The Bite Magazine - Summer 2019 - Issue 25

F or quite a while now, there hasn’t been a boy band in the music industry, so what better time for K-pop supergroup Monsta X to fill in the gap. Usually consisting of four or five members, this boy band is actually seven-strong of young South Korean men - Shownu,Wonho, Minhyuk, Kihyun, Hyungwon, Joohoney and I.M - who were formed by Starship Entertainment through the 2015 reality show No.Mercy. When I first saw their video for ‘Who Do U Love?’ I was immediately hooked. Not only are their voices soulful and rich with melody, but they are also stylish with mesmerising good looks. The track highlights the interplay of their powerhouse and swings from bright global pop into a sizzling hip-hop cameo courtesy of French Montana before the hard-hitting hypnotic hook: “Who do u love? / Is it him or me? / Cause I can’t take the pressure anymore / Who do u love? / Girl, it’s killing me. / If you can’t say that I’m the one for sure, then I’m walking out the door.” Personally, I think the tone of their voices have a very tiny hint of Michael Jackson influence but it certainly is enriching and hypnotising. Since they released the track at the back end of June, ‘Who Do U Love?’ has been praised by MTV who claimed, “they’ve got the hunger and the talent, and now they’ve finally got the song,” while Metro hailed the track as an “addictive piece of pop magic” which we totally agree with. Billboard called it “an alt-R&B song, ‘Who Do U Love?’ demands to be danced to as it is driven by a blend of sleek bass, snappy beats, and shimmering synths that create an addicting groovy melody propelled by a rhythmic choral hook.” At the moment, the group is currently on a 17-date ‘We Are Here’ world tour that covers Bangkok, Australia, and Europe before touching down in the US for six dates from 13th July until 10th August. They have certainly made waves since the beginning of this year, racking up tens of millions of streams and attracting unanimous praise. Forbes recently predicted that they are “making moves towards an overseas crossover.” They will be making their North American television debut when they perform ‘Who Do U Love?” live on ABC’s Good Morning America on 1st August 2019. Monsta X is on the top of the world and we look forward to more from this dynamic, wild hip hop, rock energy, and universal pop power group. http://monstax-e.com NEW SINGLE RELEASES bite new music Who Do U Love? Image courtesy of Satellite 414