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Group image of Monsta X for its 11th EP “Shape of Love” (Starship Entertainment) |
Dancing ferociously to blaring music, K-pop band Monsta X has returned with another serenade of love to their fans with their 11th EP “Shape of Love.”
The group dropped the album on Tuesday evening and conducted a showcase event to allow fans a closer look into their latest work.
The album comprises six tracks through which the members take the listeners on a roller-coaster ride of the different shapes of love: the title song, “Love,” and the side-tracks “Burning Up,” “Breathe,” “Wildfire,” “I Love You” and “And.” The package also includes songs produced by the members.
The titular track, “Love,” was composed and arranged by Jooheon, who has proved his musical genius through “Gambler” and “Rush Hour,” each leading the band’s previous albums, “One of a Kind” and “No Limit," respectively.
Straying slightly from the group’s aggressive sounds, “Love” is a bass-heavy R&B tune, infused with groovy hip-hop sounds, over which the lyrics sing of the childlike feeling of love that cannot be hidden.
Jooheon, the band’s rapper, also produced and wrote the lyrics to the track “Love Forever,” through which he expounds the bandmates’ overwhelming love for fans for standing beside them through their seven-year journey.
Another producer member, Hyungwon, also enriched the album with “Burning Up,” a self-made track with contributions from the renowned DJ R3HAB in composition and vocalization. Performing as a DJ himself under the alias H. One, Hyungwon portrayed the intense feeling at the start of a relationship comparing it to a burning fire.
The band’s producer trio, Jooheon, Hyungwon and I.M, together composed and wrote the lyrics for track “Wildfire,” which sings of the pain of a love gone awry. The band expands on their musical spectrum further with the song, transitioning smoothly from melodic Korean vocal parts to spitting English rap verses as they sing of the scorching pain from love.
I.M, also the band’s rapper, helmed the production of the subtitle track “And,” that features a dramatic and explosive melody.
Since dropping their 10th EP “No Limit” in November, the band has been on a whirlwind journey of concerts and promotions. They made a swift comeback in December with their second English LP, “The Dreaming,” before flying to the US to conduct promotional activities and also to take part in the annual year-end iHeartRadio Music Festival concert.
As with the sextet’s previous album, five members, except for leader Shownu who is currently serving his mandatory military duty, took part in the production of “Shape of Love.”
During the fan showcase conducted offline in Seoul and livestreamed online following the album’s release on Tuesday evening, the members said “it feels strange to hear the fans’ cheers in such a while,” an agency statement read.
About the new EP, Minhyuk said, “it’s an album that depicts the diverse shapes of love of Monsta X, Monsta X’s music and also to our fans.”
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Monsta X performs the title track “Love” of the 11th EP “Shape of Love” during the fan showcase conducted on Tuesday in Seoul. (Starship Entertainment) |
The members also premiered “Love” and “And” during the fan event, before heading on to answer questions from fans, who go by the name Monbebe.
“We’re really thrilled to be able to perform in front of Monbebe in a long time. We’ll try our best to show as much more energy as we haven’t been able to show you guys until now with the new album. The latest album is truly for Monbebe, so please give it a lot of love,” the bandmates said.
Starting Friday, the act will launch a three-day concert in Seoul, “Monsta X 6th Official Fanclub Monbebe Fan-Concert MX Agent,” exclusively for official fan club members.
The concert will mark the first reunion of local fans and the band in over two years and a prelude to the band’s upcoming US tour set for May and June. There the band will travel to nine cities for 10 shows from May 23 to June 11.
By Choi Ji-won (
jwc@heraldcorp.com)
