Everything we know about Fall Out Boy’s So Much (For) Stardust

That’s right: Fall Out Boy are back. The Chicago pop-punk icons are preparing to release their long-awaited eighth studio album, So Much (For) Stardust, and have shared the anthemic first single, “Love From The Other Side.”

In November 2022, Fall Out Boy began to cryptically tease audiences with viral marketing ads that ran in the Chicago Tribune, mysterious websites, and claymation videos — even going as far as to send pink seashells to a limited number of people that kept die-hards constantly on their toes. 

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At last, fans got the first taste of So Much (For) Stardust with “Love From The Other Side,” a staggering track that shows Fall Out Boy returning to their rock and emo roots after a decade spent venturing into more experimental and pop-leaning territory. In tandem with the new single, Fall Out Boy also debuted a whimsical music video featuring an almost unrecognizable Pete Wentz as an elderly grandpa reading a bedtime story to his granddaughter. What proceeds is an epic fairytale voyage to “emo island,” with all four members adorning fantasy-like costumes in an all-out battle against the “wicked” and FOB-hating mayor of their home village Winnetka. 

Even beyond the return to their classic sound, Fall Out Boy were eager to get back to their original headspace — and reignite longstanding creative relationships with pivotal players of their past to establish the next era of their prolific career. “Our band has been an ongoing art project for 20 years, and we know there have been many inception points along that journey,” Wentz shared in a press release. “We wanted to create an album that merged those points together — something new, but carved from our foundation.” 

With So Much (For) Stardust just months away, here’s everything we know about Fall Out Boy’s eighth studio album. 

When does So Much (For) Stardust come out?

The album is out March 24, and we’re counting down the days until its release.

Fall Out Boy are returning home to Fueled By Ramen

Can you believe it? It has been nearly 20 years since Fall Out Boy released their debut album, Take This to Your Grave, on May 6, 2003. To mark the occasion, Fall Out Boy are returning to their home label, Fueled By Ramen, two decades later for the release of So Much (For) Stardust. Wentz shared his excitement for the reunion and getting back to their core  “foundation” for the new release, declaring, “Fueled By Ramen seemed like the perfect home for this.” As many know, Fueled By Ramen became one of the most recognizable labels in pop-punk, emo and alternative culture shortly after the release of Take This to Your Grave and went on to launch the careers of legendary artists such as Paramore, Gym Class Heroes, the Academy Is… and twenty one pilots, among many others. 

Guitarist Joe Trohman is temporarily leaving the band

On the same day as the album reveal, the band posted a note on social media from founding guitarist Joe Trohman, citing that he needs to step away from Fall Out Boy to prioritize his mental health. “I can tell you unequivocally that burning out is dreadful. Without divulging all the details, I must disclose that my mental health has rapidly deteriorated over the past several years,” he writes. But don’t worry: Trohman promises that his absence is only temporary and that he will “absolutely, 100%” return to the band when his mental health is in a better place. You can read the full message below.

Neal Avron is back manning the boards

History has proven time and again that the artistic partnership between Fall Out Boy and esteemed producer Neal Avron is crucial. Not only did Avron produce the band’s holy trinity of classic albums, From Under the Cork Tree, Infinity on High, and Folie à Deux, but also produced massive records for scene staples such as Yellowcard, New Found Glory, and Anberlin, just to name a few. Avron’s expert production duties were enlisted yet again on So Much (For) Stardust — and it sounds like it was a match made in heaven for the band’s return to their rock roots. Vocalist/guitarist Patrick Stump revealed that the restored partnership was crucial to capturing the album’s overall scope, saying, “Neal not only taught us how to make records, but has a unique capacity to really take time and focus on a record. We thought it was a no-brainer to work with him again, on a record where that was very important to us.” 

So Much (For) Stardust traded technological convenience for organic creation 

In continuation of Fall Out Boy’s “homecoming” narrative surrounding So Much (For) Stardust, the band opted to take their time to craft the songs in a methodical way in lieu of churning out songs at a rapid rate or even remotely. “Technology has made it really easy to make records much more quickly these days. There’s nothing wrong with that, and that spontaneity can be exciting,” Stump asserts in a press release. “But we wanted to get back to the way we used to work. We wanted to make a record that was really lovingly crafted and deliberate and patiently guided — like someone cooked you a delicate meal.” 

Metallica may have had a subtle influence on So Much (For) Stardust 

“Before we started working on the record, I was watching Some Kind of Monster,” Wentz tells Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1 about a fateful viewing of Metallica’s volatile, and at times unintentionally hilarious 2004 documentary. “Somehow in my head, I always thought that [Metallica]  were a band for 30 or 40 years…. I don’t really know why but I was like, oh, we’ve been a band the same length that they were a band when they shot this, which is just a really weird mirror to look into. “ Rest assured, though, it sounds like the Fall Out Boy camp are in a much better place than the thrash-metal pioneers were during the filming of this documentary, with Stump adding that “getting along,” among other factors, “have to line up for a band to make a record at this point, let alone a good one.” 

Pete and Patrick’s songwriting partnership is stronger than ever

The tried and true formula of a classic Fall Out Boy song consists of Wentz writing instantly memorable lyrics and Stump’s soulful vocal deliveries serving as the conduit. On So Much (For) Stardust, it seems that the pair’s songwriting partnership is still as fruitful as ever, with Stump, who largely considers himself as the “composer” of the band, aware of the importance of having a dedicated lyricist in Wentz. “It’s really blind luck to find that person, to find somebody that you write with like that,” Stump tells Lowe about his creative counterpart. “I’m not one of those people that keeps a journal and has all of these deep thoughts that I want to share with the world. I have to make music.” 

So Much (For) Stardust was a labor of love made with “purpose” 

According to Wentz, it was agreed that if Fall Out Boy were to record a new album and head into their next era, it would have to be rooted in deliberate and thought-out actions, especially with new responsibilities — and the reality that they are no longer in their early 20s anymore. Speaking to Lowe on Apple Music 1, Wentz reflects on the decision to continue with the band sharing, “Honestly, for me personally, coming out of the pandemic and just being quarantined or with my family, I was like, ‘If we’re going to do this, and if I’m going to leave again, it’s got to be with purpose.’”