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After a long and eventful wait, Falling In Reverse's brand new studio album Popular Monster is finally out, reigniting all heated debates surrounding the controversial persona of Ronnie Radke, the state of the modern metal scene, the contemporary entertainment industry in general, cancel culture, and everything inbetween. People like to argue over just about everything and Ronnie has become something of a consistent source of juicy stories and edgy opinions, efficiently making his band one of the hottest names across the heavy and alternative corners. Alongside all media hype also comes a streak of faultlessly executed, ridiculously infectious and visually unforgettable standalone singles, culminating in what is rightfuly one of 2024's most anticipated events.
The entire saga started all the way back in 2019 with the 'Popular Monster' single, now Falling In Reverse's biggest track with more than 368 million streams on Spotify alone, ressurecting the band, putting Radke back in the spotlights and naming the LP. Ronnie's personal and professional past is extensively documented, and there is little point in delving into more details, timelines and debates. For the sake of the article, I am determined to focus mostly on the cinematic masterpiece that is Popular Monster and intend to separate "the art from the artist", fully aware that Ronnie remains the very essence of the band, but alsoaccepting that for all of his controversies and regardless of whether I agree with all, he is also an absolute showbiz genious, backed by some of the most talanted musicians of his generation, and the resuls are expectedly magnificent.
The original 'Popular Monster' might have started it all, giving reaction channels the essential nutrients to become the relevant tastemakers they turned into during the pandemic, but it wasn't until 2022 and the now iconic 'Zombified' and 'Voices In My Head' that we saw glimpses of the monumental opus in the making. An unparalleled audio-visual experience, previously unseen across the metal world but dare I say across most genres, Falling In Reverse managed to deliver superhit after superhit, each smashing numbers and becoming viral at rates usually reserved for the biggest pop stars. And for the first time in ages, arguably since the glorious era of prime nu metal dominance, the metal world got a celebrity with enough starpower to demand attention, control media narratives, open up debates, provoke extreme reaction and above all, entertain us all.
I have mentioned this in the past, but despite the seemingly diverse and experimental nature, the modern metal scene remains largely dependant on a conservative bunch of entitled gatekeepers, and bands like Falling In Reverse who are no strangers to mass upsets, are to be welcomed and encouraged. Mentioning the nu metal years is also not coincidental, for Ronnie Radke is hugely and openly influenced by the legends of the near past, be it for the huge "larger than life" personalities, the surrounding contradictions and media infatuation, the unique street swagger, the unmissable hip-hop inspiration, the readiness to stir sh*t up at will and put overly complicated songwriting aside in favour of timeless superhits. Now add established metalcore tropes, driven guitarwork and massive breakdowns, and the result is a predictably popular and truly monstrous Popular Monster.
The album really has it all, starting with the fittingly epic and expansive intro 'Prequel' building up the uncontrollable charge that explodes into the self-title track, but also ending with a cover of 'Last Resort' that means a lot more that just respect if you consider everything said so far. There are the already mentioned radio favourites 'ZOMBIFIED' and 'Voices In My Head' alongside the exemplary metal rhapsody and instant modern classic 'Watch The World Burn' in a league of its own. There are also the refreshing cross-genre attempts in 'All My Live' and 'NO FIRE' standing just as proud and loud as the relentless bulldozer that is the introspective 'Ronald'. And just when we think we have heard and seen it all, Popular Monster drops the brand new 'Bad Guy' and 'Trigger Warning' as efortless contenders to the rest of the bangers already packed in the LP.
In a weird way, considering established conventions, Popular Monster is simultaneously the best and worst album we have seen so far this year, and arguably since COVID changed the ways we consume, share and appreciate modern heavy music. On one side, it is truly faultless, maintaining one overall dominant atmosphere and stylistic direction, balancing genre-defying compositions with traditional heavy foundation, and boasting some of the finest music videos the scene has ever seen. On the other, it is hard to even consider it as one concise LP instead of a mere collection of standalone singles, an improvised "Best of Falling In Reverse 2019-2024" that is far from what the tastemakers would expect from a "full studio album".
And then again, who cares as long as it's good? The whole album perception is hardly a flaw, but simply raises once again the debate on the nature and purpose of the traditional album format in modern context. However, what could be a potential negative in the future is whether Ronnie Radke can separate himself from the supervillain personality and "me against the world" mentality. For all its undoubted entertainment value and flawless execution so, Popular Monster pretty much exhausts the role with all its stunning visuals and introspective lyrical themes, but maintaining that direction could potentially lead dangerously close to pure cringe and predictability.
All this said, this is not the first time Ronnie has found ways to emerge stronger from tricky situations and lead Falling In Reverse forward. Popular Monster is the perfect foundation to keep developing the band's new direction and purpose, with Epitaph Records' crucial backing and aligned vision, and also with the number of streams and views that are only going to keep breaking record. After all, with this LP, Falling In Reverse have gathered some of the most iconic singles and videos that defined the last five years and together are certain to top annual charts, and then placed the absolute worst cover on them as the most Radke move ever and a classic Showbiz Mastermind 101, so are there really doubts that their next release is going to be entertaining at the very least?
Falling In Reverse - 'Popular Monster'
Country: United States
Released: 16 August 2024
Label: Epitaph Records
Tracklisting:
1. Prequel
2. Popular Monster
3. All My Live (ft. Jelly Roll)
4. Ronald (ft. Tech N9ne & Alex Terrible)
5. Voices In My Head
6. Bad Guy (ft. Saraya)
7. Watch The World Burn
8. Trigger Warning
9. ZOMBIFIED
10. NO FEAR
11. Last Resort - Reimagined
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