Disclaimer: Ronnie Radke has had his share of controversy, and I am not defending his actions and allegations. This is purely a review on the music and marketing. Separate the art from the artist.
The “King of the Music Scene”, Ronnie Radke, came out with the rest of Falling in Reverse (FIR) with their fifth studio album, “Popular Monster” on July 26, 2024.
FIR had been dropping singles from the album since 2019, the first one being the title track of the later album, “Popular Monster”.
Many fans were expecting another EP, as FIR had not released an album since 2017. Radke had said that he preferred making EPs, and we had gotten an EP just a few months prior. The announcement of a new album five years later was rather shocking as a long time fan.
The title track was instantly iconic and slithered its way into all of my playlists quickly. I loved the track then, and I still do.
It talks about Radke’s struggle with mental health, as do many other tracks on the album. The rap-like rhythm paired with the metal instrumental and theme tickles my brain, and I think it is a perfect title track for the album.
This track came out around the time I became a fan, which was also a time I could relate and it had helped me a lot at the time. Even today, the song helps me through difficult times and I will always be grateful for its existence.
The band had released other songs, EPs, and revamped versions of their previous songs in the three years to come. In January of 2022, they released their second single from the soon-to-be album, “ZOMBIFIED”.
“ZOMBIFIED” follows Radke’s relationship with the media constantly trying to cancel him as well as cancel culture as a whole. While the lyrics can be seen as “cringe,” the song hits and it’s extremely rare that I skip it. It remains one of my favorite FIR songs.
A few months later, we received the third single, “Voices In My Head”. Similar to “Popular Monster”, the rap-like rhythm as well as metal theme and instrumental is perfect.
Like “Popular Monster”, “Voices In My Head” is about Radke’s struggle with mental health. The production is captivating and beautiful. This is another favorite of mine from FIR that I rarely skip.
In early 2023, FIR dropped the fourth single, “Watch the World Burn”. I remember waking up on a random Tuesday to the new track, which had been released at 7 a.m., which I found amusing.
I can’t recall if it was announced beforehand, however I remember being surprised and pleased. “Watch the World Burn” is very much a metal track. I love it, however it is too heavy for me unless I’m in the mood for it.
In May of 2024, FIR released “Ronald” with Alex Terrible and Tech N9ne. As much as I want to, I can’t get into it. It’s very heavy, and while I do enjoy metal, “Ronald” is much too much for me.
The lyrics are relatable, however, Radke’s vocals are too intense for me. It’s not bad, it’s just not for me. I may have to
Many fans, including myself, were shocked to find that FIR had done a song with Jelly Roll entitled “All My Life”. Many fans joked about the collaboration, teasing the band by calling them “Y’Alling in Reverse”.
It took me a couple weeks to listen to it, as I had forgotten it was released. I regret putting it off. While I enjoy rock and alternative music as well as country, I had no idea that I needed this song.
“All My Life” takes the cake for my favorite FIR song. It’s catchy and relatable, while still being silly, as I never thought I’d hear Ronnie Radke say “giddy up” or “heehaw” in a song.
This song feels like a wonderful representation of Radke: unexpected, silly, relatable, and realistic.
Not even a minute into the first track, “Prequel”, I had to pause it to process what I had witnessed. Radke seemed to have thrown shade to his former band, Escape the Fate, by saying “I survived a whole life of pain, you could say I Escaped my Fate” (stylized on Spotify in capital letters, as if it were a title).
Radke’s vocals in “Prequel” are some of his best, showing his diversity with high notes, metal screams, and rap-like tones. I was very pleasantly surprised with the opening track.
Many alternative people on TikTok have expressed their dislike for “Bad Guy”, which features Radke’s girlfriend, Saraya. While this criticism is valid, it’s very obvious that they do not understand Radke.
While the subject matter has some truth to it, it’s very obviously a sarcastic song, as Radke is a sarcastic person. The song is a protest to society’s views of him and making a mockery of it.
Aside from online discourse, I have mixed feelings about the song. While Radke’s vocals in the beginning aren’t it, it gets much better. The lyrics are repetitive, but it doesn’t bother me.
Saraya’s vocals are a beautiful compliment to Radke’s and I love how it sounds like she’s advocating for him, seeing as they have been together for nearly six years.
“Trigger Warning” was not what I expected. Based on the title, I assumed it would be similar to “Bad Guy”, however it’s more comparable to “ZOMBIFIED”, as it calls out how out-of-hand cancel culture is in America.
Upon first listen, I had trouble deciphering if the song was a call-out to cancel culture or the U.S. government (or both). Regardless, I love it. Radke’s vocals are, once again, absolutely beautiful and I’m pleasantly surprised.
“NO FEAR” has multiple subjects that all coincide with each other. It is another call-out to cancel culture, a call-out to other artists copying FIR and Radke (which many suspect is Motionless in White), and a reference to his mental health.
I was shocked at the call-out to other artists, as Radke typically keeps his feuds on TikTok and X.
Ending the album with a cover of Papa Roach’s “Last Resort”, which had previously been released is an interesting choice. While I enjoy the original song, I don’t love the cover, as it is a slowed version of it.
I would have preferred an original FIR song to close the album and “Last Resort-Reimagined” to stay as a single or put on a separate EP with other reimagined songs.
Overall, I absolutely love this album and it was well worth the wait. I regret putting off listening to it for so long, as it is an absolute masterpiece, and I hope to attend their show with Black Veil Brides in late September.