In late August of 2024, the album Romance by Fontaines D.C. was released to the public. The post-punk band had announced the creation of the album in April of that year, as well as releasing one of its hit singles, “Starburster.” Although the fourth studio album by the band, Romance was their first album to top charts in the U.S.

It reached No. 97 on the Billboard 200, as well as landing multiple singles in the top hundred on the UK Singles Chart. The band originates from Dublin, Ireland, and is led by Grian Chatten. Best known for his singing, Chatten’s voice ranges between hushed crooning and angsty shouting. Combining this with the band's grunge punk- rock sound, Fontaines D.C. has rightfully earned its reputation as a progressive alternative band. Romance led the band to move onto a global perspective instead of focusing on their Irish roots. In their 2022 album Skinty Fia, a couple of their songs, as well as their album title, are named after Irish terms and sayings. Romance was produced by James Ford, a well-known producer who has worked to produce albums for bands like the Artic Monkeys and Depeche Mode. The band has worked with a range of different producers for their albums and music videos.

The album has many popular songs, all with clever lyricism and interesting stories behind them. Their most popular song being the first released single of the album, “Starburster,” which was inspired by a panic attack Chatten experienced in a London Tube Station. Many of the songs on the album explore themes of anxiety and self- sabotage. “Bug,” the sixth song on the album, describes feelings of personal transformation and breaking free from the past. The music video for this song is by far the band’s most popular, likely because it stars actor Barry Keoghan, known for his role in the movie Saltburn, as the “Bug” character. On the other hand, the album has songs like “Favorite,” a song about bittersweet love, which sounds like a sunny day in spring. Romance has a song for every mood.

With just 4.3 million monthly listeners on Spotify, Fontaines D.C. is still on its way to becoming a mainstream band. Romance, with its colorful blend of stories and moods, has rightfully hooked in quite a few of these listeners, and continues to do so. The band has yet to hint at any upcoming releases, but with their immense talent and creativity there is no doubt something good will come soon.