Now, for those of you that know about My Chemical Romance, they're not exactly known for their love ballads. They're mostly known for songs about high school kids killing themselves and dead grandmas (I'm pretty sure that's what "Helena" is about), both of which are really good songs by the way.
So their die-hard fanbase -- I can't be put in this category, but I do love a lot of things that they have done -- is receiving this song, which is a power love ballad thing, with mixed reviews. I've been reading comments on the webpage that I first saw this song on, Alternative Press' website, and a lot of people are complaining.
They're saying that they don't understand why MCR is changing. What they were doing before worked, so why do they have to do other things? Why can't they just keep releasing "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" over and over again?
This same scenario has happened with a lot of bands that I really like, a lot. If you know me even a little bit, you'll know that I love Green Day so much it's an obsession. (I almost put 'almost an obsession' but then I realized that it seriously is an obsession). Green Day used to be a flat-out punk band. Their first EPs and their first two CDs, Dookie and Insomniac, could be classified as punk, but aren't by some, even though they should be. Then they experimented with some other sounds -- ska music, acoustic songs, other awesome stuff. Then they released American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown, which combines everything and defines Green Day as not exactly a punk band anymore -- sort of a pop punk, alternative rock hybrid that writes nine-and-a-half minute, five-movement epic songs and rock Broadway musicals. So, awesome.
Anyway, many of Green Day's fans were pissed that they changed. They apparently wanted them, like MCR, to release the same stuff over and over again -- to never change, mature, or move forward with their music. They weren't willing to accept this new Green Day, because it was something too different for them.
I think/hope most people can see the issue with this. Now, I'm not saying that everyone should love Green Day and My Chemical Romance (although everyone should love Green Day and My Chemical Romance) but the fact that many of their "fans" have stopped listening to them solely because they're releasing new stuff, because they've changed over the years, because they're daring to be different and go against what people expect them to do, whatever the reason; the fact of the matter is that if you fall into this category with ANY band...are you truly a fan of that band in the first place?
People should be willing to at least give these bands a shot -- again, not necessarily the two I've mentioned, but whatever band is willing to risk alienation by coming out with something new. A lot of people probably just heard the first part of "The Only Hope For Me Is You" and immediately hated it without even giving it a chance. Others probably looked at the name of the song, assumed it was a love ballad, and didn't even give it a chance, because they didn't My Chemical Romance should be releasing love ballads.
MCR, like Green Day and also Linkin Park, are experimenting. They're trying new things, and they deserve to be listened to. They aren't sell-outs because they've changed, and they're not the problems with music. The problems with music come from bands that do stuff that has been done so many times before, and from bands that never try anything new and release the same type of stuff over and over and over again. You know, like Nickelback.
You don't have to like them. But if you like a band's old stuff, then you realize that they changed and you immediately stop listening to it without giving it a chance, then you are a bad person. A very, very bad person. Almost as bad as a strange Scott Stapp-Kid Rock hybrid.
Ew. I can't stop shuddering.
