Folie à Deux (2008)

Folie à Deux ([fɔli a dø]; French for "madness of two") is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Fall Out Boy, first released in Japan on December 10, 2008, by Island Records. As with their previous two albums From Under the Cork Tree (2005) and Infinity on High (2007), its music was composed by lead vocalist and guitarist Patrick Stump, with lyrics penned by bassist Pete Wentz. Regarding the writing process, the band considered Folie à Deux to be their most collaborative record.

Unlike their prior releases, the album was recorded in relative secrecy with producer Neal Avron from July to September 2008. The recording sessions inspired lyricism relating to decaying relationships, moral dilemmas, and societal shortcomings, many with a political edge. The album's style moved away from early emo power chords and toward a wider variation in genres. Fall Out Boy recruited several guest artists for Folie à Deux, as well as employing instruments and recording techniques previously unfamiliar to the group. To promote the album, the band launched a viral campaign based around a Big Brother-type organization named "Citizens For Our Betterment" and embarked on an extensive tour schedule.

Folie à Deux received positive reviews from critics, with many focused on the creativity and various styles touched on, while others expressed concern that it was overly indulgent. It did not build on the commercial success of Infinity on High, debuting at number eight on the US Billboard 200 and selling over 149,000 copies in its first week of sales. As of 2013, Folie à Deux has sold over 449,000 copies in the United States.

Folie à Deux was Fall Out Boy's last studio album before their hiatus from 2009 to 2013. The band released a greatest hits album, Believers Never Die – Greatest Hits in November 2009, before announcing the hiatus just days later.

Background

Fall Out Boy began writing material for a possible successor shortly after the release of the 2007 album, Infinity on High. In March 2008, the band attempted to enter the Guinness Book of World Records for being the only musical act to perform in all seven continents in nine months, planning to perform in Antarctica for an audience of scientists. However, the group was unable to make the flight from Punta Arenas, Chile to Antarctica due to poor weather. Despite this unsuccessful attempt, the group felt energized from the experience and became inspired to write more music. This led to more material to sift through when the band decided to enter the studio. Fall Out Boy spent time during June 2008 formulating ideas at Avron's home, where "three to four" song ideas were developed. Lead vocalist/guitarist Patrick Stump and bassist/lyricist Pete Wentz began turning these ideas into songs over the following month. Wentz explained that the process was the same as usual: "I'll go over to Patrick's house and he'll kind of just sit there and play songs, and I'll be like, 'Ah, that one's awesome!'"

The band intended to work on new music sooner, but the release of its cover of Michael Jackson's "Beat It" as a single stood in the way. The single "stalled out" label Island Records, who wanted the band to film a music video for further promotion. Stump entered the studio with the intention of being less "self-indulgent", believing he dominated the band's previous record. He wished to focus more on creating a cohesive album in which different sounds come together instead of featuring his vocals at the forefront. With the help of Neal Avron, who produced Fall Out Boy's last two records, the quartet decided to simplify the music on Folie à Deux as opposed to the multi-layered sound of Infinity on High. The band was interviewed about the album constantly before even a single note was recorded, leading to misconceptions about how the record would sound. The album was first rumored to consist of entirely acoustic folk music, while other sources later alleged it would delve into rap rock.