Popular Monster (album)

Popular Monster is the upcoming fifth studio album by American rock band Falling in Reverse, set to be released on August 16, 2024, through Epitaph Records. It is the band's first studio album to feature guitarist Max Georgiev, bassist Tyler Burgess and drummer Luke Holland. Derek Jones contributed to the title track and lead single "Popular Monster" before his death in 2020. The album also features rapper Tech N9ne, deathcore vocalist Alex Terrible, who both appeared in the single "Ronald", and country singer Jelly Roll, who appeared in the single "All My Life". The name of the album was taken from the 2019 single and was announced the same day as "Ronald" was released, on May 7, 2024. It is also the band's first album in seven years, since Coming Home.

Background
After Falling in Reverse released Coming Home in 2017, they would start releasing several non-album singles, and they also faced a lineup instability. They changed drummers before settling with Luke Holland in 2021. Christian Thompson left in 2018 before returning in 2020, while Tyler Burgess and Max Georgiev both joined in 2018. The band released two non-singles, titled "Losing My Mind" and "Losing My Life" in 2018. They also released "Drugs" in 2019, featuring Slipknot and Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor.

The band released "Popular Monster" on November 20, 2019, and it became a massive hit, gaining over 43 million streams and becoming the band's most well known single of their career ; the band would also get them their first-ever platinum certified single. Rhythm guitarist Derek Jones, who has been in the band since its formation in 2008, passed away on April 21, 2020 from subdural hematoma. "Popular Monster" was his final contribution to the band. The song was also the album's very first single. They also released two remastered singles from their 2011 debut studio album The Drug in Me Is You. "The Drug in Me Is Reimagined" was released on February 13, 2020, and "I'm Not a Vampire (Revamped)" was released on February 12, 2021. "Carry On" was also released in 2020, using a similar album cover from their 2017 studio album Coming Home.

In 2022, they released two more singles, "Zombified" and "Voices in My Head", both of which gained a lot of success. Rumors were also spread about the song being an attempt to mock Machine Gun Kelly, however Ronnie Radke declared these rumors false. The band released "Watch the World Burn" on January 31, 2023, and it also became a hit, with it becoming the first time Falling in Reverse entered Billboard Hot 100, landing on No. 83; the song along, with Popular Monster, Zombified and Voices in My Head, managed to beat Bring Me the Horizon for the most No. 1 singles for the past three years. "Zombified", "Voices in My Head" and "Watch the World Burn" would also later appear in the Popular Monster album. Another single that would appear in the album was a reimagined version of Papa Roach's 'Last Resort", which was released on June 26, 2023. The reimagined was a more emotional and a ballad than the more rocky original. Papa Roach vocalist Jacoby Shaddix was "blown away" and very impressed with the cover.

On May 7, 2024, the band released another new single titled "Ronald", which featured rapper Tech N9ne and Slaughter to Prevail vocalist, Alex Terrible. Alongside the song, the band announced the new album, Popular Monster, which was originally due to be released on July 26, 2024, before being pushed back to August 16, 2024. It is the band's first album since 2017's Coming Home. The band also announced the Popular Monstour II, which will take place from August–December 2024, with guests Tech N9ne, Slaughter to Prevail, Hollywood Undead, Dance Gavin Dance and Black Veil Brides. On June 6, 2024, the band released another new single for the album, titled "All My Life", which featured country singer Jelly Roll, ; the single received one million views on YouTube in the first 24 hours of its release. The album cover of Popular Monster is frontman Ronnie Radke's mugshot for when he got arrested for alleged domestic assault in 2012.

Personnel
Credits adapted from Genius.

Falling in Reverse
 * Ronnie Radke – lead vocals, programming, producer, additional guitar, keyboard, composer, writer
 * Derek Jones – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (track 2)
 * Christian Thompson – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (all tracks except track 2 & 11)
 * Max Georgiev – lead guitar, backing vocals
 * Tyler Burgess – bass, backing vocals (all tracks except track 9 & 11)
 * Wes Horton – bass, backing vocals (track 9)
 * Johnny Mele – drums, percussion, backing vocals (track 2)
 * Luke Holland – drums, percussion (all tracks except track 2 & 11)

Additional musicians
 * Jelly Roll – guest vocals, writer (track 3)
 * Tech N9ne – guest vocals, writer (track 4)
 * Alex Terrible – guest vocals (track 4)
 * Saraya – guest vocals (track 6)
 * Jeris Johnson – writer
 * Jacoby Shaddix – writer (track 11)
 * Tom Esperance – writer (track 11)
 * Jerry Horton – writer (track 11)
 * David Buckner – writer (track 11)

Additional personnel
 * Tyler Smyth – producer, strings, additional writer, recording, mixing, mastering, programming, engineered, composer
 * Cody Quistad – writer, composer, guitar
 * Charles Kallaghan Massabo – co-producer, programming, engineer, beat instrumental, vocal producer, mastering
 * Sean Rooney – arranger, orchestra, piano (track 11)
 * Jason Richardson – writer, composer guitars
 * John Lundin – writer, additional production
 * Joey Doherty – assistant producer
 * Ted Jensen – mastering