This album might as well have been a solo project from Ronnie Radke, and honestly, that could have saved the Falling In Reverse name from feeling diluted. While "Popular Monster" clearly aims to make a bold statement and elevate the band's legacy, the execution feels incredibly forced and inorganic. The album attempts to blend a wide variety of genres, but the result is a chaotic mishmash that struggles to find its identity.

The most noticeable issue is the inconsistent pacing and jarring transitions between songs. The album feels hyper-focused on Ronnie's vocal ideas and lyrical content, often at the expense of the band as a whole. In many of the tracks, it feels like the band is entirely absent, with Ronnie rapping over subpar beats for extended portions of the songs. While he does experiment with different rapping styles, which I’ll give him credit for, it feels like he's stretching too far outside his comfort zone. The result is a series of underwhelming performances that fall short of his true talent: singing and delivering powerful, unclean vocals.

The highlights of the album come when Ronnie steps back into the rock/metal side of things. The moments when he’s singing, or doing his signature harsh vocals, are by far the best parts of the album. These epic metal moments are genuinely impressive, with the band showcasing some solid musicianship. Unfortunately, these sections are few and far between—as the album is often interrupted by strange genre experiments. There’s an odd sense that the band members themselves were dragged into these genre-bending tracks, which feel more like a series of experimental ideas rather than a cohesive, collaborative effort.

The album attempts to cover everything from country to rap, to ballads (including a reimagined version of "Last Resort") and, of course, metal. The lyrics can occasionally be clever, but the underlying message feels repetitive and lacks depth. Ronnie seems to be stuck on one theme: being canceled and simultaneously being unstoppable. This single point, though it has some merit, becomes tired quickly. The songs essentially feel like variations of the same song, just with different words.

Additionally, the song structures are clunky and jump from style to style, creating a disjointed listening experience. It disrupts the flow of the album, leaving the listener unsure of what they just heard and whether the song they’re listening to even makes sense. The opening track, despite having an impressive start, quickly loses momentum as it unfolds.

In the end, this album is a missed opportunity. What could have been a bold, genre-defying statement ends up feeling more like a hodgepodge of unrefined ideas. While Falling In Reverse certainly has potential, this release fails to harness that energy in a meaningful way. If this had been released under the banner of Ronnie Radke solo, it might have stood a better chance of standing out. As it stands, the album is far from the quality many fans were hoping for.