Miss Jackson” is on a whole different plane from their “I Write Sins Not Tragedies” days. Still, I think the progression from then to now makes sense and shows growth rather than “selling out” (which I’m sure PLENTY of annoying YouTube comments are accusing them of at this very moment). “Miss Jackson” still maintains the theatrical element of classic Panic!, but both the video and the song itself are a grittier and more modern approach to what lies at the core of what Panic is about as a band. I always viewed Panic as understanding the value of a good production. Every album, song, and music video they put out feels like main stage productions and so with “Miss Jackson” and the coming album, they’re looking to put on a different kind of show. That being said, I think that’s why this particular song was chosen to usher in the newest chapter of Panic! At the Disco. In case you didn’t pick up on it, “Miss Jackson” draws much inspiration from Janet Jackson and her major hit from the 80’s “Nasty.” Specifically, the chorus of Panic’s single, “Miss Jackson, Miss Jackson, Miss Jackson, are you nasty?” is a clear reference to a line in Jackson’s song “No, my first name ain’t baby, it’s Janet / Miss Jackson, if you’re nasty.” I think by introducing this album with this sort of homage to an 80’s pop icon, Panic! At the Disco is making a grand and dramatic declaration of the beginning of a new Panic! era and I don’t think anyone could really expect anything less than drama from Urie and company. Drama, in the very classic meaning of the word, has always been what they do best. Because of all this, I think fans are in for a very telling album from the band. Urie is unveiling a whole new perspective into who he and the rest of the band are, as people and as musicians, so listening to the album through and through should be nothing short of fascinating.
Now if I could only put this much effort into understanding the whole first paragraph thing my teacher was talking about…