TRiLLiONAiRES REViEWS

My idol; then and now. Ronnie Radke is a singer who I have been listening to since I was 13. He originally was the lead singer for a band called Escape the Fate but after a falling out with one of his best friends, the band bassist, he was no longer the front man to the band. He then ran into some legal trouble which landed him into prison for 2 and a half years. He emerged though, clean of any narcotics he was consuming beforehand, and is now touring with a new band and CD filled with his lyrics just like before.

Ronnie Radke; 2006. Despite his mind being warped by drugs due to his addictions his lyrics were real and spoke to kids in a way no others could. He did seem to have some sort of fascination about death however; even titling his album; "Dying is Your Latest Fashion" claiming the style of that moment was to look dead. There's constant reference to the afterlife throughout the album which gives the band and Ronnie; as the lyricist, this dark and negative feel. Songs such as; "There's No Sympathy For The Dead" or "My Apocalypse" for example, even with never hearing them you could tell they aren't abut sunshine and rainbows. The theme gives you an idea that this was written from a very dark place.

Ronnie Radke; 2011. He emerged from the ordeal much different; he seemed to see things in a new light. His vision seemed brighter and a glass half full kind of outlook. However the past betrayals were fresh on his mind; the backstabbing of his ex-band mates and once best friends stung deep causing it to be the theme of his new album. Although his album seems like a revenge one to his ex-band mates, it was more than that; he seemed to write this album in a "look at me now" kind of way which his fans enjoyed, happy to have their idol back.

Ronnie is still the same. Even if there are some differences; he still is the same. He still talks about his life and is completely honest with his audience about what's going on. "The Westerner" is a song at the end of his new album; "The Drug In Me Is You" about the history of his family; talking about his mother's abandonment; from his old bands album the last song was one called "The Day I Left The Womb" which tells his very personal story also about his mother's desertion and his brother's drug use. Both mention how his father raised him. His scars run deep and his escape is writing them in his lyrics; that will never change; along with his openness and honesty with the audience. It's what draws us in as fans and keeps us loyal to him.

This man is one of my idols and I love every part of him; the good, bad, sweet, and even cocky side. I love him when he says something completely and inevitably heartless and I love him when he says something honest and true about himself or the world as he sees it. Asking me to pick which side I love more; pre or post prison Ronnie is like asking a child whether the like cake or ice cream better. They come hand-and-hand and if you love one you love the other. He's an icon and a legend in my heart and always will be; he's changed and grown and he took his fans with him every step of the way. Sorry I couldn't pick which part of him I loved more.