Monsta X
Monsta X (Korean: 몬스타엑스; stylized as MONSTA X) is a South Korean boy group formed through the reality survival program No.Mercy under Starship Entertainment. The group is currently composed of six members: Shownu, Minhyuk, Kihyun, Hyungwon, Joohoney and I.M, with former member Wonho having left the group in October 2019.
The group debuted with their first EP Trespass on May 14, 2015.[5] In March 2017, Monsta X released their first studio album and the final part of The Clan series The Clan Pt. 2.5: The Final Chapter.[6] Since 2018, the group had four Japanese singles certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan, then since 2019, nine of their Korean albums and extended plays had been certified platinum by the Korea Music Content Association. In 2020, the group's first English album All About Luv, ranked number five on the US Billboard 200 and number seven on the US Rolling Stone Top 200.[7][8]
Since debut, they had been known for their aggressive style, combining elements of hip hop, EDM and pop.[1][9] This aggressive style with "tracks centred around loud, clattering, electronic instrumentals, vicious rap verses, and striking vocals" had also been influential across the fourth generation of K-pop,[10] along with breaking gender norms before it was a trend.[11] Additionally, they also obtained the modifier of "Next Generation Beast Idol".[12]
Artistry[edit]
Musical style and influences[edit]
Monsta X is known for having a unique style, often described as intense or aggressive, combining the elements of hip hop, EDM, and pop.[1][9] Philip Merrill described their sound for the Grammy's news publication as distinct in the K-pop scene with Monsta X "adding their Korean eclectic backgrounds to a meld between American rap, rock, and pop, they bring a throbbing rhythmic bounce, lyrics hard enough to slide in raps at will, melodies pop enough to hold you, all with a rock edge as the greater context".[162] The group's aggressive style with "tracks centred around loud, clattering, electronic instrumentals, vicious rap verses and striking vocals" had been influential across the fourth generation of K-pop.[10]
While the group is often known for their intense style, their albums frequently are "a mix between intense songs and softer ballads".[9] Michael Cerio of Radio.com described their EP Follow: Find You as "a balance of ballads and bangers".[163] Tamar Herman of Billboard described their first English-language studio album All About Luv as "a divergence from their boisterous dance-oriented album they typically release in the South Korean music market", focusing on "an overwhelming sense of sentimentality and smoothness",[164] while it was also said to have proven that "K-pop transcends language barriers".[165]
Early in their career, Monsta X cited Big Bang as the artist that influences and inspires them.[166][167][168] The group also cited various international artists as their musical influences including Michael Jackson,[168][169] Chris Brown,[168] and Bruno Mars.[169]
Concept and lyrical themes[edit]
Monsta X showed how diverse their concepts were, starting from their LGBT-themed concept for The Clan series, which is all about youth growth. L-ost depicts the loss and pain of youth, containing young people who live with pain in their hearts and having tragic ending through loss, G-uilty contains the story of protecting their innocence against the world that has caused them loss and pain, and B-eautiful portrays youth's rebellion, released in T-rilogy.[170]
The group also showed how they expanded their worldview through the release of Take.1 Are You There?, as they explore the seven deadly sins concept. It was conceptualized as battle of "Light and Dark", "Good and Evil", "Life and Death", and everything on the border searching salvation.[171] It continued through the release of Take.2 We Are Here, with the theme of finding hope in the midst of loss and wandering, while finding salvation in the process.[172]
As they were inspired to go in a new direction to show the many sides of love, Monsta X released All About Luv, which explores the elements of relationships, dealing with breakups and deceit.[165] The group came back with a villain-inspired concept, referencing different well-known characters from the movies such as Kingsman, American Psycho, The Silence of the Lambs, Fight Club, Joker, and Drive, with the release of Fatal Love, which experiments with the concept of temptation and exploring the darker side of romance, showing it as both cruel and beautiful.[173][174] They also released The Dreaming, which explores the deep meaning of love, lust, and loss, dealing with heartbreak and revival.[120]
The group's lyrics address the themes of love and empowerment in general.[164][175]
Stage and aesthetics[edit]
Monsta X had been breaking gender norms before it was a trend.[11] Taylor Glasby of GQ stated that their "smokey eye make-up, embellished jackets, chokers, and leather trousers, with bondage-style leather harnesses under double-breasted suits", made it "sensual, provocative, and divisive but Monsta X have developed a proud ownership of this duality".[176] Natalie Morin described the group's armor for Refinery29 as "usually some mixture of blacks, golds, and reds, leather, and dramatic, smokey makeup, with an aura around them that mere mortals dare not disturb", accenting that the group "fit closely in many ways to what Koreans would describe as the "beast" idol aesthetic – dark, edgy, traditionally "masculine" presenting – as opposed to the softer, cute "flower boy" aesthetic also found among many male K-pop groups".[177]
The group was also commended for using traditional Korean inspired elements during their performances, including hanbok-inspired outfits and the use of the taepyeongso.[178][179] Their modernized take on the men's hanbok, "in black and gold prints flowing past their waists like a cape, with fitted pants of mostly gold designs, and the use of the Korean drums, was also highlighted".[180] Kim Ri-eul, a hanbok designer who created hanbok fashion for Monsta X, also hope that "the beauty of traditional hanbok will become more widely known through the Korean wave".[181]
Public image and impact[edit]
When 20th and 21st century singers who have something in common were introduced, from music to stage costumes, concepts, and tones, a parallel theory of two singers, so-called "doppel singers" was made. Monsta X was said to be the singer that continues the myth of the "Original Beast Idol" Shinhwa and had obtained the modifier of "Next Generation Beast Idol".[12]
Monsta X is also called the "Global K-pop Group", recognized as one of the artists that contributed and extended the Korean wave globally.[182] In 2018, they performed for the yearly iHeartRadio's Jingle Ball Tour, making them the first Korean group to perform at iHeartRadio's annual event,[183][184] as well as in 2019,[185] and in 2021.[186][187] The group was also rendered by Cartoon Network in an episode of the animated series We Bare Bears, making them the first-ever guest stars in an American animated series.[188] They were personally invited by the South Korean President Moon Jae-in to perform for King Harald V of Norway for the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Norway.[189] Monsta X became the first K-pop artist to appear on a live broadcast of the morning news program Good Morning Britain of the British ITV channel.[190] They were also the first Korean singers to appear and perform on the popular American show The Kelly Clarkson Show.[191] They also appeared and performed at the Time 100 Talks where they also voiced support for the Black Lives Matter movement, as well as drawing attention to the work of medical professionals during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.[192][193] Monsta X was also the first Korean artist to perform for iHeartRadio's metaverse concert, through the metaverse-based games Fortnite and Roblox.[152][194] The group was also called by the Korean media as "Korea's Representative Group" and "K-pop Emerging Power" because of their remarkable achievements abroad.[195][196]
Hailed as the "K-pop Monster" for their exemplary stages and performances,[197] Monsta X proved their local popularity, also as a bar that newly proves its qualifications as a global musician by becoming the first Korean artist to appear and perform at the 2019 Teen Choice Awards.[198] The group also proved their local popularity by predicting live broadcast of performance held at the Staples Center, becoming the twelfth Asian artist in history to gross over $1,000,000 for one show in North America.[199][200]
Even before Monsta X's official debut in 2015, they had been called as "blue chip" in the advertising industry, as various brands were already lined up to recruit them as models.[201] Tony Moly also attributed its stock price rise to the group's explosive popularity among the overseas K-pop fans, especially in Thailand, the largest cosmetics market in ASEAN.[202] Chairman Bae Hae-dong of Tony Moly had escaped deficit and turned a profit by establishing a foothold in overseas markets through Monsta X as company's key turning factor.[203] In 2018, Maeil Business Newspaper cited that their tour alone had accumulated more than a third of Starship Entertainment's annual sales and growth of 35% since their debut.[204] In 2019, an official statement from Kakao M revealed that Monsta X received 7,906 shares (about ₩1,000,000,000) of it to resolve issue rights to strengthen solidarity with affiliates and entertainers. They are one of many Kakao M-affiliated artists who received stocks from the company, of which, according to reports, is also preparing to rejoin Korea Exchange through a re-IPO.[205] In 2020, Starship Entertainment's CEO Kim Shi-dae named them as the agency's "cash cows" and "flagship group", recording sales of ₩10,000,000,000.[206]
In 2018, the famous and leading American music streaming service Pandora included the group on their "Artists to Watch 2019", with them being the only K-pop artist on its list.[207] In 2022, the American online publication Teen Vogue included Monsta X on their "Best Boy Bands of All Time", citing them as "K-pop Icons", then consider them as one of the most popular K-pop groups (and most popular boy bands) around the world.[208] In 2023, the said publication also cited the group's "signature style", which influenced newer generations of artists through styling, performances, vibes, and music.[209]
Monsta X's music had influenced various artists including Myteen,[210] Verivery,[211] DKZ,[212] Newkidd,[213] OnlyOneOf,[214] DKB,[215] Cravity,[216] WEi,[217] Ciipher,[218] Trendz,[219] and TAN,[220] as well as A.C.E's Chan,[221] Drippin's Junho,[222] Kingdom's Dann and Mujin,[223][224] and Xodiac's Wain.[225]
Other ventures[edit]
Ambassadorship[edit]
In December 2015, Monsta X was appointed as the seventh promotional ambassadors for the Girl Scouts Korea, and will participate in various activities, such as various events and newsletters of the Korea Girl Scouts Federation.[238]
In May 2017, the group had been appointed as the ambassadors for Gyeonggi Youth Phone 1388, a customized counseling service that allows anyone including teenagers, parents, and teachers, to consult on youth issues 24 hours a day, 365 days a year through the phone and the internet, will engage in the activities, such as shooting posters and appearing in videos to promote Youth Call 1388 for the next one year.[239]
In May 2018, Monsta X attended the largest urban cultural festival C-Festival 2018 as its public relations ambassador for promotion, held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Embassy of Thailand (Embassy of the Republic of Korea), Gangnam-gu, Korea International Trade Association, and COEX MICE Cluster Committee, hosted by COEX and WTC Seoul.[240]
In September 2019, it was announced that they had partnered with TogetherBand to become ambassadors for the United Nations' Goal 16, in promoting just, peaceful, and inclusive societies, one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals that address global challenges from poverty to inequality.[241][192]
In September 2020, Monsta X was announced to be participating in the "Visit Cultural Heritage Campaign", a campaign to promote the traditional Korean culture through tours of the South Korea's UNESCO World Heritage Sites, through the joint program Korean Heritage Travelog on YouTube, in cooperation with Seo Kyung-duk, a famous Korean promoter who teaches at Sungshin Women's University.[242][243][244] In December, the group was announced as the ambassadors for the 19th International Anti-Corruption Conference, which was hosted in Seoul, will be in charge of promoting through appearing in promotional posters and banner advertisements, as well as participating in the integrity campaign.[245]
Endorsements[edit]
In March 2015, Monsta X had been selected as advertising models for the Korean casual brand Litmus before their official debut.[246] On October 25, the group collaborated with the Korean online shopping store Melon Shopping to promote Monsta X's first MD product.[247]
In August 2016, the group became advertising models for the Korean telecommunications company KT's rate plan Y-Teen by releasing various contents to appeal to teenagers as its main target.[38]
In February 2017, they became the promotional models for the mobile maritime MMORPG Great Ocean.[248] In August, the group filmed a F/W commercial for the Italian sportswear brand Kappa, representing street culture.[249]
In March 2018, Monsta X was officially selected as the second model of Kakao Games through the mobile game play channel KakaoTalk Game Star.[250] In April, they partnered with Lens Town, a fashion eyewear and contact lens company, to work as models. The group participated in the release process with Lens Town to produce their lens as "Monsta X Lens" or "MnX", while the members coordinated their designs and detail points. The lens were released officially in May.[251] In May, Monsta X collaborated with Austrian producer of crystal glass and jewelry Swarovski for the group's world tour.[252] On September 13, they did a collaboration event with the American headwear brand New Era and Japan-based electronic commerce and internet company DMM.com.[253] On October 1, the group became the print advertising models for the Korean cosmetics brand Tony Moly's lip tint cosmetics line,[254] as well as moisturizer and hand cream.[255][256] On October 4, they partnered with the French-founded Italian luxury fashion design house Moncler, with the new flagship store of the company in Minato, Tokyo.[257]
In February 2019, Monsta X had been selected as exclusive models for the school uniform brand Smart, starting with the release of the 2019 summer clothes pictorial through official website and SNS channels, as well as participating in various marketing and promotions of its school uniforms.[258] On March 20, they signed another five-year renewal contract with the Korean casual brand Litmus as print advertising models.[73] On April 23, Monsta X had been selected as advertising models for the Korean shopping mall brand Doota Duty Free and Doota Mall.[259] On May 13, the group collaborated with the popular Japanese collectible designer toys brand Bearbrick.[260] On September 8, they were selected as the Korean representatives for the global beverage brand Pepsi's new global campaign "For the Love of It".[261]
In June 2020, NCSoft announced its collaboration with Monsta X through the creation of TwoTuckGom (투턱곰), bears designed to represent each member of the group and NCSoft released goods themed around the bears, including stationary and plushes,[262] along with series of variety shows for the promotion of the goods.[263][264][265]
In January 2021, Monsta X had been announced as global brand ambassadors for the American cosmetics brand Urban Decay, with the promotions starting in February.[266][267]
In May 2022, the group collaborated with Japanese luxury vehicle brand Lexus for their tour, releasing exclusive photocards which can only be obtained by owning the vehicle.[141]
Starting in August 2023, Monsta X received several product placement through their own reality/variety show including Luna Fall in Jeju Island and Lotte Chilsung Beverage's Chum Churum Saero soju.[268][269]
Philanthropy[edit]
In November 2018, Monsta X participated in the Love It, Live It Pepsi Concert, a joint donation concert by the Lotte Chilsung Beverage, Pepsi Korea, and Green Umbrella Children's Foundation, in contributing to meaningful cultural sharing, by directly inviting children from low-income families and providing opportunities to watch performances, leading children's healthy performance and cultural life.[270]
In September 2019, the group, together with Doota Mall, opened a charity pop-up store to commemorate the renewal opening for the first time in five years, while the charity auction will be held during the event period, along with sixteen kinds of costumes that the members actually wore while filming the commercials, and the proceeds from this sale will also be donated under the names of Monsta X and Doota.[271]
In March 2020, Monsta X donated ₩100,000,000 to the Good Neighbors, a charity organization that is helping the low-income families in South Korea, and then were later included in "The Neighbors Club" for their contributions, listing themselves, alongside their fanbase, Monbebe.[272] On March 27, the group participated with the fundraising broadcast for the COVID-19 response, hosted by the American video livestreaming service Twitch's Stream Aid 2020, where the game, music, and sports industries around the world had gathered to support the World Health Organization's "COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund", a United Nations specialized agency.[273] On April 6, they joined the Sports Doctors' "Relay Support Campaign", an international health care organization that encourages medical staff and citizens in Korea, as well as around the world who are struggling with COVID-19. It is also a campaign that supports participation in social media and donations at the same time.[274] On May 25, they held a successful participatory donation performance, for the global short video application TikTok's Stage Live From Seoul concert with the accumulated donation is TikTok's "Fruit of Love Social Welfare Community Chest" for the socially vulnerable class affected by COVID-19.[275] On August 31, the group participated and won on the KBS 2TV's show Idol on Quiz with the prize money donated as a learning support fund for students learning Korean language and culture.[276]
In August 2021, Monsta X participated in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games support K-pop online concert We All Are One to cheer for all 4,400 athletes from 181 countries through Red Angel's own streaming service Cushion Live, wherein the proceeds are virtuously circulated through The Salvation Army to global donation projects.[277]
In July 2022, Starship Entertainment, together with the group, participated in The Blue Tree Foundation's campaign, to declare support for non-violence, along with this label's other artists. This is established to prevent school and cyberbullying, and to heal the victims, is conducting a "national non-violence campaign" in which the citizens can also participate to publicize the seriousness of violence and to spread a culture of non-violence.[278] On July 28, Monsta X joined the "Anniversary of Love" campaign, as well as donated on the Save the Children's "Fan Club Anniversary" event to support meals for children, relieve abused children, and protect children's right to education through the group's fanbase.[279]
In January 2024, they donated ₩2,600,000 worth of coal briquettes to the Coal Briquettes for Neighbors in Korea through the group's fanbase for the second time, delivering 2,400 briquettes, 200 each to 12 households. As a result, Monbebe became the only idol fanbase volunteers whose names were listed in "2022 Volunteer Sponsorship Newsletter".[280]