On September 27, 2005, the now-classic album, “A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out,” was released by Panic! at the Disco. Best known for the quadruple platinum single, “I Write Sins Not Tragedies,” the album became a staple of the 2000s emo scene and launched the band into international stardom.
The original lineup of the band was Brendon Urie (vocals), Ryan Ross (guitar and lyrics), Spencer Smith (drums), and Brent Wilson (bass), with the latter being let go from the band while on tour the next year and succeeded by John Walker. The original four attended nearby high schools in Las Vegas, Nevada. They then formed what we now know to be Panic! at the Disco, named after a lyric in the song “Panic” by California rock band Name Taken.
Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz received some of the band’s demos from Ross and Urie and ended up signing the band to Decaydance Records (now DCD2 Records), a label that he owns along with bandmate Patrick Stump, under Fueled by Ramen. Very fresh out of school and with no official songs out, Panic! at the Disco spent a short amount of time recording their debut album produced by Matt Squire. It was finally released in September, along with the single “The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide Is Press Coverage.”
“A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out” was a very impressive debut considering the age of the members and the time allotted for production. Ross, the band’s main songwriter at the time, used interesting references to author Chuck Palahniuk’s books, such as “Survivor,” “Diary,” and “Invisible Monsters.” Musically, the band was inspired by older artists, including Queen, the Beatles, and the Smiths. What resulted was a mixture of dynamic, genre-crossing tracks with lyrics needing a dictionary to be deciphered. Everything was pulled together by Urie’s remarkably grand vocals, as well as the song titles too long to fit on the small screen of an iPod or MP3 player, similar to what Fall Out Boy did with “From Under The Cork Tree” earlier that year.
The album contained 11 full-length tracks, along with an instrumental “Introduction” and “Intermission." “The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide Is Press Coverage” gave way to the catchy lyric of “Swear to shake it up if you swear to listen” about the disingenuous world of fame. “Nails for Breakfast, Tacks for Snacks” uses autotune in a unique way to portray the struggles of addiction. Similarly, “Camisado” also touches on addiction with grim, detailed imagery of a hospital and repeated visits. “Time to Dance” (my personal favorite on the album) showcases Urie’s vocal range in a heavier, electronic-rock song based on “Invisible Monsters,” while “There’s a Good Reason These Tables Are Numbered Honey, You Just Haven’t Thought of It Yet” features fast-talking Urie and a plot for retribution, and “Build God, Then We’ll Talk” contains a bridge with a beautiful string section.
The standout track was, of course, “I Write Sins Not Tragedies,” the second single to be released. From just the first few notes, most people can identify the song and likely know all of the words to it. Coming from a line in “Shampoo Planet” by author Douglas Coupland, “I Write Sins Not Tragedies” exposes a bride as a cheater on her wedding day, but the groom is at least relieved that he found out before they got married. The song has spawned many memes and remixes over the years and is usually brought up in discussions of memorable emo songs from the genre’s takeover in the mid-2000s.
While solidifying the album’s aesthetic of a Vaudeville circus, the MTV Video Music Award-winning music video also played a major role in the song’s success. In it, Urie dons his iconic red ringleader outfit with eyeliner, a black top hat, a cane, and white gloves. As the wedding is happening, Urie interrupts it by barging into the church with a variety of circus performers (including Ross, Smith, and Wilson playing instruments in the background), ruining the wedding in the middle of the ceremony. The bride leaves the church crying, with a guest running after her. Urie then drags the groom outside to show him the bride cheating on him with said guest and the groom turns into the ringleader.
In addition, music videos were produced for “Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off,” "Build God, Then We'll Talk," and "But It’s Better If You Do,” which both furthered the vintage style. The band also embarked on the “Nothing Rhymes With Circus Tour” with full Vaudeville costumes, dancers, and the band’s name in lights.
Since then, Panic! at the Disco has released seven full-length studio albums and two live concert albums. The band has had its fair share of ups and downs over the years, such as some fans being disappointed that the next album, “Pretty. Odd.,” sounded less like “A Fever You Can't Sweat Out” and more like something the Beatles would have made. Fans were also upset when Walker and Ross left the band after the second album to start The Young Veins, as Ross had built a big fan following. Urie and Smith went on to create “Vices & Virtues” (still as Panic! at the Disco) and “Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die!” until Smith left to focus on himself because he was dealing with alcohol and pill addiction. Replacing those who had left were Dallon Weekes (now of I DON’T KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME fame), Nicole Row, Dan Pawlovich, Ian Crawford, and Mike Naran. (Weekes was the only official addition to the band, as the others are credited as touring musicians.)
While on break between the U.S. and Europe legs of the Viva Las Vengeance Tour in January 2023, a message was posted to the official Panic! social media accounts. In it, it was announced that Panic! at the Disco would disband on March 10 of that year, the last date of the European leg at the AO Arena in Manchester, England. Urie shared that his wife, Sarah, was pregnant with their first child, and that he wanted to “put [his] focus and energy on [his] family.”
However, on October 29, 2024, When We Were Young (a two-day throwback festival featuring rock, punk, and emo artists) announced that Panic! at the Disco would be headlining the 2025 event and playing every song on “A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out.” A second day with them headlining would also be added a few months later due to demand. It’s unconfirmed at this point whether it will be the original lineup of the band performing or if Urie will be the only one returning, as has been the case for the past several years.
While each Panic! at the Disco album has its fans and critics, most can agree that “A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out” was monumental and enough to hold the band in the same regard as Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, and more. And while Panic! at the Disco may technically be broken up, the charm of their first album remains unparalleled to this day.
