The third era of K-pop is actively expanding to the rest of the world, especially to the West, Even though K-pop expresses music in a different and unfamiliar language, it finally connected to people from various nationalities globally. Aside from BTS, NCT, and SEVENTEEN, there is another K-pop boy group that is on the frontlines in conquering the international music scene. And that is MONSTA X. Let us get to know them here:
Where It All Started
In an MNET survival idol show in 2014 called NO.MERCY, thirteen trainees from Starship Entertainment fought for a spot in an upcoming boy group. The trainees who survived the tough competition debuted as the 7-member boy group MONSTA X composed of Shownu, Minhyuk, Kihyun, Hyungwon, Jooheon (now Joohoney), I.M., and Wonho on May 14, 2015. According to Starship Entertainment, “The name signifies the emergence of a monster who will dominate the K-pop scene, as well as the meaning of ‘My star‘, as ‘Mon‘ means ‘my‘ in French. The X in the name refers to the existence of the unknown.”
MONSTA X 101
MONSTA X is one of those K-pop groups that offers a different sound to the industry. Basically, they are considered “hip hop idols”. But as you listen to their discography, you will hear a wide variety of aggressive sounds like electronic instrumentals, distinct vocals, and ruthless rap verses. Some people may even consider it as “loud and noisy” music, but this musical style has been a great influence on the fourth era of K-pop. It seems that the new generation of K-pop listeners loves this combination of hip hop, pop, and EDM genres. Listen to their songs, Trespass, Hero, Fighter, Dramarama, Shine Forever, Beautiful, All In, Jealousy, and Puzzle to get started to their amazing discography.
All the group members play huge roles to complete MONSTA X. Big artist names like K.Will, Hyorin, Soyou, Mad Clown, Wheesung, and Rhymer chose and evaluated them in NO.MERCY, so you can expect nothing less than the best vocal, rap, and dance lines from the group. With their larger-than-life personalities, they also charmed not just South Korea, but the world’s audiences with their crazy antics as variety show guests and hosts. Are you curious now? Get to know more about them here:
Sohn Hyun Woo
Sohn Hyun Woo, also known as Shownu, is the leader of MONSTA X. He is responsible for most of MONSTA X‘s choreographies, which you will surely find as beautiful as their music. He also showcased his dance talent to the industry through the dance show “Hit The Stage“.
Lee Min Hyuk
Lee Min Hyuk, or just Min Hyuk, is the visual and sub-vocalist of MONSTA X. He is considered the “mood maker” of the group, making him the best representative of variety shows. Min Hyuk has already proven his hosting skills as an MC in Inkigayo and Back to the Idol.
Yoo Ki Hyun
Yoo Ki Hyun, or just Ki Hyun, is the main vocalist of MONSTA X. He contributes immensely to the music composition and writing of lyrics of their songs. And according to the other members, he is especially good at cooking ramen.
Chae Hyung Won
Chae Hyung Won, or just Hyungwon, is the lead dancer, visual, and center of MONSTA X. You have probably seen him before through the famous “sassy” meme. The guy is full of talents because aside from being a king of memes, he is also a popular DJ under the name H.ONE.
Lee Joo Heon
Lee Joo Heon, now called Joohoney, is the main rapper of MONSTA X. Naturally, he contributes to the writing of lyrics and rap verses in the group’s songs. Being one of the best rappers in the industry, he was chosen as one of the rap trainers in the famous MNET idol survival show, Produce X 101.
Im Chang Kyun
Im Chang Kyun, also known as I.M., is the lead rapper and maknae of MONSTA X. Together with Joohoney and Ki Hyun, he also contributes to the production of the group’s songs. And he also speaks the best English among the members as he stayed in Boston, USA for 3 years and 4 years in Israel.
Lee Ho Seok
Lee Ho Seok, also known as Wonho, is a former visual, lead vocalist, and lead dancer MONSTA X member who left the group in 2019. He is now signed with Highline Entertainment, a subsidiary of Starship Entertainment, as a solo artist and producer.
Expansion to the West
In 2018, three years after their debut, MONSTA X finally get the international recognition that they deserve. With exposure from foreign media giants Billboard and Forbes, they were able to catch the attention of more global audiences. In fact, they were the first K-pop group to perform at iHeartRadio’s Jingle Ball Tour. Following through are their guests to famous American shows like The Ellen Show, Good Day New York, Good Morning America, Jimmy Kimmel, and more.
MONSTA X keeps rising on the world stage up to this day, even though the pandemic. According to Forbes, they occupied one-quarter of 25% of Billboard’s World Digital Songs Chart. With this feat, it is no wonder why talented music producers collaborated with them like Steve Aoki with Play It Cool, French Montana with Who Do U Love, and Sebastian Yatra with Magnetic.
MONSTA X's Marketability
Considering all these successes, MONSTA X has proven that they are one of the most marketable K-pop groups today. Brands like LITMUS, Kappa, Great Ocean, Tony Moly, Doota Duty Free, and Urban Decay chose MONSTA X to endorse their products. But what keeps the group more financially stable is their own official merchandise. MONBEBEs, the group’s name for their own fans that means “my baby”, play a huge role as their target market. If you are one of them, here are some of the popular merchandise that you can buy to support them.
MONSTA X Official Lightstick
MONSTA X Collection of Official Albums and DVDs
MONSTA X Clothing like Tees and Hoodies
MONSTA X Accessories like Hats, Masks, and Towels
To show genuine support to MONSTA X, you should buy from trusted and reliable shops like Amazon, KPOPMART, KPOPTOWN, Gmarket, Official Shop, and more. Having a wider international audience, buying merchandise, and shipping them to the rest of the world may be confusing and difficult for new fans. Fortunately, there are now package forwarding services to help you with your purchasing experience. One of the best shipping companies out there is DELIVERED KOREA. They offer not just shipping services but also consolidating and personal shopping services. To know more about them, check out our website.
