Patrick Stump's Depressing 2012 Letter To Fans (and The Effects of Mainstream Success on Musicians)

[@majinally3527]

they did NOT deserve the hate they got for folie. that album was a fucking masterpiece

[@scarlett4061]

True. Folie is probably my favorite FOB album

[@majinally3527]

@@scarlett4061 it’s my favorite too. it’s rare for an album to have no unskippable songs and this one doesn’t. the hate they got for this album really got to patrick too

[@madiserket2]

People hated Folie??? That's my favorite album of theirs .Jesus it's crazy to think people hate that but I see plenty of FOB fans that are absolutely dickriding MANIA even though that was leagues worse.

[@seasluggy]

My favourite album of all time

[@ericlpz12]

Infinity on high from under the cork tree Soul punk and save rock and roll. Best album a imo

[@_Mr.Tuvok_]

Fall Out Boy and Patrick Stump specifically needed their fans to simply grow up. Once we did, we appreciated what their songs did in the dark.

[@Ann-ominous]

My heart breaks when I think back to this era for Patrick & FOB and how miserable they were to be harassed for years. I traveled 6 hours to another province to catch Patrick on his solo tour and that man met every single person who waited after the show to talk to him. I mentioned to him that I was concerned the merch booth had closed while I was waiting, and he ran out himself to check...so incredibly humble. After that, he went outside to meet the kids who were underage and couldn't get into the venue. I can't think of a more underrated and underestimated artist. An earth angel. I hate how cruel fans can be in the 'scene', it was a phenomenon in the 'oughties for sure - falloutboyrock message board was particularly nasty and filled with vitriol, in-fighting was rife.

[@hughneutron5303]

i was with a girl in 2013 who's mother was friends with patrick's wife. they were at a Christmas party we went to. he was cool as shit. we bullshitted about music and Gretsch (i love their drums) and had a few beers. he was super down to earth. after the beers kicked in, he tried doing karaoke to his own music. the machine gave him a whopping 80% accuracy, and he just started laughing. i knew he was gonna be there but it was just surreal to see a guy i look up to, a guy that got me into music, just chilling like a normal person and he DIDN'T DISREGARD HIS FANS! even at a damn Christmas party, he still was genuinely happy when I said fall out boy was my first dive into pop punk, EVEN BEFORE BLINK FOR ME. i honestly can't stand the sound the evolved into but i wont complain. bands evolve and i will ALWAYS cherish the cheery (yet melancholy) vibe i got from pretty much every track

[@das4433]

I was one of those underaged kids that couldn't get in! He honestly was and still is my hero and he was so nice and genuine and at one point helped a kid look for his glasses on the street. Such an amazing human

[@squidulah5219]

I remember in 2013 when they came over to Australia. I won a comp to see them do their warm up and got Patrick to sign my copy of Soul Punk, he was so thankful. I really hope he knows how much people love that album.

[@Jaymustdieee]

Right! It’s my favorite album of all time he perfectly blended rock, soul, rnb, and so many genres and it worked so well!

[@lizzieb62]

When fob relaunched with the SRR tour, I wore my Soul Punk t shirt and brought my disc for his autograph. He was so appreciative and sweet when we spoke.

[@noordinarymary]

I have "Soul Punk" tattooed on my fingers... It's amazing.

[@SilversteinRescue]

Trash album tbh

[@kuromi8384]

@@SilversteinRescue flop opinion

[@cloama]

Patrick's solo music remains some of my favorite. As a Black Fall Out Boy fan I found it so crazy but not surprising how Patrick always stood out for his R&B influenced vocals only for people to be confused/angry when he made an R&B influenced album. I didn't listen to much. I always bought the post haitus FOB albums and listened but stadium pop isn't for me. Also knowing what Patrick is capable of from Soul Punk and knowing I would never get that again truly broke my heart. I'm gonna be a little bitter about it, always.

[@brandontadday6288]

Patrick's R&B influenced vocals and ridiculously catchy hooks were always my favourite aspect of FOB's music back in the day.

[@Rex-golf_player810]

Yeah thats so fuckin stupid how they gave him such hate Patrick was known for his soul vocals and all that stuff when he was in Fall Out Boy since it was such a unique thing in pop punk but then when he decided to indulge into that style in his solo stuff people shat on it??? Like what the fuck man even when he WAS doin the emo stuff he was doing it like this

[@aspyn.j_]

another Black FOB fan here: i think the reason i liked FOB was specifically because of patrick's soulful vocals. he warmed up to ray charles and usher (yes i was that fangirl who watched everything they did behind the scenes) and made it known that he loved prince and ne-yo. he even called ne-yo punk for writing his entire first album. he was genuinely appreciative of Black music and that made me love him and the band even more.

[@jeremywaygay]

I think you would like a solo song he did for a movie a few years back called Deep Blue Love, he totally goes full blown soulful R&B in that.

[@kirafaith8581]

Which is crazy that fans were mad at a heavily R&B influenced album because there’s literally interviews dating back to 2005 where he names off a bunch of different artists that are R&B that he’s into while the other guys in fob name metal bands. Patrick has always been open about his blues and R&B interest and that’s something I really love and appreciate about him.

[@spankyshanky]

I want Patrick’s unfinished “sequel” to Soul Punk, those songs hit the spot

[@mikeboggs1479]

It's wild because now Patrick or any of the guys don't have much social media presence anymore. I did become a fan right around the time SRAR was released so I did get to experience the days of Patrick being very candid and genuine online. I have heard of this Tumblr post before but I could never get myself to read it knowing it would be sad. And wow it really was sad. Many people see Patrick as this really happy, bubbly, cheerful person and I think we forget he is human like the rest of us. He gets disappointed, has mental health struggles, and body image issues, and feels anger like the rest of us. Sometimes we don't think about those things when it comes to our idols. Like you said, this post really humanizes him.

[@mewgiah8057]

Funny enough, I was one of those kids in High School that thought Under the Cork tree was "lame". And I couldn't stand "Dance, Dance" when it was a hit. I actually later fell in love with them BECAUSE of Folie à deux. I was in college when it came out, and the melancholy lyrics and Stump's reflection on life really resonated with me. At least to my ears at the time, it sounded like a more mature sound for the band as well. I now am a big fan of Fall Out Boy and even love their earlier records. But despite being a massive fan now, I had NO CLUE that he wrote this letter back in 2012. It's pretty eye-opening, and I'm surprised more people don't talk about it. I actually think it's beautifully written, and he really does a great job expressing how fans' nostalgia for his older stuff haunts him (something a lot of artists go through). So I find this blog post illuminating even from a fan perspective, and seeing how fandom can impact the mental health of artists. As a HUGE Weezer fan, I actually learned to let go of wanting artist to make x or y type of music. I treat every album as its own thing. And I feel nostalgic about something, I just go back and listen to that record.

[@danielpatternson6149]

I feel the same. If only there were more people that shared your point of view

[@LocalTorchwoodIntern]

Soul Punk is probably my favorite thing Patrick has ever produced, something bout how funky and different each song is while staying the same musically. From beginning to end of the album there was not one song I wanted to skip and those are hard to come by for me, another example was Waterpark's Greatest Hits but besides that. It hurt hearing bout how bad the fans treated the work and hell I've seen the videos of the people yelling at him to play fob at his solo shows. A band changing sound is a good thing cause sometimes it gets a bit boring. I love Folie a Deux as well and I hate it got the same treatment but years before Soul Punk's release.

[@miles2593]

hearing him say here that he might not ever tour again after the wonder that was tourdust this year makes me so incredibly happy

[@ez3748]

i remember being on twitter when patrick finally had enough of it. he'd just come back to the app after a hiatus to answer any questions fans had and interact, essentially he called a truce and was optimistic that people wouldn't start throwing mindless hate again. well.... that lasted about a week (as far as i remember). rip patrick being on twitter, you will be missed.

[@1nc0rr1g1bl3]

Lol that's so funny (Don't get me wrong, it's awful) really shows how much they really weren't down for anything and wanted just that one thing. I miss them doing pop punk but even I've gotta accept that they've moved on from that (as all humans do imo)

[@flipppbook]

reading that post for the first time as a kid broke my heart. there is not an artist or even a man on the face of this earth that brings me as much comfort and feeling of home as Patrick does. (every other male band member i love i like with just a touch of arms-length irony, call them my beloved rat men and so on, can't let myself get too attached some guy in a band, you know, don't wanna be a stereotype. But) something about the sincerity and pursuit of warmth and earnestness that Patrick applies to everything he does makes him feel so safe and so so easy to adore wholeheartedly. seeing him disheartened and in pain was gutwrenching at the time, and still makes me a bit cosmically sad to think about. I was so deeply glad when SRAR and ABAP did so well and i loved Mania with my whole heart, though i really worry that it doing a bit "worse" so to speak will put us in a history repeating itself situation, let's manifest that not happening.

[@jerrel.writes]

This was a cathartic watch. Stump's solo stuff was on my listening rotation VERY often during 2013-2014, I instantly get taken back to my first year of college away from home where I didn't know how the world worked. The sound was new, emotional, mature, and lyrically so on-point. What Stump was going through at the time was really unfortunate, because I would have loved to see what he followed up with afterwards. The reuniting of FOB was obviously great, but it's just so criminal to me how underrecognized Soul Punk is. I hope your video changes people's minds. It's a gem.

[@vika190]

I didn’t really know Patrick’s solo stuff got so much hate. I’ve never been a FOB fan (just knew the hits through friends) but Soul Punk really got my attention… I listened to it non stop cause I found it to be something special. It’s so sad to think an album like that will never be possible again. Fans can really be so incredibly toxic when they become stuck with what they think a band should sound like.

[@dilanelysium5118]

i love how well researched, straight to the point, interpersonal and also down to earth your videos are!

[@thecozyrep]

thanks so much! :)

[@ashla2187]

i really dont understand why people feel the need to be so brutal to their artists. i realized this after joining kpop fandoms that english fandoms are highly critical and want their artists to remain a caricature instead of growing and maturing. but before kpop, fall out boy was my favorite band, patrick being the member i adored and looked up to. folie is my favorite fall out boy record and soul punk is a masterpiece. their comeback success made me so happy for them as i felt like it pandered while still being fresh. mania is definitely not pandering, and it may not be my favorite fob record (even tho tlotro goes hard and is a fave of mine), but good for them for doing whatever they feel is good. they deserve to feel free musically after catering to a picky audience for years. but another interesting thing i've realized through the years is fob influences the music industry directly and indirectly. without pete teaming up with bebe, shinee would have never gotten their song lucifer, and my favorite kpop boy wouldn't even be an idol bc shinee wouldn't have inspired him to be an idol. their impact reaches worldwide and i hope they know how important they are to the industry and the world.

[@DonPlayz5]

I cried throughout the video..... I've been Patrick's fan ever since Fall Out Boy started and sticking around till the end.... It's pretty surprising to hear someone talk about this 10 years later when everything's changed a lot. Totally agreed with your point of view Mainstream music demands are killing artists in my opinion...

[@watchcloudspassmeby]

This brings a new meaning to the HellaMega Tour for me. I was thrilled to see these bands together and, even with covid, I reaaaaaally hope Patrick and Rivers (Billie Joe too) got to chat about the ups and downs of their careers. I just adore them, ups and downs and all.

[@sketchywolfgrl9564]

I'm very late to this, I didn't get into FOB seriously until late last year and it breaks my heart to see how fans were so terrible about the band and Patrick growing and evolving with their music. I'm glad that things didn't end in 2012.

[@curbsideaudio]

In February, it’ll be 10 years since I wrote the blog post that prompted Patrick’s open letter. Since then I’ve learned that it was that letter that caused Pete to reach out about writing again. That led to their first two writing sessions in a few years. “Where Did The Party Go” and a hint of momentum came out of them, which is when they called the rest of the band. The rest you covered here. In these ten years, I’ve partially processed my small part in it all. I requested 1:1 interviews with Patrick a few times after, but it was too soon. Now I think it’s probably too distant to gain anything from a conversation. Still, I think about it a lot. I published a love letter to FUCT on my 19th birthday. Later that evening, the singer of that band wrote something both very complementary of me and also incredibly sad about him. I think he understood the heart of my piece, but what that piece doesn’t mention is that Folie à Deux is and was my favorite record from the band. That I loved the solo EP and Soul Punk enough to wait out front of my local record shop so I could grab them when the opened. That I downloaded every KZbin cover he recorded at the time to make a bootleg mixtape to share with friends. I celebrated that era of his career. It’s still odd to be so publicly associated with the bad feelings he had about it. But hey, at least Google has stopped suggesting “From Under The Cork Tree” when people type my name. 😄 I wrote a retrospective last year, which includes excerpts from an interview I did with author Ben Welch for his book on Fall Out Boy. It’s available to read on my blog. jacobtender.net/blog/fall-out-boy-book/ Nicely made video, Julian!

[@squishtrovert]

dude, with all due respect, that made him want to kill himself. fob would have gotten back together anyway, pete was just looking for an excuse to reach out, and i wouldn't be proud of making that post if i were you

[@curbsideaudio]

@@squishtrovert Hey, why don’t you go read the post. I wrote about how a specific album affected me as an 11 year old kid. It didn’t say anything about how it was the band’s best work or how anything that followed it paled in comparison. Why didn’t it? Because even if I believed that was true (and I never have), it wouldn’t have been relevant to the story I was telling which you clearly haven’t read. If you read Pat’s post and thought that it was my post from 6 hours earlier that made him feel that way, you missed the entire plot. Patrick had been dealing with abuse from FOB fans for over a year. Online and at shows. People telling him his solo material sucked, commenting about his weight… it was pretty terrible for him. My post may have inspired him to write something about all of that, but it definitely didn’t share *any* of the negative sentiments he detailed. I was told in private by members of his team that my piece was sent to him by several of his closest friends and that he enjoyed it. Your exaggerated interpretation doesn’t hold any weight with me. I am proud of that piece. I’m proud that it had a profound enough impact on Patrick that he was inspired to share his feelings with the public. It was obviously a very positive release for him and I don’t think he or I have anything to regret about what we published that day in 2012.

[@NatieGreen]

@@curbsideaudio Don't mind the hate. I'm glad you're proud of the post, because you wrote it from deep in your heart from the appreciation you had for their music, and obviously Patrick noticed it when he read it. If you could move him (since he even said it was well written and brought him nostalgia, aside from explicitly saying it's not your fault) as much to inspire him to write a note to his fans explaining how the reaction of the public has affected him, that's amazing. It made him look at his past and present and try to prepare to what the future could be, and it has been great so far 😌

[@natalier4053]

@@squishtrovert You’re delusional lmao, did you even watch the video?

[@willbennett7993]

personally I'd still be very interested if you interviewed Patrick Stump!

[@WiggityWizard]

When Folie came out, kids would show up to shows, take up the front rows, and face away from the stage in protest. That's a legit thing that happened.

[@seokjinnied]

weird to think about now, but i actually wanted patrick to lean harder into the soul and r&b stuff with the EP thats why i never really got into the full album - really unfortunate as patrick is a phenomenal artist like truly one of the best of our generation. great video as always

[@sovrinn16]

I loved both Folie and Soul Punk instantly. It still blows my mind that Folie was poorly-received. Twenty Dollar Nosebleed and What A Catch, Donnie! are still my favorite songs in FoB's catalog.

[@dunkarooni4135]

Man, I just love Soul Punk. Patrick has such a knack for melody and hook writing. The song "Allie" may be my favorite hook Patrick has ever done, Fall Out Boy or not. "Run Dry," "People Never Done a Good Thing," and "When I made You Cry," some of the catchiest stuff I've ever heard. I'd love another project like this from him.

[@Kekktye]

This is the most emotionally honest and well put together blog post from anyone in the Warped scene ever.

[@amazingamandareelztalk]

Patrick and I are about the same age (I’ll be 38 at the end of this year and he’s 39), and his blog post honestly was how I felt around that same time on a much smaller scale (since I’m not famous) about my own career trajectory. I remember reading it and thinking “yeah me too.” The 2010s were definitely a weird time for those of us in our late 20s so it’s no surprise a lot of us felt like we peaked in our early 20s (I know I sure did as I was stuck as a dead end job I was so unhappy with not making the money I thought I’d make post graduation in 2008 Thanks housing market crash of 07). So seeing Fall Out Boy succeed post hiatus as a fan from the early 2000s makes me so happy. Seeing Patrick going on to score movies and TV and participating in other artists work shows that he’s not a has been at all and proof that the narrative of peaking in your 20s needs to stop.

[@sleepymaddy]

This makes me so upset. Soul punk is one of my favorite albums I’ll live and breathe by. The rnb groove sound is so prominent in Fobs discography i feel like it makes them so unique in that way. I cannot imagine a world without the members individual work because without their creative differences when they come together it’s fob definitely. This album also showed a side of Patrick that we’ve never gotten to see instead of just being a nerdy shy guy in a huge emo band he really came into his own on soul punk and makes me so happy and understand him more.

[@XEMIko79x]

Folle a deux made me a fall out boy fan. It came out when I felt like I was at the end of my youth arc...I was only 18 at the time. I bought it on an sd card from Wal-Mart and one day said screw it and listened to it because I bought it and I was impressed. I was into heavier music and still had a massive love for rap which I felt grew semi stale sonically at the time and was like wow pharell and lil Wayne are on this let's gooo. I was definitely over what my life became when I was kicked to the curb by my family and my girlfriend at the time and was like man this is one of those idgaf records. I felt like it was a shame they took so long away from each other. Cause man that album was great. Listened to Stumps solo work and I felt like he had the best project out of everyone because it was truly different than his previous work and wasn't trying to cling on to the past but reinvented himself somewhat without completely abandoning it. I didn't like post hiatus fall out boy but I respect the work they put in. I'm shocked they could remain as successful as they are. A lot of bands fall off especially when they take YEARS off. The weezer comparison is a nice touch and I agree with you that their arc is pretty similar. I lost interest in weezer after one of their "modern" albums but eh sometimes stuff doesn't grow with you or it loses meaning.

[@InkAndPoet]

This is so frustrating. I want to quote something from a Note to Scene episode: "But as the scene does... loves to throw a tantrum when bands change sounds. You could bring a no-name band back from 15 years ago and if they release something that is even slightly different than what they're known for, the five people listening would be like 'why did you change your sound?' We have to let bands evolve... Bottom line, it is okay to not like a band's song or album, but don't tell them they're not allowed to change their sound." This is what I always come back to when I hear about an album or song failing because it isn't what the fans were expecting.

[@thecozyrep]

So true. Also Note to scene is awesome!

[@herefortheshrimp1469]

What a beautiful way to articulate that! I’m so lucky that one of my favourite bands (Circa Survive) has grown with me and I love all of their new songs as an adult but that’s not the case with Silverstein - and that’s great! I still do all I reasonably can to support them because they seem to still be good people and I just move on! I’m happy I leaned this early

[@kanyexwentzxcore]

HUGE fob fan for my whole life (of course I thought I was pete wentz for like three years 😂) I remember when Patrick’s solo stuff was coming out. He posted a video of him playing like 10 different instruments… I thought “this is going to be crazy, everyone will see even more how talented he is.” And then it was like crickets. I remember seeing that blog post and feeling so bad for him. I’m beyond happy that things turned around and he’s doing it all again.

[@PowerChordOverlord]

I found the sentiment of Patrick's blog post to be really relatable as a mid-to-late-twenty-something trying to figure out my place in the world. My problems are on a much smaller scale (because I'm not a famous musician), but I still really identify with his feelings of inadequacy and complicated relationship with his past self. I know he made this post ten years ago, but reading it makes me wish I could tell Patrick what a profound impact he has had on me through his music. Fall Out Boy holds a very special place in my heart as being the band that inspired me to become a musician and songwriter myself. When I started my own band, I named it after a Fall Out Boy lyric as a tribute to them. This video inspired me to listen to Soul Punk. For what it's worth: I'm a huge pop punk fan and TTTYG is my holy grail, but I still think Soul Punk was an incredible record and I enjoy it to this day. I hope that we get to hear more solo music from Patrick one day.

[@gabbyl3856]

idk how people even slept on Soul Punk, it is so good and hits different the older you get

[@mrmicholas]

UGH, was so happy you mentioned Love, Selfish, Love. That song is fantastic, and I have it on an evening driving playlist; it always seems to ease whatever difficult emotions I'm processing at the time.

[@carmela_c]

Love, Selfish, Love is genuinely one of my favorite songs ever. It’s just so soothing to me for some reason lol

[@victoriacorbier6983]

Folie was not received well by my friends when we were teens. I still put that album on every few weeks and know every word. I loved the experimental soul-sy bits. I think he did the right thing and put himself out there instead. Patrick is a cool ass dude and I can only imagine how it is for a man in a nostalgic driven industry when we as people all perpetually change and become molded by our own influences. I’m a visual artist, my art and taste change constantly, and I often wonder what it’s like for musicians whose art is not swept away when you no longer identify with it. I can easily delete and destroy my work and it’ll never see the light of day again, a famous musician cannot.

[@eleanorbruton3831]

well.freaking.said! I feel so bad for past Patrick, if I hadn't been so busy being a college ruffian in 2012 I definitely would've given him the support he deserved. But seeing them two years later and seeing him in person showed the energy he must've gained back and I hope he knows how many of us really loved seeing him and the band again

[@BBirby]

This is an amazing video. As someone who loves Mania and ESPECIALLY Folie a due (it’s my favorite album) I can agree that yeah I can feel a bit commercial panderance when it come to Mania. I love it because it’s new and I’m gonna like anything from fall out boy. Both albums provided something new for fans but just in different ways. It’s sad when artist start to get in their own head and look from the perspective of fans because when artist do what they want it ends up surpassing the odds later on, at least that I’ve seen. But regardless I’ll always be satisfied if the band is happy with something they made

[@ElR1517]

I should have snuck out of the house and gone to his show, it's really one of my greatest regrets. I never miss a show to bands and people I care about now if I can swing it

[@J_Goffik]

The logic of going to a show just to boo at the artist doesn't add up to me. Who has that much hate in their heart AND money in their checking account to spare for such a petty thing? It's just sad

[@lexidarling]

I wasn't super into Patrick's solo music at the time, though I admit I didn't really give it a fair chance. There was always that part of me deep down that wanted to compare it to FOB, I suppose in a way I was one of those fans who was just clinging to the past. I'm definitely going to relisten to Soul Punk now, I haven't heard a single song off of it since it came out and this video puts it into a new perspective for me. Thanks for the always excellent content Cozy!

[@BlurryNova]

I was exactly the same! It took me forever to get the motivation to listen to Soul Punk because I was aware it was nothing like FOB, and I knew I was going to unconsciously compare it to FOB no matter what so I just, avoided it because I didn't want to hate anything Patrick made. I couldn't hate it if I never gave it a chance, is what my thought process was. Eventually, I decided to just plop the songs into my large playlist and I'd give each song a listen whenever they popped up on shuffle. I did end up not enjoying them all too much when I finally heard them. The sound, lyrics, everything about it I just didn't relate to and the sound wasn't my cup of tea. It took a good month or so for me to get a handful of the songs to a point where I wasn't fighting myself to skip the songs and I gotta say, I'm really glad I gave the album a try, and reach the point where I wasn't using FOB as a comparison. Greed is fucking amazing, as is People Never Done a Good Thing(I think that's the title). Patrick calls out serious issues in both songs in a very sassy, and funky way. I can't at all relate to Allie or Run Dry, but boy are great bops. Run Dry is at the very least hella fun to dance to and I think my fav part of Allie is the lyric 'You said you were protected, I thought you meant you hand a gun', and the way he said it was what makes it such an amazing lyric. All around, chances are if your type of music falls under the sound FOB produces, its going to take awhile to enjoy. I don't know if it'll be the same for everyone else, but it took reaching the point of no longer comparing it to FOB for me to actually enjoy anything. My brain kept wanting Patrick from FOB, it wanted the rock, punk/pop-punk sound, and often depressing sounding lyrics, and getting out of the desire helped open my mind to it. There's still a couple songs I just can't bring myself to fully enjoy and if it stays that way, oh well. Hell, a lot of people will probably never reach that point of enjoyment and I think that's okay.

[@herefortheshrimp1469]

Same! I literally JUST went and downloaded it so I can finally give it a proper chance as an adult. Every clip that’s been played in this video has almost forced me to dance haha

[@tylertownsend4074]

Dude this was very insightful at the end, and has literally altered my own trajectory as an artist! Keep up the great work!

[@thecozyrep]

thanks so much! glad it resonated with you :)

[@cinnamonbark1084]

I was hyped about Patrick's solo career and remember super looking forward to this album back in the day. However, while I liked Soul Punk well enough when it came out, I do remember being a touch disappointed that it didn't lean harder into Soul/R&B (I always though Patrick's voice would be magnificent in that genre) and I found (and still kinda find?) the Electronic/Pop parts to be a bit grating. To me it felt like this would have been a stronger /more successful album if he had another producer or someone in the studio to push him out of his comfort zone more. Still, this was a solid first solo album and I wish he didn't get so much vitriol because it would have been wonderful to see him put out more solo stuff and evolve more independently of Fall Out Boy. Also - our man legit wrote/recorded/produced this whole freakin' album by himself and looked fly as hell during this whole era. That is mindblowing! Patrick Stump Forever! XD

[@lizzieb62]

I believe Patrick has said in writing that he actually agrees with you regarding an additional voice in the studio.

[@roxilulu]

I remember this I hope he's doing well, he deserves it ❤

[@RaphaelGLEsguerra]

As an r&b singer, I’ll ALWAYS give patrick’s voice and his solo projects credit for giving me a gateway from rock music to r&b/soul music

[@_Mr.Tuvok_]

I was a hyper fall out boy fan, registered Overcast Kid, and when Soul Punk came out I didn’t love it itself, but I was just very happy to hear Patrick’s voice again. And that ‘The I in Lie’ and ‘Bad Side of 25’ was the shit. I was a bit disappointed though, I expected more of “if FOB went electronic” little did I know Save Rock n Roll was right around the corner.

[@SatisfyingLullabyAsmr]

The letter hit me so hard. I have never been able to endure it fully until this video, and it broke me; I am in tears as I type …my son is 17, and, over the past few years, I have noticed a few similarities in both appearance and emotion between he and Patrick (though there will only be one Patrick Martin Stump for this world), and I think I almost heard my son’s voice in this letter…now I sound Emo 🖤… It brings the humanity to the surface, and I am not ashamed to cry. Thank God it is August 2023, and I have my “So Much for Stardust” vinyl and t-shirt, right?! I know everything is ok…at least it seems to be, and that’s enough for me. Anyway, thanks for making this video. I love Rivers, Patrick, Brendon, and so many other artists who put their souls into their music. Yes, I fear the ending, which always eventually comes, but the music lives on, regardless of life changes. You truly can be your own spotlight, and you can lift up others as long as your heart is beating. Thanks, again, for this video.

[@karb5707]

Spotlight (Oh Nostalgia), Run dry, This City, and Everybody Wants Somebody are my fave songs from his solo stuff, they all bring a sense of nostalgia that I’ve had until now. I always feel so awful for Patrick whenever I hear about how much hate he got during the hiatus era :((

[@jamesmarkham7489]

I listened to his solo album on repeat for almost a whole year. I get why people may not have liked it but i think it was amazing.

[@kaiifluff]

i jumped on the fall out boy train in 2014 as a twelve year old so I totally fucking missed the Soul Punk era but regardless: that album is fucking golden. It's such a shame that it was greeted so poorly at the time. The part of his blog post where he talks about people appreciating his work after he's long been finished with it stings deep, man. He couldn't have been more right all the way back in 2012. I know so many fans in present day who would kill for another solo project (myself included). It just fucking blows it took so long for Soul Punk to be appreciated. If it had been well received back then, imagine the music he would have been encouraged to make. It's fucking heart breaking. Still going to keep holding onto hope for another solo album though. Deep Blue Love gave me enough strength to keep going for decades

[@catherinem9071]

I was a huge FOB fan back in the day. Patrick was & is still my favorite singer. I remember when the album came out I went straight to Best Buy to get it. I listened to it & at first I hated it. I tweeted about it saying how disappointed I was with it. Then after a listening to it again & giving it a fair chance, I liked it. I tweeted an apology & Patrick actually replied in my messages saying something like "Thank you for giving my album another chance". I was so shocked especially after seeing it was his official account.

[@connor_phillipz5689]

I absolutely love Patrick's Solo Album. I go back and listen through it pretty frequently.

[@chrissavage5298]

Actually a pretty deep topic. Thanks for bringing some substance into the artist analysis world!

[@littlereading4528]

Now in 2024 Fall Out Boy plays Soul Punk songs on tour during Patrick's piano melody part of the set

[@dead_yami]

Thumbnail is Suite Life On Deck core

[@thecozyrep]

Lmaooooo

[@ladygwarth]

I love Folie and Soul Punk, great albums. That letter made me so sad for him at the time.

[@jadetaylor6093]

I was a huge fall out boy fan from the first time I heard dance dance. middle school forward was ruled by patrick's voice, and as folie a deux was released i realized the heft of it's meaning to music! it was awesome to behold as it was occurring. Soul Punk was a similar experience for me. There isn't probably much audience overlap between pop punk and rnb music, but the musicianship and the anger and the wit of soul punk brought me with it, and i find myself singing songs like cryptozoology and people never done a good thing incredibly often all these years later. I wish I could have been to those solo shows patrick did and danced while he danced, and sweat over the music. i wish i could let him know he made some incredible fucking stuff. fall out boy since returning seem to have resorted to much safer music making, and it's still very good sometimes, but they've definitely heeded to a crowd and the unique songwriting patrick used to show off, i feel like he's scared to flex that muscle.

[@robfobjanstar]

Patrick Deserves The Whole World

[@GrantAmann]

Ooo im not ready for this one. Patrick just released a new soundtrack! He's one of my all time favorites.

[@AlyPicon]

really good video, i've actually been wanting to release a vid like this myself cuz i just love patrick so much lol. i revisted and listened to soul punk a lot this past year and i love it a lot, like if it was remastered or something it'd be top tier for me. patrick is just such a talented, versatile artist and i truly think his voice is too damn good to be stuck in a box. i'm so glad he seems to feel free in his artistry now with not only fob, but also just random solo stuff he does for tv/movies. my dream would be for him to release another solo project that really leans into soul, kind of like 'deep blue love' which is a song he made recently for a movie that showcases his voice so well!!

[@gretagoose]

I have so much to say about this. I am so obsessed with this album and the truant wave ep. it’s so fucking cool. i’m 15 and I got into fob when i was about 12 or 11 (my 6th grade boyfriend was obsessed with them and yes that is as bad as it sounds). i never went through the whole “i don’t like their old/new sound” or “i don’t like how they changed” because i couldn’t fathom why just because a band changed their style or musical genre you couldn’t still be obsessed. I would listen to every record, slowly discovering each new one. and i didn’t know it then, but this year i got diagnosed with autism. so everything fall out boy has been my (unknowing) longtime special interest. i love learning about them and that might be dangerous because i’m always scared i’ll find a reason i won’t like them. back to this album, it made me so ecstatic. i was probably about 13 whne i found it and i would always be singing run dry lol and my mom would ask me why i was singing about “drinking someone under the table”. i’ve just always appreciated a good bassline and a musically creative groove, which is something patrick has always been able to achieve at least for me. there’s just a sound of fall out boy that has never left their records, ever. maybe that’s just patrick’s voice, or the lyrical voice of pete, but i think it’s a quality i can’t name. i’m also rlly happy for how far fans have come since folie. on this tour they’re being begged to play debut songs and continously applauded for it, as they should. ok nonsensical essay over

[@Aster_Risk]

I'm not a fan of all of the band's music, but I always had a bit of a crush on Patrick. He just seems like a passionate, kind person. It's cool to read a lot of nice comments here and know there's a good guy like him in the music industry.

[@EricRisk]

Ok, but I need a video on Sonny Moore’s transition from FFTL to Sonny and the Blood monkeys, to skrillex and everything in between or I might legitimately explode 👀👄👀

[@veronikabondarenko3748]

Yes pleaseeeee I’d watch that

[@thecozyrep]

Definitely will be covering some Sonny stuff real, real soon!!! :)

[@johnwelch9661]

So well written! I don’t think Pete is the only one clever with his words

[@Nick-Nasty]

I love fall out boys new work so much more than their early stuff. ESPECIALLY so much for stardust.

[@highoninfinity]

god that blog post makes my heart break every time. fall out boy has been my favorite band since i found them in 2015, they mean more to me than i can even express. everything i've heard about patrick has been overwhelmingly positive, he's such an incredible person not to mention insanely talented. i've always loved soul punk, and i'm so glad it's gotten more recognition in the past few years. i hope patrick knows how loved he is, even though there are still "haters" (many people treated mania like folie, and are putting the album down again with their newest singles, basically saying they're glad fob is "going back to their roots", exactly what patrick was talking about in his blog post). i truly believe that patrick doesn't have a bad song in his entire repertoire, if anything he's composed countless incredible songs. i hope that patrick and the rest of fob in general are more comfortable now and know they're free to make whatever kind of music they want and we'll still listen. it does seem like in recent years they've started making music more for themselves than for others. all of them are such incredible people and i just really hope they all know how loved they are by their diehard fans

[@oliviabegeny1826]

Great video! I thought Folie was excellent from the beginning- that it was the exact trajectory a band like Fall Out Boy would follow. As they were so used to hits and #1s, they didn’t know how to not have one. It was hard for them to see how many fans loved the album over the people who loudly hated it. They weren’t used to the negative so it cause friction and led them to their much needed break.

[@kristinakehrer]

Great production on this video! Such a deep topic. It reminds me of when Robert Smith belligerently informed everyone, via an interview, that the Cure was not a Goth band, but actually a Pop band. I don't think we believed him!

[@cassady7582]

folie a deux is one of my favorite albums of all time for sure. and no album fails to give me energy like soul punk. i absolutely eat it up. the hate has always made me sad :/ people are crazy

[@anastasiawhite605]

Love Selfish Love is one of my favorite songs of all time. I feel like it is one of the most solid pieces that he's ever written and literally bad side of 25 is RIGHT THERE. It's such a good song

[@reelsarahmccoy]

I remember reading his post back then and feeling so sad for him. I bought Soul Punk when it came out & saw FOB on their tour after Folie came out! Glad it has become a classic to most fob fans now.

[@carrielynnliston]

Soul Punk is my favorite album ever. I used to joke that Patrick could sing the phone book and I'd listen. Then I found out he has an unreleased song called The Phonebook.

[@katebeckinsnail910]

I remember not being that into his new sound, fob was something my older sister and I bonded over. And I remember she went to watch his solo show in Minneapolis. She said it was really small and personal and didn't seem like he had much fans, but she could tell he was really appreciative of the people that did come to see him. She talked to him for a bit and said he was so sweet.

[@DjurslandsEfterskole]

Why do you not believe when he shares that people turned up to his shows and booed? Didn't Bob Dylan do a whole tour in front of booing fans when he picked up the electric guitar? Fans who feel betrayed can be brutal, in an irrational manner

[@bloodroses626]

Despite being so young when Soul Punk came out, I loved that album so fucking much. I didn't identify with the topics as a 12 year old, but damn didn't I love listening to his voice telling those stories.

[@SOUNDCONTROLFLA]

You are loved, Patrick. Come back to us!

[@loumilgrem]

I was not expecting to see a recent video on Patrick stump in this day and age

[@karicherrycola]

I was a HUGE Fall Out Boy stan as a teen and Patrick was always my favorite member. I adored Soul Punk and I still think it's fantastic to this day. I saw him when he was touring with Panic! in 2012 and I got to meet him after the show and he was so nice and so genuine and I, a 17 year old superfan, couldn't have been happier. I hope he knows how many people really do love that record!

[@softestmelody]

this video is great, definitely subscribing. soul punk means so much to me i remember when it was released and listening to it on repeat.. it was refreshing to see that side of patrick. gerard way did something similar with a lot less backlash..but when an artist shares their mind like that with their fans it’s special. patrick deserved much more.

[@gabrielmead0ws]

I love Patrick so much 😭😭😭 We as a species don't deserve him

[@startoast4807]

I think people aren't really listening to So Much For Stardust, incredible lyrics, they're not just "trying to make generic pop songs", they're genuine. Also, it was quite a return to form with some fantastic guitar and drum work. A good combination of pre-hiatus and post-hiatus FOB music. Can't please everyone though I understand that

[@startoast4807]

I realize this video came out before that album even dropped haha, great video either way

[@carolindifranca]

I think a lot of people are really listening to smfs. As Fans we all know how good and important the lyrics are and always have been

[@patricksragdoll4573]

I had way too much anxiety to say anything when I met him. But I would not be alive today if it wasn’t for Soul Punk. It brought me comfort when I needed it.

[@jasminecritten6598]

At the end when you were talking about artists becoming mainstream and struggling to get validations through the same amount of accolades it reminded me of common people; I'm a tattoo artist and i get really disheartened when a piece of my work doesn't get the same, if not more likes than my previous photo and i feel it devalues what i have done. Because it has less likes it means that its a worse tattoo? Which isn't the case at all. We are always so strung up on likes these days and i think that can be emotionally damning. Then again, for his work likes is what keeps his job afloat I guess. Breaks my heart a little though.

[@caitbelart]

I know I'm 2 years late, but this is a great and well written video!

[@user-rp8rp7nx1q]

After hearing this, I just realized what he’s saying in Wilson (Expensive Mistakes) “There's nothing more cruel than to be loved by everybody There's nothing more cruel than to be loved by everybody but you (but you)” “If I could get my shit together I'm gonna run away and never see any of you again Never see any of you again” “If we hadn't done this thing I think I'd be a medicine man So I could get high on our supply whenever I can-an I became such a strange shape, such a strange shape From trying to fit in, yeah” He’s telling us the struggle he went through. That’s why in the song, they go through all the props and references from their old songs and videos. He hates being loved by everybody because he’s criticized for what he is now. He wishes he could just run away and disappear from all of his fans, because he feels like he’s letting them down. Then he’s saying if he hadn’t become a rockstar, he’d probably be a “medicine man” (probably a doctor or something) At the end, probably the most heartbreaking line, is his realization that he hasn’t been himself at all. He’s become something strange and twisted trying to become something his fans will like, just to fit in. I’m just gonna go cry, brb

[@johnwelch9661]

How wonderful. This video kept my interest all the way through. Love Patrick. He deserves the world ❤️

[@hippoandyuri4evr]

This makes me so sad 😭 but I’m glad he never gave up and that fob has continued since. Patrick is such a talented artist. I love all of their music and soul punk too, although I’ve gotta say Folie is my favorite. If I could travel back in time and see them tour Folie I would in a heartbeat.

[@ashwasilewski7041]

Soul Punk is one of my favorite albums of all time and Truant Wave absolutely slaps. Patrick's solo career deserves the world, and its influence on current Fall Out Boy is obvious. Fall Out Boy is what it is now because of Soul Punk.

[@AJDelRose]

It was an interesting record due to it being released towards the end of the 2000's when Emo/Pop-punk was losing that top 40 mainstream appeal as it was moving to a more EDM/Country that dominated the early-mid 2010's. The album in many ways shows how the band understood this and was struggling with their growing irrelevancy listen to (Coffee's For Closers) for an example. I agree it's one of their best albums although Cork tree will always be my favorite due to it's landmark in 2000's Emo culture and I admit I have a strong nostalgia for it from High School.

[@x_x4269]

he is so well articulated i love him

[@strangledwords]

he suffered a lot from the attachment of FOB and the fans' expectations of having to sound a certain way which, in a way, i think the band in general did a pretty bad job in giving themselves the room to breathe and develop their own musical colors. had they regularly released things like covers, mixtapes, or even just collaborated with other artists in a way that didn't keep them boxed in (FBR bands tended to fall victim to this the most), maybe it wouldn't have been as jarring for everyone. it sucks, but i think a big point for everyone not really vibing with his solo album was that he sounded the same, and in a way it felt hollow to people. it felt like he was trying to sing over the music to me, like if he was really desperate to not let himself get drowned out, and i remember how that made me uncomfortable too. maybe he just wasn't ready for it, it could've needed more work--i don't know. i've always felt bad for what he went through, it all seemed like really bad timing and too huge of a young, immature fanbase that couldn't quite cope with change stemming from the "loss" of a band that meant so much to them.

[@TheRealConcertKing]

Came across this video randomly and discovered my video from Patrick's solo show in it lol.

[@cadencewishes]

Folie is my favourite FOB album. I love them. and I love Patrick, I will always support him

[@Jennayyy41]

LOVED Patrick Stump’s solo albums… so catchy

[@JenPolishAholic]

I loved Folie, I remember going to that tour with my cousin and having the absolute best time. That said, I haven't listened to much of their stuff after that album...I should fix that

[@meaganh2819]

Another great video!!!😊💜 love the content!

[@starxlover.]

Patrick’s voice is just amazing… I will forever love fall out boy

[@dunepest]

Being pressured to keep your old sound when you actually want to evolve is being disingenuous to both your audience and yourself. And that is no different from selling out. I’m glad Patrick went his own way in style, got personal when his art wasn’t being treated right, and that FOB rebranded when they came back. It shouldn’t have been any other way.

[@Annafyz]

I knew about the blog post, and I certainly heard the title (when I was younger I thought it's like the title was a direct jab at me, because I liked Patrick appearance wise more when he was fat, I guess I found him more relatable that way as a 17 year old) but I never read it despite being a huge fob fan and having years-long crush on Patrick. I was rightfully afraid that it would be too depressing. And now I finally got the courage to read it with you, Cozy Representative. Damn, depressing isn't a sad enough word... I love Patrick so much and I'm so sorry he had this terrible cancelling happen to him, and I can only hope he already processed all of this, and it didn't afflict any long lasting trauma on him :(

[@xCindyLouWhox]

I can actually still remember the exact moment I found out FOB was on hiatus and then Patrick releasing this statement. Broke my lil heart lol. I actually really loved Folie a Deux when it came out and I was a hardcore FOB fan at the time. It was different, but still great! I have to admit I haven’t listened much to their newer albums, because it does kind of sound produced for the masses, but I think I will give it a listen again today!

[@error13_genderexpunged]

I love Soul Punk so much, one of my favorite albums of a time, and it hurts how it all ended and how little support Patrick got for it. Patrick's lyricism is also severely underrated and it's interesting and also a little sad how Patrick is kind of alienated from that album now; a la "I don't really know how I did that back then"

[@Mister_Superfly]

Soul Punk was ahead of is time for sure, I think it went under the radar. Great video btw!