Panic! at the Disco's brand new album is finally here. The band, who hails from Las Vegas, just released their brand new album worldwide, Death of a Bachelor, on January 15th. Death of a Bachelor is the band's fifth studio album and the follow-up to the band's fourth studio album Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die! (released in 2013). The new album is also Panic! at the Disco's first album without their original drummer Spencer Smith.
iHeartRadio recently caught up with lead singer Brendon Urie, who talked all the important facts fans need to know about Death of a Bachelor with us in an exclusive interview.
Brendon calls the writing process of Death of a Bachelor "the best time of [his] life," and it took about four months to put all 11 songs together. During that time, he tells us he spent a lot of time writing the music on his new piano, and getting to know his studio better.
Although it's hard for him to describe all of Panic's new music, he had been listening to various genres and artists at the time, including Frank Sinatra, Queen, and Bruce Springsteen. He also describes the album as, "anywhere from jazz, to rock, to new wave, to hip hop, and everywhere in between. But I guess I would describe it as Panic! 2.0."
The decision to call their new album Death of a Bachelor falls perfectly in line with the idea of a "Panic! 2.0." He explains to us that he feels like a new artist, new producer, and new songwriter.
On the meaning behind their album title Death of a Bachelor
"This album really symbolized who I've become as a new artist, and as a new producer and songwriter, and everything that I feel about the past. I'm able to put aside and write about it like it's a fond memory instead of who I actually am today. So really, Death of a Bachelor is talking about getting back to my roots, but being able to move forward in a new light, in a new era as a brand new person."
Death of a Bachelor is not only the album's title -- there's a song on the album called "Death of a Bachelor," and it's the song that is most personal for Brendon on the album. In fact, that song is why he called the album Death of a Bachelor in the first place.
On the meaning behind the title track "Death of a Bachelor"
"I would say the title track, 'Death of a Bachelor,' is pretty much why I called the album that. [It] just really meant a lot to me. I mean, that kind of summed up how I feel now. I feel I am a new person and I'm able to talk about the past because I'm not that person any more. It's nice to be able to set aside the past and look at it objectively instead of being stuck in that world. So that was really an eye opening experience for me."
The album artwork features an interesting scene. Brendon is passed out the roof, with no clothes on, as a car is floating in the pool below. What you may not know is that that is actually Brendon's roof AND his pool. We asked him to describe what's happening on the Death of a Bachelor cover art, and here is what he told us:
Brendon Urie explains the the story behind Death of a Bachelor cover art
"I'm laying on top of my roof, which is how I've ended up at a few parties I've thrown, and that is actually my backyard. That is my pool. That is not my car that is drawn on the cover. But that was actually Nicole Guice who's this phenomenal sketch artist, and really, really sweet. I bought a bunch of her art in the past and we stayed in touch, and I asked if she wanted to in any way help me out with the cover. She said yes. So luckily, I was able to get her. But that's exactly what's going on. That's the morning after a really good party."
Among the 11 new songs on Death of a Bachelor are singles "Victorious" and "Hallelujah," which was the first single off the album, and also, a song dedicated to Los Angeles called "LA Devotee." The track is all about all of the things that made Brendon fall in love with L.A., which is now his home.
On the meaning behind the song "LA Devotee"
"LA Devotee" is a love letter to Los Angeles. I've lived here now for just over seven years, coming up on eight years, and it's my new home. I'm from here to Vegas quite a bit, but I found a new, deeper appreciation for the city. The things I sing about in that song, the black magic of Mulholland Drive, swimming pools under desert skies, it's all the things I picture about LA that I really fell in love with that took me time to appreciate, and that was really what I wanted to talk about."