- [Interviewer] We're backstage at the billboard music
awards with Brendon Urie!
- Hello again.
- [Interviewer] How are you?
- I'm doing wonderful, how are you?
- [Interviewer] I'm fine, but who cares about me?
- I care! - [Interviewer] You just won
a billboard music award on stage a second ago.
- I know. - [Interviewer] You got
two tonight! - Two.
- [Interviewer] Two!
- It's daunting, it's very overwhelming in the best way,
and I'm just so grateful, really, I'm so appreciative.
- [Interviewer] It was top rock album and..
- Top rock song.
- [Interviewer] Top rock song.
- Yeah.
- [Interviewer] You know the great thing about the billboard
awards is that the awards are based on your performance
on our charts, and that's all based on how fans react
to your music and buy your music, and stream your music
and does that make the award kind of mean something
a little bit special to you?
- Absolutely, it's nothing more validating than the people
who really care about your craft, when you're sharing it
with them for them to vote you into this amazing award.
Yeah man, I'm eternally grateful to my fans,
there's no reason for me to be here without them.
I mean the only reason I get to do this
is because they allow me to do this, they continue to love
and support and it blows my mind in the best way possible
and I am so happy.
- [Interviewer] Does it feel like Panic! is at like..
it just seems like you've been on this steady climb
like things just keep continually getting better
and better, does it feel that way to you too?
- Absolutely, and I don't understand why.
- [Interviewer] Yes! - Thank you!
I can't figure out why, but I'm not gonna question it
too much because I'm just incredibly happy.
- [Interviewer] And obviously you opened the show tonight,
along with Taylor Swift.
- Yes.
- [Interviewer] Performing your new single together, "ME!".
- Yes.
- [Interviewer] How was that, performing and opening
the show, how'd it go, how'd you feel?
- It's up, ineffable.
I'll say this about Taylor though.
I've been a fan of hers for a long time, and the first time
that we met, she's so personable and bubbly's probably not
the right word, but she really is.
I mean she's such a warm and welcoming person
and the fact that she has a passion for the things
she's doing just validates it for me that that's why this
matters and this is why I feel so good,
because I do the same.
I wanna inspire myself and my fans to do the same
and she's incredible, man.
We just had so much fun working on that song
and her ideas for videos and the performance, it's like,
I take no credit, I literally just.. I'll show up!
I'll do whatever you ask.
But it was really fun, she's really collaborative
and just a blast to work with.
- [Interviewer] How did the call actually happen,
did she herself call you, how'd that work out?
- Yeah, I was on tour actually this last January
and she texted me this very sweet.. we have friends
who are managers, managers who were friends, and she texted
me this very sweet long text that I teared up at the end
because I didn't expect something like that,
for a first text you know, for the start of a relationship.
She sent me the song and I just gushed over her,
basically reciprocating the love saying I am such a massive
fan of yours, and I can't wait to work with you on this song
and I haven't had the song out of my head
since I heard it first, and it's been so hard to keep it
a secret and now I don't have to and I'm relieved.
- [Interviewer] How long have you had
this secret hidden away?
- It's been about four months, so not a terribly long time
but long enough. - [Interviewer] Yeah, huh.
- I'm proud of myself I kept it.
- [Interviewer] Are we gonna see you guys
do the song again together maybe?
- Oh I hope so, we've talked about some performances
and some shows, yeah.
- [Interviewer] You may have not been allowed to say that,
but too late now. - Yikes!
- [Interviewer] The Taylor team is gonna swoop in.
- I'm done, chh, it's over.
- [Interviewer] So what's next up for Panic!,
I mean obviously you have all the Taylor stuff happening,
- Yeah.
- [Interviewer] But what about you guys, what about Panic!?
- I'm home now.. - [Interviewer] Chilling?
- ..and we're taking some time off and I'm chilling,
and I'm streaming and I'm hanging out with my fans online
and it's amazing, but I thought I would take a little more
time off and I'm already starting music.
Not with anything planned in mind, but just working on
some ideas, I can't help myself so I don't think
it'll be too long before another Panic! Record.
- [Interviewer] When you say ideas, how fully formed
are those ideas?
- Some are two minute long just instrumentals,
some are 30 second voice memos, gibberish, some are inside
jokes written on napkins at bars,
there's all kinds of different stuff, yeah.
- [Interviewer] You actually still write things out?
- Yeah, there's something different about having a pen
in your hand, the way that it translates when your brain
takes a little longer to write this thing out.
Instead of just typing super fast, it comes out differently.
- [Interviewer] Last thing, I wanna circle back
to the Taylor video. - Yeah, absolutely.
- [Interviewer] I watched the behind the scenes clip
of you and the kitten Benjamin Button.
- Oh my god, dude Benjamin Button!
- [Interviewer] Isn't that the kitten's name?
- Absolutely and when we met him, we were both gushing over
this kitten because the eyes.
These bright baby blue eyes, we were just losing our minds.
When I held Benjamin, it was fine,
he was like you're fine, he feels safe.
When I gave him to Taylor he just started purring
and he never stopped purring and that's when she asked
"Is he available?", he's like yeah, "Can I have him?".
So she bought him right there.
- [Interviewer] I was like was there gonna be a cat fight,
the two of you over the cat?
- I would've, my dogs couldn't handle that, it was too cute.
- [Interviewer] Well, this has been great,
congratulations tonight. - Thank you.
- [Interviewer] On the awards, on the performance,
everything that's happening, so amazing.
- I appreciate that, I'm so stoked to be here.