By Pat Gainor, Staff Writer

After 19 years, pop rock band Panic! At The Disco will be disbanding following the conclusion of their European tour, lead singer Brendon Urie announced on Jan. 24.

Per a statement released on social media, Urie said that his wife Sarah is expecting a child this year, and he will be walking away from the band to turn his attention to his family. 

“I’ve sat here trying to come up with the perfect way to say this, and I truly can’t put into words just how much it has meant to us,” the statement reads. “Whether you’ve been here since the beginning or are just finding us, it has been a pleasure to not only share the stage with so many talented people but also share our time with you.”

Panic! was founded in 2004 by Urie and three other friends: Ryan Ross, Brent Wilson and Spencer Smith. Beginning as a Blink-182 cover band, their early music caught the attention of Pete Wentz, bassist for Fall Out Boy, and they signed to his label Fueled by Ramen.

In 2005, the band released their debut album, A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out, which was certified triple platinum thanks to the success of the hit single “I Write Sins, Not Tragedies.” 

Panic! released a total of seven albums, with Death of a Bachelor certified double platinum and three other platinum albums.

Over the years, the other  original members of Panic! would split from the band. Brent Wilson was fired in 2006 for “lack of development in skills,” Ryan Ross left the band in 2009 due to creative differences and Spencer Smith left the band due to struggles with drug abuse. This left Urie to continue their work as a solo project, and he decided to keep the name “Panic! At The Disco” instead of working under his own name in 2015.

In 2020, after bodyguard Zack Hall was accused of sexual harassment, a handful of Twitter users came forward and accused Urie of sexually assaulting them during a live show in 2009. These accusations led to footage of Urie saying racist and transphobic slurs, among other problematic things said during various shows in the early 2010’s being leaked as well.

Urie, who came out as pansexual in 2017, addressed the allegations in November 2020 during a Twitch livestream and denied the assault allegations, while also announcing that Hall had been fired. 

“I’m a different person than I was five years ago, I mean hell, dude, five months ago. Like I’m sure we all are. And while that doesn’t change the past, we can make things right for the future,” he said. “I don’t know why these stories were put out there but what I do know is that my fan’s safety is the most important thing. And I would never do anything to jeopardize that.”

Urie’s accuser would later tweet that the allegations were false, saying that they had made them up out of anger. They subsequently shut down their Twitter account the same day.

Panic!’s 2022 album, Viva Las Vengeance, received mixed reviews upon release.

This was the first album released by Panic! not to receive a certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). 

Panic! is the 195th most listened-to band on Spotify.

“Sometimes a journey must end for a new one to begin,” Urie said. “I love you. I appreciate you. Thank you for existing.”