Andy Greene, writing at Rolling Stone:
In August, the band returned to the studio with producer Illangelo – best known for his work with Lady Gaga, Drake and the Weeknd – and decided to start largely from scratch. An intensive songwriting boot camp at Stump’s Burbank, California, studio worked, yielding songs like the trap-infused “Hold Me Tight or Don’t” and the synth-y “Expensive Mistakes.” It helped that the deadline to deliver the album had been extended. “It was Thanksgiving, when the old guy unbuttons his belt and just exhales,” Stump says. “We were relaxed, and the rest of the record kind of wrote itself in a week.”
And:
Stump acknowledges that even after all the work they put in, he won’t mind if the reworked Mania doesn’t connect with radio: “Do I need another hit in my life? I don’t really care. The only reason to put out a record is if it’s really great. And once you are past the radio-hit stage of your career, that becomes even more important.”
Spoiler alert: I think they’ve got another hit in them.