By 
By MANDI STEFFEY
Staff Writer
My Chemical Romance’s new stuff is not good. I don’t enjoy it. Many fans of their older material agree with me. That fact didn’t soften the blow when I heard MCR broke up on March 22.
According to Rolling Stone, the band announced the breakup through their website.
It’s not really a surprising announcement, but I’m sure their fans are crushed.
“Beyond any sadness, what I feel the most is pride,” tweeted MCR’s lead singer Gerard Way after the breakup.
When I heard the news, visions of heavy black eyeliner and pink eyeshadow popped into my head rather quickly.
My Chemical Romance was huge when I was in middle school. My friends and I all jammed out to “I’m Not Okay (I Promise)” on a regular basis.
I even saw them live a few times. Thinking about me as a young teen with spiky black hair trying to be a hardass at an MCR concert is a hilarious thought.
Even though their new material is less than thrilling (okay, I don’t like it at all), a little piece of me is heartbroken for the band.
My Chemical Romance represents a lot from my youth. Listening to them and other bands from that era changed who I was–and it wasn’t only me. Those were the days that Hot Topic and band tees were in their prime. Everyone was on the punk rock bandwagon. And it felt invigorating.
Through their rollercoaster time as a band together, switching genres and styles at the drop of a hat, MCR has adapted to a new set of fans. Old and new fans alike are sure to look back (or to the present) on this angsty, young-at-heart music with fondness and reminiscence.
I wanted to ignore their breakup, but I just can’t pretend I wasn’t the creepy kid dressed in black hanging out at the cemetery with my friends. This music helped to form my ideals as a kid.
So to everyone else who worshipped Gerard Way and religiously wore only red, black and grey–you have a partner in grieving.
The announcement for the band’s breakup was short and sweet:
“Being in this band for the past 12 years has been a true blessing. We’ve gotten to go places we never knew we would. We’ve been able to see and experience things we never imagined possible. We’ve shared the stage with people we admire, people we look up to, and best of all, our friends. And now, like all great things, it has come time for it to end. Thanks for all of your support, and for being part of the adventure.”
