REACT Imagine Dragons Mercury Act 2 Producer REACTION

[@lindseydrew9812]

As someone who has been a huge Imagine Dragons fan for the past ten years, it's really refreshing to see a review from someone who both has been a fan for a long time, is a musician, and knows how to review music. Really appreciate your Wayne shoutout!

[@KevinBessey]

Glad you enjoyed the review! They’re so great!

[@lowercase_brody]

FINALLY. A good review. Well constructed from someone who actually knows stuff about music. I hate all these other reviews just saying the album is trash. I like how you go into details with the instruments and effects as most other reviewers just say everything is bad in general without knowing anything about music at all. Nice review!

[@KevinBessey]

Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed it!

[@ziompt6075]

I love that you're REVIEWING and not just WHINING like most people do. Finally some good constructive criticism by a person who surely knows a lot about music and at least knows the members names. I'm saying this because there's so much people out there riding on a wave of a weird bias, hating musicians for no logical reason, no matter how good they are. Nice video man

[@KevinBessey]

I think the hate on the internet for Imagine Dragons is so odd and does no one any good.

[@Spealer]

You should do a reaction to smoke + mirrors even if you’ve heard it. That album is still my favorite album by them and is so amazing imo

[@KevinBessey]

It’s a great album! I’ve been following them since they signed in 2011.

[@KevinBessey]

I’ll consider doing a reaction if this one goes really well.

[@mazaochizao7810]

@@KevinBessey Im so looking forward to them oh my god

[@Meowgician6]

They are bloody amazing live! Best concert I have ever been too. This album really is great and has alot of lyrics that we can all relate to at times.

[@KevinBessey]

Oh yeah, they put on a great show!

[@mazaochizao7810]

Dude the fact that you appreciate them so much and just seeing a closer, more engaged fresher perspective on them is soo nice! I love you man, gonna be following this channel from now on, I would love to see a s+m reaction too if you are down for that :333 And the underutilization of wayne, YES, he is my favourite guitarist, just because he comes from a jazz background and he plays guitar in such a unique plucking, picking way that i dont see mentioned much. He is not riffing, he is just softly picking and I just melt... I recently saw a live performance from zappos theatre, they did something with adobe there and that performance is just absolutely amazing, if you want to hear them utilizing wayne or really all of their instruments, that performance they really gave everyone more work, every song was more instrumental then in their original live performances even. Wayne just goes crazy there. You could react to it or just check it out yourself I really think you will enjoy it. I think thats the best their songs sounded live ever.

[@KevinBessey]

I’m glad you enjoyed my perspective. Live, they’ve always utilized Wayne to the utmost extent as well as everyone in the band. That’s what I think is so good about this record is that it’s getting us closer to the live feel of Imagine Dragons. I will have to check out that performance. What should I search to find it.

[@mazaochizao7810]

@@KevinBessey Imagine Dragons - Live From Zappos Theater (Adobe Max 2021) this is the title

[@KevinBessey]

@@mazaochizao7810 thanks!

[@chrisstocks7137]

Waves, Sirens, Crushed, Higher Ground are my top 4 in order

[@SilentGamer1389]

Mercury act 2 is now one of my favorite albums. But night vision still always going be best album to me.

[@KevinBessey]

Night Visions is classic for sure!

[@nileprimewastaken]

i like smoke + mirrors and origins personally, i think night visions is too 'poppy'

[@thevarietychannelofyoutube4769]

I like Younger because it sounds like it's supposed to be a tribute to Groupelove's Tounge Tied and I'm really nostalgic for early 2010's music

[@marvinvisser1173]

Ey bro, love that there are some positive reviews on here. This is my favorite album of ID so far.

[@KevinBessey]

It’s really good. Definitely top 5 for 2022

[@marvinvisser1173]

@@KevinBessey good to hear that you also like it!

[@Spealer]

I still think smoke + mirrors is better but this whole piece is definitely 2nd place in their discography

[@KevinBessey]

@@Spealer Smoke and Mirrors is so good. Definitely they’re most underrated.

[@marvinvisser1173]

@@Spealer S+M is definetly my second favorite after Mercury

[@mishakelly2]

Thanks for helping me appreciate this album in more detail. 💜

[@ravijake2117]

I've been seeing you (ur comments) in every Imagine Dragon's videos. Such a great fan you are. Thanks for ur support to them. I'm also same. What's ur favorite tracks may I know please..? For me 10/10 : Waves, Siren, Higher ground, Symphony, Crushed, Ferris wheel, I wish, TDKYLID, Continual. 9/10 : Bones, Sharks, Younger, I'm happy, Tied. 8/10 : Peace of Mind, Blur, IDLMyself, Take it easy. That's my order. Should I change anything....? 🤔

[@mishakelly2]

@@ravijake2117 I loved Sharks and Bones immediately. I’m still working on getting into the rest of Act 2 honestly. I feel that listening to it as individual songs instead of an album could be helpful. They are absolutely a band most appreciated live! I go as often as possible!!!💜🐉🌈🥰

[@deeflo9587]

One of the best reviews I’ve seen 👌🏻 Sirens is my favorite on the album

[@KevinBessey]

Thanks so much!

[@jemjemmington5883]

My favourite songs on this album are blur, I don’t like myself, crushed and they don’t know you like I do

[@KevinBessey]

Crushed is a work of art! Great picks.

[@King_under_the_mountain.]

I love higher ground

[@dandop0005]

Imagine dragons، The Queen of our generation

[@lorrainezea7988]

Really enjoyed your insights in terms of the song production. This is exactly what an album review should be. I wish you could've also deep dive on the song interpretation a lil bit. Overall, love this review. Well done!

[@KevinBessey]

Thanks! Yeah, if this weren’t a first listen I would’ve paid closer attention to the lyrics. I’m glad you enjoyed it!

[@pauljohncayabyab8986]

Thank you for this. My personal favorite on this Act 2 is: They don't know you like I do and I'm Happy 😁😅

[@KevinBessey]

I’m glad you enjoyed my thoughts!

[@5t3ph3n3]

I really love Bones and Sharks. Some of the other songs have Bravery reminiscent vocals. Great review.

[@KevinBessey]

Thanks!

[@ethanmadden4970]

Really enjoyed this album review, especially after watching a reaction of a dude calling every song shit. There are a lot of great moments on it, my personal favorite is actually Waves for some reason it just hits for me. Left a like and subbed

[@KevinBessey]

Thanks so much! It’s a great album. And, I’m glad I could offer some satisfaction.

[@amygunn6577]

I know what “reviewer” you’re talking about without even looking it up 😬

[@lolboi101]

@@amygunn6577 Brad taste?-_-

[@ptbeja8690]

My favorite song in this album is sharks

[@KevinBessey]

Excellent single!

[@zachlamere2460]

Mines either waves or sirens

[@King_under_the_mountain.]

@@zachlamere2460 mine is easily higher ground

[@nileprimewastaken]

@@King_under_the_mountain. i like waves and blur

[@hydr0lion599]

I don't mean this in a bad way, but it feels like you are staring into my soul

[@KevinBessey]

If you think I'm staring into your soul in this video, you should check out my latest music video lol

[@olivier9835]

Great review!

[@KevinBessey]

Thanks!

[@ayva1106]

My favourites are Bones, Symphony, Sirens, I Wish, and They Don't Know You Like I Do 💜

[@ayva1106]

Waves and I'm Happy are really good too

[@ayva1106]

Sharks is a bop 😌

[@amygunn6577]

Great video. Subbed.

[@KevinBessey]

Thanks!!

[@jcguzik]

This was awesome! You should totally react to smoke and mirrors

[@MrKussen]

I love you Kevin. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@User-jp1sj]

Did Imagine Dragons actually invent the sound that people associate with them?(Loud, anthemic fight songs with lots of yelling, pounding drums, a swinging or stomp clap rhythm with most of the rock influences being in the vocals and not the instrumental, lots of electronic influences, lyrics about fighting some kind of enemy). Because I can't find any songs from before 2012 that resemble their signature sound.

[@KevinBessey]

I think that Kings of Leon might be the first to use that combination. You hear it on their album Only By The Night which came out in 2008. All of those elements outside of the yelling are also pretty common features of the band U2. Although, they're not quite as stomp and clap. Awolnation was also doing the same thing with Sail. That being said Imagine Dragons has definitely made those features a hallmark of their sound.

[@User-jp1sj]

@@KevinBessey Is there actually U2 songs that sound like Imagine Dragons though?

[@KevinBessey]

@@User-jp1sj Not exactly because they don't have the same yelling and they aren't the same band lol. They just use a lot of similar elements. War has a lot of that same Brutal Nature and then from Achtung Baby forward they implement a lot of electronics into their music. Though again, it's a completely different animal. I would say Only By The Night by Kings of Leon is the closest sound you get to Imagine Dragons before Imagine Dragons really comes into their own.

[@User-jp1sj]

@@KevinBessey Got it. I was asking because there's a lot of music that came out after Night Visions that sounds like it's trying to copy Imagine Dragons. Monster by Wileyecho, Middle Finger by Bohnes, The Violence by Asking Alexandria, literally everything that The Score releases

[@KevinBessey]

@@User-jp1sj Oh absolutely! After Night Visions literally every alternative rock band was trying their very hardest to sound like Imagine Dragons. That's what happens when a band is so insanely successful.

[@KataIniguez]

omg your video was actually my reminder that the second act is out now so I’ll listen and hear your reacts right after i react myself 🙈😍 i’ll be back after the eargasms i’ll probably get cuz Imagine Dragons never disappoints me🫶🏽

[@KevinBessey]

You’re going to flip, because this album is so good.

[@KataIniguez]

@@KevinBessey oh dear god it definitely was 🔥😍

[@KataIniguez]

@@KevinBessey now that I have finished your review it definitely gives me more interesting insights about it or things to notice- so thank you! it makes me enjoy it and wanting to hear it even more 🥰

[@KevinBessey]

@@KataIniguez perfect!

[@User-jp1sj]

Also, calling this a mono-genre pop album would be the most accurate genre descriptor in my opinion

[@User-jp1sj]

I agree with you that they need to use their guitarist more. It sucks that they care so much about charting that they can't take this risk

[@KevinBessey]

And, honestly they would chart just as much if they used Wayne more. The world music scene is swinging more toward instrumental hooks.

[@User-jp1sj]

@@KevinBessey I doubt it. Just about every time the music industry tries to make a rock song by a band a top 40 hit, they fail. Beggin by Maneskin was the very first rock song by a rock band that actually sounds like rock to be a hit since Shut Up And Dance

[@KevinBessey]

@@User-jp1sj kickback is killing it right now on world charts and its a total rock song. But, yeah radio in the US is rejecting rock in general.

[@User-jp1sj]

@@KevinBessey As a producer, do you know why the radio keeps rejecting rock? If you look at the Spotify 200 for the US, you'll see that there's been quite a few rock songs in the top 50 this year. But that's somehow not good enough to convince the music industry that people want it?

[@knightofiron]

Nice!

[@elsh59]

merci de france ;)

[@KevinBessey]

il n'y a pas de quoi

[@silviaweberThunder]

You are soooo professionell!!❤Are you living in Las Vegas?!😊Did you ever see Imagine dragons?!

[@KevinBessey]

Thank you so much! I do live in Las Vegas. I've seen them twice and they are phenomenal live.

[@silviaweberThunder]

@@KevinBessey I mean if you ever have seen them in a Restaurant or on the street walking?! Haha 😅

[@KevinBessey]

​@@silviaweberThunder I saw Dan at church once. But, nothing outside of that.

[@silviaweberThunder]

@@KevinBessey Is Dan Reynolds quiet and shy?! Because in Interviews He says,He is introvert,when He is not on stage?!

[@KevinBessey]

@@silviaweberThunder I don't know. I haven't talked to him enough to figure that out. I've spent more time talking to his brothers.

[@fr3dm3rc0ry4]

Higher Ground vocal performance is bruh

[@KevinBessey]

Bruh

[@thevarietychannelofyoutube4769]

I found it kind of dissapointing that the only moments on this album in which they sounded like a rock band were during the guitar solo in Younger, the final chorus of Take It Easy and the chorus of Blur. I have to give them credit for finally figuring out how to do pop music with zero rock influences that actually sounds like a band made it but it would have been amazing if they weren't too afraid of losing some chart success to actually make songs that are rock from start to finish. Imagine Dragons is at its best when they're actually making rock music. Amsterdam is a better pop rock song then the vast majority of the pop rock songs like it

[@KevinBessey]

I think that Dan just doesn’t know how to write something that’s not intended for radio lol