Panic! at the Disco’s days of writing sins, not tragedies, are coming to a close after nearly two decades.
Brendon Urie, the frontman of the beloved pop-rock band, announced on Instagram Tuesday that he and his wife, Sarah, will welcome their first child later this year. As part of an effort to “put my focus and energy on my family,” the singer said Panic! at the Disco will disband at the conclusion of its forthcoming European tour, which kicks off Feb. 20 in Vienna.
“[S]ometimes a journey must end for a new one to begin,” he wrote. “We’ve been trying to keep it to ourselves, though some of you may have heard.. Sarah and I are expecting a baby very soon! The prospect of being a father and getting to watch my wife become a mother is both humbling and exciting. I look forward to this next adventure.”
Urie concluded his note by thanking fans for their support.
Urie, who grew up in Las Vegas, was still in high school when he co-founded Panic! at the Disco in 2004 with fellow musicians Ryan Ross, Spencer Smith and Brent Wilson.
Though the group initially specialized in covers of Blink-182 songs, demos of Panic! at the Disco’s original material soon caught the eye of Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz. The band’s 2005 debut album, “A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out,” was a critical and commercial smash.
Nearly 13 years later, the band scored its most indelible hit with “High Hopes” from its sixth album, “Pray for the Wicked.” In 2019, the song was embraced on the campaign trail by Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg.
Ross, Smith and Wilson all left Panic! at the Disco over time, and by 2016, the group was widely perceived as Urie’s solo project. As for the singer, he began to branch out into other projects, such as taking on a starring role in the musical “Kinky Boots” on Broadway and duetting with Taylor Swift on the hit single “ME!” off her 2019 album, “Lover.”
Panic! at the Disco released its seventh and final album, “Viva Las Vengeance,” in August.