Longtime Fall Out Boy fans know that when it comes to music videos, the band has never played around. Their decades-long devotion to being as unserious as possible with their visuals is admirable. Especially for a band that’s been in the pop-punk-emo scene as long as they have.
If you’ll please allow me a moment of gross sentiment for Fall Out Boy. Their visuals have remained inspired through years of grueling album cycles, waning popularity, and a triumphant comeback. Their recent album visuals almost rivaled Save Rock and Roll’s “The Young Blood Chronicles” for narrative ingenuity, making callbacks to their discography with familiar touchstones.
That being said, for a long time, their most recognizable music video was “Sugar, We’re Goin Down.” It falls into that iconic trio of videos from their 2005 album, which includes “Dance, Dance” and “A Little Less Sixteen Candles A Little More ‘Touch Me.’” Since then, “Sugar” has been upstaged by improved production and elaborate narratives. But it remains an influential entry in the Fall Out Boy repertoire.
So influential, in fact, that Hollywood star of the moment Glen Powell was inspired to make his own music video for “Sugar, We’re Goin Down” when he was 17. Powell shared the moody clip during his recent appearance on Saturday Night Live.
Fall Out Boy Offers Glen Powell Directing Gig for Next Music Video After Seeing His Take on ‘Sugar, We’re Goin Down’
When Glen Powell started showing up everywhere, the first instinct many people had was that he “came out of nowhere.” However, during his SNL appearance, Powell set the record straight. He actually used to direct and star in his own videos starting at 10 years old.
“I did student films, local commercials, internet safety videos,” he told the SNL audience. “Even when I was a teen, I directed some of my own films. They were a little experimental, emotionally nuanced. I was watching a lot of French New Wave at the time. I think you’ll see the influence.”
The moody, lo-fi clip featured teenage Glen Powell in a dramatic rendering of Fall Out Boy’s breakout hit “Sugar, We’re Goin Down”. It’s certainly no tense exploration of forbidden romance, self-acceptance, shame, and deer-on-deer violence like the OG. But there’s a certain something in Powell’s 17-year-old eyes as he delivers the iconic opening lyrics. A pain that longs to escape, an artistic soul that yearns for a Twister sequel.
In response, Fall Out Boy offered Glen Powell a directing gig for their next music video. On social media, they mentioned Powell, asking, “want to direct the next fob music video?” Knowing Fall Out Boy, this is a dead serious offer. And knowing that From Under The Cork Tree just turned 20, I wouldn’t be surprised if they tried to officially release Glen Powell’s teenage music video for the anniversary. We can only hope.
Photo by Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images
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