Very rarely is it that I find a song that I will listen to on repeat; I can probably count the number of songs that get this honor on one hand. But “Follow You,” one of the singles in Imagine Dragons’ newest album, Mercury – Act 1, was a track that I played at least five times in a row the day after I first listened to it.

“Follow You” was an incredible song with an amusing music video that perfectly captures how the band can inject so much emotion into a song without making it sappy and managing to keep it upbeat. “Follow You” was full of the exact energy I was hoping for. It wasn’t gleefully tacky, and it wasn’t explosively aggressive. It was the perfect depth with sparkles of excitement lining its ripples, which was the main reason I didn’t want to move on to the next song in my playlist.

Although “Follow You” is a song for nearly every event, the second of the three singles, “Cutthroat,” was more for a specific taste. Though it fits my taste fairly well, I can surely see how this rant labeled as a song may not be for everyone. Contrary to other Imagine Dragons songs, “Cutthroat” is very aggressive and, quite honestly, violent. I personally thought the contrast was interesting, but others may not like the nearly heavy metal screaming in this track.

On the other hand, “Wrecked,” the third and final single, wasn’t aggressive enough for my ears. Despite the fact that I’ve seen strangers and family alike fawning over this song, I don’t really understand the appeal. Its pensive aura doesn’t bode well with me and almost puts a damper on any positive mood I am in. If you need a good cry in your room alone at 3 a.m., I would surely recommend this song, but otherwise, it’s not up to my standards.

The first song I dove into in the full album, which was released September third, nearly three years after their previous album Origins, was “My Life.” The immediate thought I had when this song played was that it would be the perfect song for a bittersweet short film you see before the movie in theaters. 

If you’ve read any of my other music reviews, you know I don’t normally like depressing or heavy songs, but the tiptoeing piano balanced out “My Life” perfectly, sending literal shivers through my entire body. I was infatuated with the changes in lead singer Dan Reynolds’ voice as he cadenced through the song.

The second song released in the album, “Lonely,” always throws me off. With a title like “Lonely,” you would expect the song to be on the slower end of the spectrum, but it was quite the opposite. The dangerous, dancing beat pleasantly surprises me each time I play it. The overlapping voices of Reynolds blend perfectly by maintaining the minor key and speed while adding variety to the song.

Another song that was unexpectedly uplifting was “#1.” I didn’t know what to expect from the song whatsoever, and I was slightly disappointed when I heard a somewhat familiar beat in the introduction. However, it was the only aspect that was unoriginal. The lyrics themselves were a new concept to me, and I thought they blended seamlessly with the music. If I had to pick a song that summed up the entire album, it would be “#1.”

While it was not necessarily shockingly original, Mercury – Act 1, on the whole, provided a variety of songs for most music tastes while maintaining the deep emotions carefully woven into each song. The three years were surely worth the wait for this spectacular album.