"Mona Lisa" is a song by American rock band Panic! at the Disco, released February 1, 2011 as the first single from the group's third studio album, Vices & Virtues (2011). Vocalist Brendon Urie wrote the song to express personal struggles and convictions many years prior to its official production for Vices & Virtues. The song impacted radio on February 15, 2011. The song has received positive critical reviews upon its release.
Panic! at the Disco
is an American rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada, formed in 2004 and featuring the current lineup of vocalist Brendon Urie, accompanied on tour by bassist Dallon Weekes, guitarist Kenneth Harris and drummer Dan Pawlovich. Founded by childhood friends Ryan Ross, Spencer Smith, Brent Wilson and Urie, Panic! at the Disco recorded its first demos while its members were in high school. Shortly after, the band recorded and released its debut studio album, A Fever You Can't Sweat Out (2005). Popularized by the second single, "I Write Sins Not Tragedies", the album was certified double platinum in the US. In 2006, founding bassist Brent Wilson was fired from the band during an extensive world tour and subsequently replaced by Jon Walker.
Influenced by 1960s rock bands the Beatles, the Zombies and the Beach Boys, and preceded by the single "Nine in the Afternoon", the band's second studio album, Pretty. Odd. (2008) marked a significant departure from the sound of the band's debut. Ross and Walker, who favored the band's new direction, departed because Urie and Smith wanted to make further changes to the band's style. The duo subsequently formed a new band, The Young Veins, leaving Urie and Smith as the sole remaining members of Panic! at the Disco.
Continuing as a duo, Urie and Smith released a new single, "New Perspective", and recruited Dallon Weekes as the group's bassist and Ian Crawfordas the band's lead guitarist to accompany the band during live performances. Weekes was later inducted into the band's lineup as a full-time member in 2010, nearing the end of the recording of the band's third studio album, Vices & Virtues (2011). The album was recorded solely by Urie and Smith, with producers John Feldmann and Butch Walker.
As a three-piece, Urie, Smith, and Weekes recorded and released the band's fourth studio album, Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!, in 2013. Prior to the release of the album, Smith unofficially left the band due to health and drug-related issues, leaving Urie and Weekes as the remaining members.
In 2015, Smith officially left the band after not performing live with the band since his departure in 2013. Shortly thereafter, Weekes reverted to being a touring member once again, leaving Urie as the only member of the official lineup. In April 2015, "Hallelujah" was released as the first single from Panic! at the Disco's fifth studio album, Death of a Bachelor (2016).
DCD2 Records
Decaydance Records, is an independent record label owned by Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy and partners, based in New York City. It was founded as an imprint of Fueled by Ramen. The first band Wentz signed to the label was Panic! at the Disco. In 2014, the label relaunched as DCD2 Records, keeping the acts that were still signed to Decaydance before the relaunch. New Politics and Lolo were the first acts signed under the new name.
Fueled By Ramen
Fueled by Ramen LLC is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group with distribution from one of the company's main labels, Atlantic Records. The label, founded in Gainesville, Florida, is now based in New York City.
Brendon Urie
Brendon Boyd Urie is the lead vocalist of Panic! at the Disco, of which he is the sole remaining original member, he is also a songwriter, musician and multi-instrumentalist in the Alternative punk band Panic! at the disco.
Dallon Weekes
Dallon Weeks is best know as a long-time contributor for Panic! at the Disco. Since 2009-2015. Weekes has performed in the band as a bassist, keyboardist, backing vocalist, and songwriter.
Spencer Smith
Spencer James Smith (born September 2, 1987) is an American musician. He is the co-founding member and the former drummer of the rock band Panic! at the Disco.[2] He recorded four studio albums with the band: A Fever You Can't Sweat Out (2005), Pretty. Odd. (2008), Vices & Virtues (2011), and Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die! (2013). The band's debut album went Platinum and charted at No. 13 on the US Billboard 200, spearheaded by the hit single "I Write Sins Not Tragedies", which peaked at No. 7 in the Billboard Hot 100.
'The Ballard of Mona Lisa'
Music Video Analysis
Brendan , the lead singer becomes a ghost during the funeral, we can see Mary (Mona Lisa) has killed him, and we can see his attempts to make people notice him and hear him. However his is invisible to the outside world due as she tries to stop him commutating with the world which explains why there are rules which appear in the music video for example (stop the clock, cover the mirrors). Although he can still communicate with the little girl who he tells to find the note he wrote before he died because he knew she was going to kill him and he couldn't stop her. The girl finds the note and revels Marys secret.Mary probably is taken to jail and Brendan has had his revenge. Because there's nothing wrong with just a taste of what you paid for. Mary she killed him (aka Mona Lisa) so she drinks to ease the guilt so she locks his spirit from the outside world.
Lyrical analysis
He wrote the song dealing with his own personal convictions and struggles. "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! drummer Spencer Smith. Urie notes that the move was "a huge part of growing up."
The music has been described as a combination of buzzsaw riffs, punchy percussion and literate, multi-layered lyrics.The song's title is, of course, an allusion to Mona Lisa, the famous Renaissance-era oil painting by Leonardo da Vinci. The painting inspired Panic!, which pulls their style from the nostalgic romanticism of the Elizabethan and Victorian eras. In a 2011 interview, Urie regarded the name and theme of the song as neither male nor female. “That whole thing with Mona Lisa was the idea that there is this character. For us, you look at the painting, and you can’t tell what this person is thinking. Not showing too much emotion, there’s this Mona Lisa smile masking what’s going on in that person’s head," he explained. "The song is about a battle in yourself […] an inner struggle in oneself. The duality in nature, where you see yourself as a bad person, and the good person trying to correct your bad habits. That’s what it was about. We thought that would be an easy way to describe how we were masking our own emotions and trying to figure out how we can solve the bad
choices we make."
Time line:
0.00-0.03- Tracking shot to the right (low key lighting,
wooden bench’s in a row, dusty cobwebs while a suspenseful, eerie yet ghost
like sinister piano plays in the intro setting the tone which compliments the
dark spooky horror setting.
0.03-0.04- Cuts to the camera moving downwards in a pedestal
move to reveal a sparkly, glittery black top hat while the back ground is out
of focus allowing the audience to keep their attention of the top hat with the
use of shallow of depth of focus.
0.05-0.07 – Cut back to a tracking shot to the left showing
several bench’s again although at the end revealing a dusty top hat which is
juxtaposed by the fresh, new sparkly hat this could symbolise the life of
Brendon the lead singer, to then leading to his deterioration and his murder by
the Mona Lisa/ Mary representing the dusty cob webbed hat and his death, and
ghost like appearance shown during the music video.
0.07-0.08 Cuts back to a downwards camera movement revealing
more of the glittered top hat showing a belt around the centre.
0.09-0.10 Cuts to a Pov tracking shot where the camera is
moving backwards, to show all of the bench’s which could represent the ceremony
reception room. The fact that this is shot backwards as well as the increased
speed with the use of speed/duration in post production could symbolise a ghost
like figure exiting the room as the door swiftly shuts without a movement. The
high key lighting matched with the vintage setting of dusty, wooden floors as
well as dusty wooden benches reinforces this Victoria superstitious era. The
adjustment to low key lighting when the door is closed highlights this sinister
more horror like tone introduced in the video, reinforces by the scratches and
black noticeable on the front of the door. The use of this sound effect of a
door closing a door, keeps the audience engages as no one has yet been revealed
in this ghost setting.
0.10- 0.11- Cuts to the continuation of the pedestal
movement of the top hat, the use of this enigma code with the use of slow movement
to yet to reveal the person behind this mask the top hat, linking with the true
meaning behind the song (hiding behind a smile, Mona Lisa) this creates
anticipation and suspense for the audience as the music video.
0.11-0.16-Cuts to a Pov shot, showing a lady in Victorian
clothing, opening a door, the sequence quickly speeds up as the camera moves
towards the lead singer with his head down while wearing the top hat increasing
tension when he reveals himself.
0.16-0.20- Cuts to a mid close up of Brendon the lead singer, singing into a microphone while the use of shallow depth of field causes the background with Spencer the drummer to be out of focus drawing the attention on Brendon, while he lip syncs. The use of costume is significant as it represent a trade mark for Panic! at the disco at they constantly utilise these Victorian suits within their music videos. It can emphasise this Victorian theme shown in the music video.0.20-0.21- Cuts to a mid shot of a lady in a black lace dress opening a window indicating that she is hosting a funeral. While a brown Victorian title appears, rules which are carried out to stop Brendon from communicating the sin she has committed. The tracking shot follows her to the window as she opens it.
0.21-0.23- Cuts to a mid close up of her opening the window, for a second we see the use of shallow depth of field allowing the title of the rule N. 1 to be in focus, the use of this brown Victorian type face emphasis rises the era in which the video is set int, to then change back to the rule to be out of focus drawing the attention to the woman.
0.23-0.25- Cuts to a mid shot of the lady turning around to reveal her large glasses. As she walks away the camera pans down to reveal more of the open window.
0.25-0.27- Cuts to a mid shot of Brendon singing, with the of an effect which makes him appear ghost like to create an illusion that there are three of him. This faded effect amplifies this ghost like image, and the faded effect can suggest that he is no longer living. This creates a unique unnatural effect which links in with this supernatural story line. In the background we can also see older machines that appear to be in use from the Victorian era. The fact that he is wearing a brown suit with a top hat suggests a gothic yet dark image, as brown/black has connotations of death as well as an Victorian image. Although having glitter and different quirks such as the goggles placed on his top hat in addition with the gold and red dotted paint plastered on this suit shows the unique and unnatural image about him which could reflect Brendon's own take on this Victorian gothic costume and can also display this supernatural effect of him hiding behind the painted to suit to reveal that he is actually dead, amplified with the use of the buffering yet faded effect.
0.27-0.29- Cuts to a another mid shot of him bending down while lip-syncing and then turning around.0.29-0.31- Cuts to a long shot of a crowded room of Victorian crowd, with Mary who is in a full length black dress with a white shirt on while wearing red lipstick. Her black hair compliments the sinister dark look she is portraying, the fact that her hair is tied up in ringlets emphasises this victorian gothic image. The black suggests she is hosting the funeral, highlighted by people coming up to her and hugging her. As she hugs her the camera hand held is tracking away from the subject. The fact that she has a vintage older necklace around her expresses an eerie witch like image about her. Also expressed through the several rules that she emplaced to prevent his communication of what she has really done. This is also amplified through red lipstick which has connotation of danger, blood and death conveying an evil presentation of Mary.
0.31-0.32- Cuts to a mid shot of Spenser playing the drums connecting in time with the drums in the song, creating an effective sequence.
0.32-0.33- Cuts to a mid shot of Brendon, with the use of the same effect while he is turning a handle clockwise indicating that he is performing an experiment due to the tube in which a dark blue bubbly liquid emerges.
0.33-0.34- Cuts to a mid shot of Mary being hugged by an older man also dressed in a victorian costume.
0.34-0.38- Cuts to a long shot of the same girl who opened the window, now closing it while rule N. 2 appears. There is also a man in the background, the camera slowly zooms out slightly revealing the whole picture.
0.38-0.40- Cuts to a long shot of Brendon in the stage area singing to a crowd of people in front of them however the are oblivious to his performance suggesting that he is only a ghost. We can also see two people in front who are over exaggerating this victorian look to a more gothic theme. We can also see Dallon Weeks the lead guitarist playing an instrument on the far right. There is an old piano visible in the top left.
0.40-0.42- Cuts to an over the shoulder shot, to overview the crowd of people unaware of the performance.
0.42-0.43- Cuts to a tracking shot following Mary showing her significance to Brendon.
0.43-0.46- Cuts to a mid close up of Brendon lip syncing, while in the back ground we see a glimpse of Spencer and Dallon. As he turns around the camera zooms in to the darkness of his suit.
0.46-0.48- The camera cuts by zooming out to reveal Brendon to change costume, to a ghost like vampire figure. This shown through the emphasis of his black hair, the pale face make up as well as the change in a much more darker suit and cape. The camera shows him smiling to then walk away. In addition the use of low-key lighting can also emphasise this image of the undead, the amplified shadows increase this sinister gothic look.
0.48- 0.50- The camera pans and tracks his every move as he spins around attempting to make people notice his appearance however everyone is occupied and unconscious of his ghost image. Although, we can notice a small girl staring at him as he trying to be noticed.
0.50-0.51- Cuts to a mid close up of Brendon lip-syncing in the original costume he was wearing at the very start the increased anger 'Tell me I'm right' is shown through his use of hand gestures.
0.51-0.53- Cuts back to the vampire costume with the same faded illusion effect to highlight his frightened expression of never being able to communicate to the crowd.
0.53-0.54- Cuts to a mid shot of Brendon back is his original costume showing an aggressive, powerful expression further emphasising the power of the chorus.
0.54-0.55- Cuts to a mid close up of Brendon is his vampire look, attempting to converse with the people, he then walks away while camera pans to the left and tracks him.
0.55-0.57- Cuts to a low angle shot of Brendon lip syncing on the stairs looking down. This low angle highlights his power at this stage and foreshadows the very end of the music video. This low angle shot shows him passionately singing with the use of hand gestures. the camera pans to the right to adjust position to ultimately focus on the lead singer.
0.57-0.59 - Cuts to a mid shot of the Brendon in the vampire attire walking up to a group of people attending the funeral as the camera pans to the left as he walks towards them.1.00- Cuts to a mid shot of Spencer the drummer playing the drums, We can see the rise on scene clearly during this shot emphasising the older time period this music video was set. Due to the old, dusty as well as rusting, scratched aged cogs abandoned at the back of the wall. This may indicate that it was once an old lab or shop that used to operate effectively during the 18th century. The fact that the cogs are black ties into this graphic match used throughout the video
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