Izzy Rivera

Staff Writer

irivera1@umassd.edu

Pray for the Wicked is the sixth studio album released by the American pop rock group Panic! at the Disco and has left an impression on listeners. The album was released on June 22nd, 2018 on Fueled by Ramen and quickly gained traction on social media. The lead singer of the group Brendon Urie has had many highs and lows, which are talked about in almost all of the songs Panic! has put out, which tell the stories of his life. Some songs address his sexuality while others address him overcoming drug abuse, and this album is no different.

Listeners start off with the first song on the record “(F*** A) Silver Lining”, a very empowering song that gives the middle finger to the figurative silver lining we all deal with. He sings about how he has proved to the masses he exceeded everyone’s low expectations they had for him and that he will continue climbing to the top because he wants to do it for himself. Changing the vibe slightly, listeners then move on to songs like “Say Amen (Saturday Night)”, “High Hopes”, and “King of the Clouds”, which all have an underlying meaning of Brendon telling his stories and where he currently is in life. “High Hopes” of course talks about him keeping his hopes high and pushing forward for a better future while “King of the Clouds” talks about him wanting so badly to reach those infamous heights of success while battling his own limitations he sets on himself.

Another important part of this album is songs such as “Hey look Ma, I Made It”, “Roaring 20s”, and “One of the Drunks”, which all touch upon his past experiences with drug and alcohol abuse. “Hey Look Ma, I Made It” is especially impactful since the song is about him proving to his parents that he has gone through the lowest of lows and has finally made it to the highest of highs, getting past his drug addiction and becoming goal oriented to make the best out of his life.

This album has 12 tracks total and all tell these inspiring stories to viewers that encourage all to see things do get better and you can reach any goals you set for yourself. Their sound is an evolution of “classical” Panic! at the Disco, always providing that certain charm Brendon’s voice has and providing that pop rock anthem everyone can sing their hearts out to. Brendon opens himself up to prove that things will be ok by showing how his struggles have been very heavy on himself but he refuses to let them hold him down. Seeing this group perform this album live is such an experience, everyone pouring their heart into every word sung, and having a quick Youtube search of it will potentially leave you smiling. Overall this album will leave a strong impression on listeners, telling them they can reach any goals they set their mind to and that the skys are the limits. 

Overall rating: 9/10 

Best Songs: “Hey Look Ma, I Made It”, “Say Amen (Saturday Night)”, “One of the Drunks”

Track List: 

Track List Location: https://aminoapps.com/c/panic-at-the-disco/page/blog/pray-for-the-wicked/V0w3_pGYt7u5p0kw5m8q2rm4WVKbDjMvlZZ