Falling in Reverse Earn Their First Platinum Single With ‘Popular Monster’
This week, Falling in Reverse received their first-ever platinum certification when the Recording Industry Association of America crowned the Ronnie Radke-led rockers' standalone 2019 hit "Popular Monster" with the honor for one million units moved.
It officially earned the distinction on Wednesday (Sept. 13), becoming only the second Falling in Reverse release to be certified by the RIAA in any capacity. The group's 2011 debut album, The Drug in Me Is You, went gold (for 500,000 copies sold) in November 2019.
In April, Falling in Reverse achieved a radio milestone by landing their first-ever chart-topper on the Mediabase Active Rock chart with "Popular Monster."
On release, Radke said the song represented "the voice inside my head, hoping you will listen. It's the story of a hero that's been falsely accused and torn down by society. It shows what happens when you get pushed too far. You become exactly what they say you are, exactly what they want you to be — a monster."
The music video shows Radke leaning into his notorious persona as he transforms into a burly werewolf who, after a violent showdown, stands amid a mass of bloodied bodies.
According to the RIAA, its single award "counts both downloads and on-demand music streams. On-demand audio and/or video song streams are counted towards the thresholds required for certification at the formula of 150 on-demand streams being equivalent to one download sale."
During a Falling in Reverse performance at Blue Ridge Rock Fest in September, Radke confronted a heckler wearing a "Fuck Ronnie Radke" shirt. Before that, the singer called out rapper Playboi Carti for using the phrase "falling in reverse" on his merch.
Last year, Falling in Reverse guitarist Derek Jones died at the age of 35. Radke remarked, "[His] spirit will be interwoven through the music I write forever. Rest in peace. … My heart is broken."