Jackson Volenec — Reporter
There has been a recent trend in popular bands from the early to late 2000s coming back and reuniting to make more music and perform again, and students at universities have an array of different opinions on that fact.
Bands such as My Chemical Romance, inspired a lot of the youth at the peak of their popularity and released certain music many people still regard very highly in their catalog, like their album “Black Parade.” For many people, it is a time capsule back to an earlier time to when they used to listen to that music.
“I think that it’s super nostalgic as well as fun to see people that I used to love as a kid come back and bring out new music and tour,” said English secondary education major Stephen Casinelli, a senior.
“It brings back memories as well as shows that the people back then still have it now.”
Many are speculating on whether or not this decision to reunite will allow for the band to make music of that same caliber compared to their older music. Oftentimes when bands reunite, they do not showcase the same level of talent when performing their old music, and their new music is usually never as good as the old stuff.
“I really hope that their next album is good,” said music major Matthew Schinas, a sophomore at University of New Haven.
“I would be surprised if it was anything like their old music though. It just seems like it will be hard to capture that same energy they had before.”
Other bands that have made successful comebacks this year include people like the Jonas Brothers, a boyband that had mass appeal to a mostly female, younger audience originally but now are aiming to appeal to the young adult in their
revival.
This group has seemed to be doing well with their new music, as their old fans as well as new listeners have been giving their new songs a fair amount of play.
“At first when I heard they were coming back I was like, ‘Okay, this will probably die out in a week or so,’ but then they actually convinced me otherwise with their singles and stuff. I really think that their new image they made for themselves benefited them greatly,” said Jackson Lord, a junior.
Clips of their new live performances had surfaced all throughout social media; they had a great amount of exposure and attention in the limelight for a bit. However, their return has gained some actual traction aside from the initial wave of hype surrounding their revival, as they continue to release quality music their shelf life will continue to be expanded.
Bands such as MCR and the Jonas Brothers often get criticized for being washed up and desperate for attention, with some speculation that is the only reason they are trying to reunite and make music again. While there have been bands in the past that have tried to make a comeback while being obviously uninspired and trying to cash in, that is not the case for all groups who got back together.
“I think that part of why they do it has to do with re-making an image and rebranding to still maintain relevance, but I also think part of it must be that they do want to come up with new music and new content for people that want to hear from them,” said Casinelli.
For a group like MCR, they have another wave of public attention right now on social media with their revival, but it will only last for longer than a few weeks unless they prove to their fans that they still have genuine inspiration for performing and creating music.
Photo credit: Izzy Manzo
