If you spent 2006 with Fall Out Boy lyrics scribbled across your MSN status, there’s a good chance their newest song is going to hit you right in the feels.
The pop-punk heavyweights have officially released the new single “ACES”, kicking off what looks set to be a huge new chapter for the band. The track arrived on November 10th in Australia and has plenty of the ingredients longtime fans fell in love with: massive guitars, Patrick Stump’s instantly recognisable vocals and the kind of dramatic, arena-sized chorus Fall Out Boy built their reputation on.
There’s also a particularly nostalgic name behind the boards. “ACES” was produced and mixed by Neal Avron, who worked on some of the band’s defining albums, including From Under the Cork Tree and Infinity on High.
In other words, if the song makes you want to straighten your fringe and dig out that studded belt hiding somewhere at the back of your wardrobe, there may be a reason.
But the throwback feeling extends well beyond the music.
Ahead of “ACES”, Fall Out Boy launched the interactive “Twilight Town Mall” website, turning the announcement into an old-school internet scavenger hunt. Different areas of the virtual mall gradually opened up, including the Twilight Dream Centre, Two Quarters Arcade and Lake Effect Kids’ Toys, with fans encouraged to click around and hunt for clues.
The site’s Lost & Found section was also packed with Easter eggs from Fall Out Boy history, including a pink seashell linked to the So Much (for) Stardust era and reindeer antlers referencing the iconic “Sugar, We’re Goin Down” video. A mysterious box office phone number even gave fans another breadcrumb to follow, making the whole rollout feel distinctly pre-algorithm.
Instead of simply dropping an announcement into everyone’s feeds, Fall Out Boy made fans go looking for it.
And perhaps that’s why this comeback feels so wonderfully 2006. It captures an era when being a fan meant decoding cryptic messages, obsessing over band websites and searching for Easter eggs with your equally emo friends.
The nostalgia doesn’t stop there. Fall Out Boy have announced their massive 2027 Twilight of the Punks stadium tour, with The Offspring, Good Charlotte and The Story So Far joining them across North America. Meanwhile, A Day To Remember and Neck Deep are lined up for the UK and European dates. Here’s hoping they announce some Down Under dates soon, too!
Suddenly, 2006 doesn’t feel that long ago after all.
