I think you guys totally missed a discussion about the emotional devastation of the lyrics of this song! The brilliance of being able to express the theme of cheating in words and lyrics combined so that it captures the howling pain!
The combination of emo melodrama and angst with a strangely triumphant chorus and synth line is awesome. I think the reason it’s transcended dark pop status, even being a regular wedding staple despite the subject matter, is because of how self-aware it is (the protagonist’s own imagination is making him feel worse, he has only seen them kiss rather than sleep together). Calling themselves “Mr Brightside” is a hollow joke - they’re not looking on the bright side, their own jealousy and paranoia is making themselves feel worse. Singing along then feels like a cathartic ownership of your own flaws, a bit like The Smiths, except they never dared to sound this big (maybe There Is A Light That Never Goes Out comes close).
Listen to the Mr Brightside intro and then imagine a guitar player starting band practice in a kitchen while trying to play the intro to Whats My Age Again incorrectly. A star is born
Rob Sheffield has personal beef with Brandon Flowers on twitter (people took screenshot of it before Sheffield deleted his tweet). He literately mock Flowers publicly. I don't think he's appropriate to be included in any discussion related to this band tbh. Conflict of interest.
I think you guys totally missed a discussion about the emotional devastation of the lyrics of this song! The brilliance of being able to express the theme of cheating in words and lyrics combined so that it captures the howling pain!
The combination of emo melodrama and angst with a strangely triumphant chorus and synth line is awesome.
I think the reason it’s transcended dark pop status, even being a regular wedding staple despite the subject matter, is because of how self-aware it is (the protagonist’s own imagination is making him feel worse, he has only seen them kiss rather than sleep together). Calling themselves “Mr Brightside” is a hollow joke - they’re not looking on the bright side, their own jealousy and paranoia is making themselves feel worse.
Singing along then feels like a cathartic ownership of your own flaws, a bit like The Smiths, except they never dared to sound this big (maybe There Is A Light That Never Goes Out comes close).
Listen to the Mr Brightside intro and then imagine a guitar player starting band practice in a kitchen while trying to play the intro to Whats My Age Again incorrectly. A star is born
Rob Sheffield has personal beef with Brandon Flowers on twitter (people took screenshot of it before Sheffield deleted his tweet). He literately mock Flowers publicly. I don't think he's appropriate to be included in any discussion related to this band tbh. Conflict of interest.