Black Cards and The Damned Things let pieces of their projects drop before Patrick Stump did, but the last remaining member of Fall Out Boy to put out music after the ashes of their end has shown that more time sometimes creates better material.
 
With no warning, Stump dropped two different versions of the same song, “Spotlight (New Regrets)” and “Spotlight (Oh Nostalgia),” and they both equally impress. Picking up where Fall Out Boy’s Folie A Deux left off, Stump has taken his progression one level further with incredible hooks, monster production, and lyrics that Pete Wentz hasn’t been able to kick out since From Under The Cork Tree.
 
The chorus dominates as Stump sings, “Don’t forget it’s your right // To do whatever you like // Cause you could be your own spotlight,” emulating confidence that he can do it all on his own and that both mainstream radio and his old scene will eat up what he has to offer. Both versions have hints of the underlying dance-phase that’s overtaking the mainstream scene, but the final product of the song is ready to be a well-rounded pop hit.
 
Soul Punk might not gather the same attention that Patrick Stump has seen in his past, but it certainly might represent the musical step that he’s needed to take and has not been able to.
 
****/*****