Here are my credentials (again again) I actually don’t know much about Monsta X, but they’ve been on my list to cover for a while. I know a bit about the members—having covered Joohoney in my solo rankings series-–but pretty surface level things. I also have a friend who’s a huge fan of them (love you, Faith!), and so I elbowed her into letting me include some of her thoughts too. Let’s get into it!

(Part One) (Part Two)

EP #7: Follow — Find You

Follow opens with a hook that’s as catchy as it is choppy, interspersed with this hook that took me some time to place. Honestly, it reminded me a lot of the kind of sound popular in Bhangra music, from the Punjab region in India, though I’m not sure if that’s really where it’s from; either way, it’s unique, and I really like it. I’m not sure the song’s for me, on the whole; its disparate parts are good but something about it just doesn’t come together for me. The transitions are a bit less smooth than usual as well, and the combination doesn’t quite work at a few points. But, I will say, I can absolutely see it being one of those songs that grows on me the more I listened to. It came on shuffle while I was editing and I found myself head-bopping along.

(It’s important to note, by the way, that this was Wonho’s final Korean release with the group before he left in late October 2019, so while he appears in the MV and his voice is in the album, he wasn’t featured in any promotions)

From the EP, I enjoyed the lovely lyrics in gentler intro Find You, the laid-back harmonizing in Monsta Truck’s chorus, and the understated trop-pop influences in U R. “Fun Fact!” Faith declared, “Find You will cause me to ugly sob in public. Place of business? Crying. Concert hall? Crying. Driving to work? Crying.” (Can’t blame her). Imagine my surprise when she said to me next, likely dying of laughter, “Monsta Truck is very dirty and it’s very funny to listen to Changkyun lie on interviews about the ‘meaning’. We know it’s about sex. We just want to hear [him] admit it on camera.” I then looked up the lyrics—-safe to say the whole thing is very Springsteen “wrap your legs ’round these velvet rims, strap your arms ‘cross my ENGINES”—-and so, here we are, stuck on NCT 127’s Highway To Heaven Genius Interview (the sequel).

Album #3: All About Luv

Who Do U Love is actually a collaboration between Monsta X and Moroccan rapper French Montana, and never having heard him, I honestly didn’t know what to expect. Most of the song is synthy and tailor-made for the dance floor, moving along with a very MJ-esque energy, between the rhythmic snapping and the bass background beat. It’s honestly a pretty good song, though I don’t feel like the collab adds anything besides the star power of another name. Faith said, “The MV is interesting. There is 0 choreography, just alot of dramatic sexy shots mostly done in some parking garage in LA.” She made sure to add, “Still love it tho.” Having watched it, yes, very accurate. Love me some unnecessary close-up shots of lips and angsty walking down hallways.

I really liked this album, the first of their LPs to be all in English. Besides being impressed by how good their pronunciation is overall, I enjoyed the vulnerable, minimalistic Someone’s Someone, the delightfully synthy Middle Of The Night, and the contemplative She’s The One with its yearning, chanty chorus. Also, Pitfall is here for…some reason in the song Beside U, which I didn’t predict at all. (I got such a jumpscare at “FROM MIAMI TO SOUTH KOREA, MONSTA X AND MR WORLDWIDE”). “All About Luv has great songs,” Faith agreed. “Motel6 to this day sends out tweets to Monbebeland once or twice a year due to Changkyun’s line in Middle of the Night.”

My hidden gem was probably Got My Number, which I’ve liked for a while now, not only for its understated catchiness but for how the whole thing feels like its balancing on a tightrope, like a will-they-won’t-they from a classic tv show if you catch my drift. Also, it may just be me, but as a queer woman myself, the line “everybody wants what they want, love who they love” only furthers my perception that it’s at its heart a very queer song.

EP #8: Fantasia X

Though of course MX’s past songs have included electronic parts, Fantasia’s are probably the most outright EDM-based so far. It mainly stays light-footed and , but then has these moments where it dives back down, and the beat feels very heavy. I’m not necessarily sure it works. I liked the Latin-pop influences and the main section of the chorus (the titular hook), but again we have the issue of disparate parts not quite gelling. (Why’s Joohoney wearing a cowboy hat? Why’s Shownu…floating through the cosmos like he’s in Interstellar? Why is Hyungwon surrounded by shirtless masked men?) “Fantasia’s a forgotten comeback for me,” Faith admitted.

She’s of the opinion that the mini-album is underrated, and said, “I admit it took months for me to listen to it properly but I liked it. FLOW is my favorite B side track […] and the choreo is really cool to watch.” I did also like Flow, which tiptoes along between light and heavy more deftly than the title, but I preferred the great build of Beautiful Night (my hidden gem), and the chanty ear worm of a chorus in Stand Up. Also, shout-out to Jooheon’s (I think) incredibly amusing background cackling in Zone, because it made me laugh too.

Album #4: Fatal Love

“Got room for one more…oh I’m sorry did I make you anxious” is certainly a way to open a song? I guess? And Love Killa is certainly something. It bops along like it’s hiding just behind the beat, with much deeper vocals than before. And boy, if I thought Monsta Truck was dirty, I’m dying to find how this passed Korean censorship. I thought that overall it was an interesting path for them to take, though I confess I’m not as much a fan of it as some of their earlier songs. I absolutely loved the vocal explosion right before the bridge though.

And the MV was one of my favorites. “[It’s a fun MV with MX dressed up as known movie characters: Shownu’s John Wick, Minhyuk’s American Psycho, Kihyun’s Silence of the Lambs, Hyungwon’s Fight Club, Jooheon’s Joker, Changkyun’s Baby Driver.” I don’t know if I’d ever listen to it alone, but as a whole package it was entertaining.

From the album, I enjoyed the bombastic build of Bestrode (though the chorus wasn’t for me), the understated jazz club sound of Sorry I’m Not Sorry, My hidden gem was the theatrical, tense Thriller, with its building strings and excellent vocals.

EP #9: One Of A Kind

Gambler’s minimalistic at the beginning, in stark contrast to Love Killa’s bombast. As fits the title, the song works in not only synths but this excellent jazzy sound and a pinch of rock for good measure, all together creating what’s a really excellent piece, with a sound I wouldn’t imagine Monsta X taking on. It’s sensual but more understated in parts than their usual, and feels like something the MX of Trespass would never have been able to pull off. So, consider me surprised but impressed, because it’s one of my favorite singles of theirs. “The arrangement, the vocals, rapping, choreo and storyline is A+++,” Faith agreed.

From the EP, I enjoyed the dramatic, flourishing chorus of Addicted (my hidden gem), the saxophone hook and sensual, creeping beat of Secrets, and the dance-floor sound of Rotate. And speaking of Rotate, I think it’s time to stop attempting to pass off songs as not about sex, because come on. The panting, the “I wanna switch positions”, the…everything, really. I’m almost impressed by how blatant it is. I laughed, I’m sorry, I know that’s probably not the reaction I.M. was looking for. But anyway, this may be my favorite mini-album of theirs; it’s short and cohesive but also expansive enough to include lots of different sounds.

Next time, we’re finally at the last part. I’m serious this time. Really. Tschüss!