When ex-V Factory front man and part-time actor Asher Monroe began releasing solo singles, he shot into viral fame.
With over a million views on multiple YouTube videos and songs co-written by superstars like Ryan Tedder, the actor and singer became a niche hit. Teen girls drawn to the young artist would seek to make him a household name. His friends within the music industry would as well. With artists like Sean Kingston and Chris Brown featured on his various tracks, you would think Monroe would have more mainstream attention. With the release of âOne My Way Pt. 2,â Monroe attempts, yet again, to become a force in the industry.
Overall, Monroeâs sophomore follow-up to his âPt. 1â EP will more than likely miss the mark. Its frivolous attempts at intimacy and smoothness are ruined by a constant feeling of industry-churned moments and empty satisfaction. Like a cardboard cutout of Justin Timberlake or Usher, Monroeâs latest installment is a smudged reflection of far better music.
On âSoulmate,â Monroe allows a dance-like beat to take over his vocals throughout. Perhaps the only place where his EP is able to create sustenance, âSoulmateâ which is like a David Guetta song; it has little meaning but you canât help but get up and dance   to it.
The second track off of the EP featuring Sean Kingston, is titled âF****** Up.â And where hyper-auto-tuning can be seen as an entertaining and party-like addition to artists like Flo-Rida, T-Pain, and Ke$ha, Monroeâs simply does not work. With no grasping moments or pop-dance crossover, âF****** Upâ wonât fulfill anyoneâs wants or needs musically.
On âBye Bye,â listeners will find a track that is as tedious as watching a toddler learn how to speak. Like a Backstreet Boys reunion, âBye Byeâ is unimpressive and annoying. Its 2006 lyrical composition and fundamentally basic elaboration fails to reach any sort of climax or any sort of dancablity. Monroe shows himself to be a hyper-produced version of a pop star. Maybe itâll pay the rent, but it certainly wonât garner him much critical success.
For an artist who has preached in an interview with Celebuzz that he is a âreal singer,â something about âOn My Way Pt. 2â seems inherently false. With there being artists who are far better, and far more interesting existing already, Asher Monroe is worth the skip. While Asher Monroeâs EP may be called âOn My Wayâ listeners will more than likely respond with âhopefully not.â Perhaps Monroe should stick to his other creative pursuits, like acting or dancing, where he doesnât have to inundate his listeners in superfluous and overproduced pop beats.






