American rock band Panic! At the Disco are back in all their hyper-dramatic emo-pop glory and picks up steam yesterday with the debut of its "The Ballad of Mona Lisa" across all of MTV's platforms. Written by lead singer Brendon Urie, the mid-tempo rocker in lieu of a ballad, "The Ballad of Mona Lisa," is the first single composed for the Grammy-nominated group's third album, "Vices & Virtues," It proved to be an inspiration for the production of "Vices & Virtues." Urie wrote the song dealing with his own personal convictions and struggles. The track is a typical cheeky, up-tempo pop/punk anthem, but the video shows a darker side.The song also marked the debut of Panic's new two-man lineup after the exit of Ryan Ross and Jon Walker, leaving as the remaining duo singer/multi-instrumentalist Urie and drummer Spencer Smith. "On the surface it can seem like just the story of drama between a guy and a girl," explains Urie. "But it's really about what I've been going through, an inner-struggle within myself, and fighting the dualities of my personality -- the side that fucks everything up and destroys everything and the other side that tries to pick up the slack. It's all growing pains." The song was also inspired by Urie's move from Las Vegas, Nevada, where he's lived his entire life, to Santa Monica, California with Panic! Smith. Urie notes that the move was "a huge part of growing up."
Featuring a top hat, pews, and a church setting to Urie's costume and various camera shots, the steampunk-themed video for song was directed by Shane Drake and produced by Brandon Bonfiligo. The video documents the steps for preparing and displaying a body before burial in the Victorian era, from shutting the windows and covering up mirrors to laying the body out in white so loved ones could mourn. A young woman is also present, mourning the recently deceased. The body is finally show to be Urie's, whose ghost has been wandering around at his own wake. He finally makes contact with a young child and directs her to a note in his corpse's pocket, naming his murderer as the young woman. The woman tries to escape, only to be caught by the crowd and taken away while Urie's ghost watches and is pleased. The League of STEAM's full ensemble cast appear in key roles in the video.
Musically, the song is similar to those produced for the band's 2005 debut album, "A Fever You Can't Sweat Out," however, Urie explained in a recent interview that the song represented more of a new beginning. Urie said "It was a new start when Spencer and I started writing, so it was gonna end up sounding different, sonically." The track has received positive reviews upon its release, has described it as "an anthemic power-rock ballad with dark and personal undertones," and Panic! swung the song's sinister faux-cabaret verses into an absolutely towering chorus. The the song's sound as "bringing fans back to the sound they were introduced to when the band first broke onto the scene. Old school Panic! rocks! Enjoy.
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