"The Foundations of Decay" is a song by the American rock band My Chemical Romance. It was surprise-released as a single on May 12, 2022, by Reprise Records. The song was produced by the band's front man Gerard Way, Ray Toro and Doug McKean. The band wrote the song, while Way wrote the lyrics. Alongside the band's main lineup, the song features Jarrod Alexander and Jamie Muhoberac on drums and keyboard respectively. It was the last project McKean worked on before his death in July 2022.
| "The Foundations of Decay" | ||||
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| Single by My Chemical Romance | ||||
| Released | May 12, 2022 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 6:00 | |||
| Label | Reprise | |||
| Songwriter(s) | My Chemical Romance | |||
| Lyricist(s) | Gerard Way | |||
| Producer(s) |
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| My Chemical Romance singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "The Foundations of Decay" on YouTube | ||||
The song is six-minutes long and has been described as progressive rock, gothic rock, post-hardcore, and emo. It also incorporates elements from other genres including doom metal and arena rock. Lyrically, the song discusses the band's history and legacy, as well as events like the September 11 attacks, which played a role in the creation of the band. It also been explores ideas such as the "hero's journey" trope and incorruptibility.
"The Foundations of Decay" was the first song released by the band since "Fake Your Death". "The Foundations of Decay" was later released to mainstream rock radio on May 17 through Warner Records, and the band debuted it live at the Eden Project that same day. It received positive responses from critics and fans, with some journalists considering it one of the best released in 2022. It charted in several countries, reaching number 1 on the Rock & Metal chart in the United Kingdom. It also reached number 132 on the Billboard Global 200.
Background and production
edit
Several years after their break-up in 2013,[1] the American rock band My Chemical Romance announced their first reunion show in Los Angeles on October 31, 2019. The show took place on December 20.[2] Afterwards, the band subsequently scheduled more reunion shows worldwide, including a run of summer festival shows in mainland Europe, followed by the announcement of a North American tour.[3] In June 2021, the band's frontman Gerard Way stated in an interview that he was working on music with Doug McKean,[4] the engineer behind two of the band's past studio albums: The Black Parade (2006) and Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys (2010).[5]
McKean produced "The Foundations of Decay" alongside Gerard Way and Ray Toro. McKean also engineered the song, while Rich Costey and Jeff Citron mixed it and Mike Bozzi mastered it. Alongside the main band lineup–consisting of lead singer Gerard, guitarists Ray Toro and Frank Iero, and bassist Mikey Way–the song features Jarrod Alexander on drums and Jamie Muhoberac on keyboard. Gerard Way also wrote the song's lyrics, while the band itself is credited for songwriting.[6] Additionally, James Bowman of Against Me! was present backstage during the song's creation.[7] The single's cover art was designed by Aaron Hymes, and depicts mounds of flies flying around.[7] "The Foundations of Decay" was the last project that Doug McKean worked on before his death in July 2022.[5]
"The Foundations of Decay" was released digitally on May 12, 2022[4] by Reprise Records.[6] The song was released without any prior announcement,[7] and was the first song the band had released since "Fake Your Death".[8] A visualizer of "The Foundations of Decay" also released, depicting a similar swarm of flies as the one found in the cover artwork.[7] The single was later released to mainstream rock radio on May 17 by Warner Records.[9] That same day, the band debuted it live at the Eden Project in Cornwall as that show's opening track. It was the first show of the European branch of the band's reunion tour.[10] The song was later used as an opening track in the rest of their reunion shows in Europe.[11] The song was also performed at 2022's Riot Fest.[12]
Composition and lyrics
edit"The Foundations of Decay" is a six-minute long song.[13] It has been described as progressive rock,[14][15] emo,[14][15] gothic rock,[16] and post-hardcore.[17] It also incorporates elements of doom metal, basement punk, arena rock, post-metal, and metalcore.[18][19][20] The New York Times described the song as "prog-emo".[15] The song opens up with static noise, before introducing a mellow electric guitar, piano, and a "laid-back drumbeat" paired with Gerard's distorted vocals.[13] Ali Shutler of NME found the song's opening guitar to be similar to that of "Dream On" by Aerosmith.[18] It then crescendos into the chorus. which Billboard described as a "full-blown head banger" with "anthemic force" in a similar vein to the band's 2006 single "Welcome to the Black Parade".[13] They also wrote that the song "surges between electric guitar-stamped rage fests and simmering moments of storytelling".[13] Shutler believed that the song's composition combined elements from their past studio albums, viewing the "guitar breakdown" to be similar to one from The Black Parade and the screaming akin to vocal performances on I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love (2002).[18]
The lyrics of the song discusses the band's origins and its legacy.[18] Shutler described the song's opening as Gerard "wrestling" his legacy and age ("Let the flesh submit itself to gravity").[18] When discussing the band's beginnings, the song references the September 11 attacks by depicting Gerard’s own experiences that day and what inspired him to found My Chemical Romance.[18] Shutler viewed some of the song's lines as Gerard battling nihilism, nostalgia, the safety behind doing nothing, as well as questioning the continued existence of the band.[18] As the song continues, Shutler believed that it becomes more optimistic and hopeful, as Gerard states to go "against faith".[18] At the end of the track, Gerard softly expresses his desire to continue doing nothing ("Yes, it comforts me much more" / "To lay in the foundations of decay") as the song begins to fade out, before yelling "get up, coward".[18][7] Billboard described the song's ending as a "scream-filled free-for-all".[13]
Cassie Whitt of Alternative Press viewed the song's lyrics to be similar to the hero's journey trope, particularly in the verse about the September 11 attacks. They believed that each line of that verse represented a specific stage of the theme: the "call to adventure", the "adventure begins", the "allies made", and the "trials and ordeals". Whitt further wrote that the entire song could be interpreted as someone refusing to accept the call to adventure until a "supernatural force" intervenes, represented by the "get up, coward" lyric.[7] Additionally, Whitt interpreted the song's lyrics as making numerous references to Catholic imagery and themes, with "laying in the foundations of decay" representing the idea of incorruptibility.[7]
Reception
editSarah Jamieson of DIY described the song as a "grand statement" and a "return of epic proportions". She viewed the song as combing the band's past works into one, and a "slow burning offering that swells into frenetic life" throughout its runtime, highlighting the latter half of the song.[21] Ali Shutler of NME described the song as a "fierce, fearless return" for the band, writing that the track had "fire, urgency and plenty of joy", and considered the song as My Chemical Romance "reinventing themselves".[18] Eli Enis of Revolver wrote that the song was the "heaviest thing they've released" since Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge (2004).[22] In their review of the band's live performance at the Barclays Center, Danielle Chelosky of Alternative Press described "The Foundations of Decay" as a quintessential song in My Chemical Romance's discography.[23]
Mitchell Peters of Billboard felt that "The Foundations of Decay" demonstrated My Chemical Romance's "epic storytelling". He also highlighted Gerard Way's voice, describing it as "impeccable".[24] Shutler believed that the song's lyrics demonstrated that the band hadn't lost any of its talent during their time separated. They further wrote that while the band writing new music could've been risky due to their past works reverence, it was "never bogged down with legacy".[18] Jack Rodgers of Rock Sound described it as "six minutes of dark, destitute and dramatic story-telling and world-building" that was unlike anything the band had released up to that point.[25]
In a Billboard readers poll on the week of its release, "The Foundations of Decay" was voted by over 40% of readers as the best song to release that week.[24] The staff teams of The Los Angeles Times and NME ranked "The Foundations of Decay" as the twenty-second and twenty-third best song to release in 2022, respectively.[26][27] Suzy Exposito of The Los Angeles Times described the song as a "fist, bursting defiantly from the soil" towards people who thought that emo music had faded out of relevancy.[27] NME said that it was My Chemical Romance's "fiery comeback" that "exceeded every current or ageing emo kid’s wildest dreams".[26] Rodgers listed it as one of the ten best songs released that year, describing it as a "defining moment" in the band's return that showed that they "[meant] serious business".[25]
"The Foundations of Decay" debuted at number 132 on the Billboard Global 200.[28] In the United States, "The Foundations of Decay" received 497,000 streams and 1,900 digital sales within a few hours of release. It also received 1.1 million radio audience impressions within its first few days.[29] The song went on to peak at number 2 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart,[30] 7 on Hot Rock & Alternative Songs,[31] 11 on Digital Song Sales,[32] and 16 on Rock & Alternative Airplay.[33] On the year-end Billboard Hot Hard Rock Songs chart, "The Foundations of Decay" was 24.[34] In the United Kingdom, the song reached number 1 on the Rock & Metal chart,[35] and number 37 on the singles chart.[36] It was the band's ninth top 40 single in the country.[37] Elsewhere, the song reached number 7 in New Zealand,[38] 56 in Ireland,[39] 80 in Australia,[40] and 92 in Canada.[41]
Personnel
editCredits adapted from the digital liner notes.[6]
- Musicians
- Gerard Way – vocals, synthesizer, songwriter, producer, lyricist
- Jarrod Alexander – drums
- Frank Iero – guitar, vocals, songwriter
- Jamie Muhoberac – keyboards
- Michael James Way – bass, songwriter
- Raymond Toro – guitar, songwriter, producer
- Technicals
- Mike Bozzi – mastering engineer
- Rich Costey – mixing engineer
- Doug McKean – recording engineer, producer
- Jeff Citron – assistant mixing engineer
Charts
edit
Weekly chartsedit
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Year-end chartsedit
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Release history
edit| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | May 12, 2022 | Reprise | [13] | |
| United States | May 17, 2022 | Mainstream rock radio | Warner | [9] |
References
edit- ^ Halperin, Shirley (March 22, 2013). "My Chemical Romance Breaks Up". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 25, 2024. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
- ^ Wallis, Adam (November 1, 2019). "My Chemical Romance announces reunion show, first in 7 years". Global News. Archived from the original on April 12, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
- ^ Wallis, Adam (January 29, 2020). "My Chemical Romance announces first North American tour in 9 years, 1 Canadian date". Global News. Archived from the original on January 30, 2020. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
- ^ a b Blistein, Jon (May 12, 2022). "My Chemical Romance Mark Musical Return With Six-Minute Epic 'The Foundations of Decay'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
- ^ a b Shutler, Ali (July 30, 2022). "My Chemical Romance lead tributes to producer Doug McKean who has died aged 54". NME. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
- ^ a b c The Foundations of Decay by My Chemical Romance, Apple Music, retrieved January 7, 2025
- ^ a b c d e f g h Whitt, Cassie (May 16, 2022). "Playing guitar with knives: breaking down My Chemical Romance's 'The Foundations of Decay'". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on February 5, 2024. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
- ^ Gularte, Alejandra (May 12, 2022). "My Chemical Romance Continues Emo-mentum With New Song". Vulture. Archived from the original on April 17, 2023. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
- ^ a b "Rock Future Releases". AllAccess. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
- ^ "MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE Performs New Single 'The Foundations Of Decay' Live For First Time". Blabbermouth. May 17, 2022. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
- ^ Robinson, Ellie (September 22, 2022). "My Chemical Romance treat hometown fans to first live performance of 'Demolition Lovers' since 2004". NME. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
- ^ "What happened when My Chemical Romance headlined Riot Fest". Kerrang!. September 18, 2022. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f Dailey, Hannah (May 12, 2022). "My Chemical Romance Returns With First New Song Since 2014: Listen to 'The Foundations of Decay'". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 30, 2022. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
- ^ a b Trendell, Andrew (May 12, 2022). "Listen to My Chemical Romance's new song 'The Foundations Of Decay'". NME. Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
- ^ a b c Jon Pareles; Isabelia Herrera; Giovanni Russonello; Lindsay Zoladz (May 13, 2022). "My Chemical Romance's Prog-Emo Surprise, and 12 More New Songs". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
- ^ Renshaw, David (May 13, 2022). "My Chemical Romance return with goth-rock epic "The Foundations of Decay"". The Fader. Archived from the original on August 28, 2022. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
- ^ Ragusa, Paolo (May 13, 2022). "Song of the Week: My Chemical Romance Return After Eight Years With "The Foundations of Decay"". Consequence. Archived from the original on October 20, 2022. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Shutler, Ali (May 13, 2022). "My Chemical Romance's new song 'The Foundations Of Decay' is a fierce, fearless return". NME. Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
- ^ Schimkowitz, Matt. "Emo gods My Chemical Romance bless your evening with first new track in eight years". AV Club. Archived from the original on January 2, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
- ^ Enis, Eli. "5 Great My Chemical Romance Songs for Metalheads". Revolver. Archived from the original on January 2, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
- ^ "Tracks: My Chemical Romance, Kendrick Lamar, Pale Waves & more". DIY. May 14, 2022. Archived from the original on December 2, 2024. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
- ^ Enis, Eli. "Hear My Chemical Romance's Heavy First Song in 8 Years". Revolver. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
- ^ Chelosky, Danielle. "Review: My Chemical Romance's 9/11 show was a cathartic, raucous trip down memory lane". Alternative Press. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
- ^ a b Peters, Mitchell (May 15, 2022). "Fans Choose My Chemical Romance's 'The Foundations of Decay' as This Week's Favorite New Music". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 3, 2022. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
- ^ a b Rogers, Jack (December 19, 2022). "The Rock Sound Songs Of 2022". Rock Sound. Archived from the original on December 19, 2022. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
- ^ a b NME (December 5, 2022). "The 50 best songs of 2022". NME. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
- ^ a b August, Brown; Draughorne, Kenan; Exposito, Suzy; Wood, Mikael (December 4, 2022). "The 100 best songs of 2022 (complete with playlist!)". The Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 4, 2022. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
- ^ a b "My Chemical Romance Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard.
- ^ Rutherford, Kevin (May 18, 2022). "My Chemical Romance Roars Back Onto Billboard Charts With 'The Foundations of Decay'". Billboard. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
- ^ a b "My Chemical Romance Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
- ^ a b "My Chemical Romance Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
- ^ a b "My Chemical Romance Chart History (Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
- ^ a b "My Chemical Romance Chart History (Rock Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
- ^ a b "Year-End Charts: Hot Hard Rock Songs (2022)". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 1, 2022. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
- ^ a b "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
- ^ a b "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
- ^ "Sam Ryder's SPACE MAN becomes highest-charting UK Eurovision entry in 26 years after passionate campaign". Official Charts Company. May 20, 2022. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
- ^ a b "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. May 23, 2022. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
- ^ a b "IRMA – Irish Charts". Irish Recorded Music Association. Archived from the original on June 14, 2017. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
- ^ a b "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 23 May 2022". The ARIA Report. No. 1681. Australian Recording Industry Association. May 23, 2022. p. 4.
- ^ a b "My Chemical Romance Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 24, 2022.