For a group that has been together for more than a decade, MONSTA X still has plenty left to discover. Over the years, the K-pop group has built its identity around powerful performances, heavy-hitting music and a stage presence that is difficult to miss. But the members have also changed individually, experimenting with different sounds through solo releases and unit projects along the way.
Now, Shownu, Minhyuk, Kihyun, Hyungwon and Joohoney are back together for The Phase, a new EP that reflects both sides of their journey. It is familiar enough to sound like MONSTA X, but it also carries the influence of everything the members have explored away from the group. I.M (Changkyun), meanwhile, is currently completing his military service. That makes The Phase an interesting point in MONSTA X’s story. There is a sense of looking back at everything they have built, while also figuring out what comes next.
Speaking to Hindustan Times, the members open up about the making of their music, the debate over ‘Magic’ and ‘Survivor’ tracks, their creative process behind the EP and the bond that has kept them together through all these years.
A snapshot of where they are now
The title The Phase is fitting for a group that has already gone through several different chapters. For Shownu, the EP represents where the members are at this particular point, bringing together experiences from both their group and individual work.
He explains, “I think The Phase reflects where we are right now because it brings together everything we’ve experienced over the years, both as a group and individually. Our solo and unit activities gave us opportunities to try different styles and perspectives, and those experiences naturally became part of this album. We wanted to keep trying new things while staying true to who we are as MONSTA X. In that sense, The Phase feels like a snapshot of where we are now, while still leaving room for what comes next.”
While the members have changed over the years, Minhyuk believes there is one thing that should remain constant: the ability to make any song feel like MONSTA X. He says their identity does not necessarily come from sticking to one genre.
“I think the most essential part of the MONSTA X style is our ability to make any kind of music feel like our own,” Minhyuk adds. “No matter what genre or style we take on, we naturally put our own spin on it and give it that MONSTA X color. That’s something we never want to lose. I hope people can listen to any song we release and think, ‘This really feels like MONSTA X,’ or, ‘They can pull off this kind of song, too.’ I’d love for people to feel that whatever the song is, it just fits us.”
The members are shaping the sound themselves
The Phase also reflects how much the members have grown as creators. Joohoney has taken on a particularly active role with ‘SURVIVOR’, writing, composing and arranging the track alongside Ye-Yo! and Laser. For him, the starting point was not about forcing MONSTA X into an entirely new sound. Instead, he wanted to capture the confidence the group has developed over the years while keeping their performance-driven identity intact.
“As a producer, I think the most important thing was deciding what kind of musical character we wanted to express at this point in our career,” Joohoney explains. “As artists who came up during the third generation of K-pop, we’ve already had opportunities to explore younger and fresher sounds, especially with our 10th anniversary album THE X. This time, I wanted to capture the spirit and confidence of MONSTA X that has brought us this far. Rather than chasing a completely new direction, we focused on a sound with a touch of current trends while making the most of our strength in powerful performance. I also wanted it to feel natural for MONBEBE and stay true to what they enjoy about us.”
Hyungwon, meanwhile, brings a softer side to the EP with ‘Sweet Night, Sweet Morning’. The song was written some time ago, but he had a clear idea of how he wanted the other members to approach it.
“This is a song I actually wrote quite a while ago, and from the beginning, I spent a lot of time thinking about how I wanted the members to sing it, what kind of mood I wanted to create, and how I wanted each member’s voice to come through,” Hyungwon says.
He adds that the song allowed him to bring more of his personal taste into the music: “I was also able to bring more of my personal musical taste into this song. It carries a sincere message I wanted to share with MONBEBE (fandom name), the members who have always been by my side, and the people I’m grateful to have in my life. That’s what makes this song especially meaningful to me.”
Kihyun had a different challenge with ‘Magic’, the rhythmic, guitar-driven title track. He wanted the vocals to match the energy of the song without making them feel too heavy. “I wanted the vocals to feel light and sharp, but still have enough power behind them to carry through the song,” he explains. “I tried to find that balance so the vocals could really bring out the lift and intensity of the track.”
How Magic won the title-track debate
‘Magic’ may now be the title track, but it did not immediately emerge as the obvious choice. The members had different reactions when they first heard the songs, and some changes were needed before the track began to feel complete.
Minhyuk recalls being unsure about parts of the early version. “I felt that the melody and the verse could be stronger in the early version,” he says. “Once the verse was revised and JOOHONEY’s rap was added, the song started to feel much more complete. That was when I thought, ‘This could be our title track.’”
Shownu initially had a stronger reaction to ‘Survivor’, which he felt made a bigger impact on first listen. But repeated listens changed his mind. “When we first listened to both the songs, my first impression was that ‘Survivor’ had a much stronger impact, while ‘Magic’ felt more straightforward,” he recalls. “But as we considered what the members wanted and the direction we wanted to take, I started to appreciate ‘Magic’ more with each listen. The chorus felt like MONSTA X while still bringing something new, and that made me feel that it was the right choice for the title track.”
Another song that carries a strong connection to the group’s identity is ‘Type X’. Joohoney explains that the track is not simply about looking at how much MONSTA X have grown. “I think we’ve always wanted to send a message through our music,” he says. “For me, ‘Type X’ is less about how much we’ve grown and more about the bond we have as MONSTA X. It’s a reminder to stay connected to where we started and not lose that mindset. I think staying true to that is also part of how we continue to grow.”
Finding their rhythm again
Before returning with The Phase, the members had been busy with different unit and solo projects, including BORDERLINE and LOVE ME. Spending time apart creatively could have changed the way they approached group music, but Shownu says the transition back was surprisingly natural.
“I think our solo and unit activities gave each of us a chance to explore sides that we couldn’t always show through group albums,” he says. “After coming back together, though, I didn’t notice a big change in our vocal styles or the way we work. We’ve been working together for so long that we naturally know how to complement each other.”
What he noticed more was how much everyone had grown through those individual experiences. “What stood out to me more was how much effort everyone had put into their own projects,” he adds. “We supported each other by listening to each other’s songs and visiting each other’s music video sets, and it was nice to see everyone bringing those experiences back into the group.”
There was, however, one significant difference this time. When asked if there were moments during the recording of The Phase when they instinctively felt I.M.’s voice should be part of a particular section, given how long the members have worked together, Kihyun opened up about how they approached his absence.
“Honestly, there were parts in almost every song where I thought I wanted to hear I.M’s voice,” Kihyun admits. “I especially found myself thinking that his voice would fit really well toward the end of the first hook. But once the songs were finished, I didn’t really think about that anymore. I think the members filled out each song so well, adding different details and dynamics, that everything came together naturally and still felt complete as MONSTA X.”
What comes next
A “phase” is, by definition, a transition from one state to another. After twelve years, Hyungwon says they still want to experiment and see what else they can do. “I hope we can continue to be the kind of group we are now, always willing to try new things and take on different challenges,” he says. “I’d also like to explore as many genres as we can and keep discovering new possibilities for MONSTA X.”
That also means continuing to connect with fans outside South Korea. Indian MONBEBE have supported MONSTA X for years, and Minhyuk says the members are aware that many of those fans are still waiting for the group to visit the country.
“We’re always grateful to hear about MONBEBE supporting us from different parts of the world, and we know there are many fans in India who have been waiting to meet us,” he says. “We’d definitely love the chance to visit India and perform for them someday. If we get the opportunity, we’d love to make good memories together and finally meet our Indian MONBEBE in person.”
After twelve years, MONSTA X have already experienced several different versions of themselves. The Phase brings some of those experiences together, but the members are not treating it as a destination. There is still music they want to make, genres they want to explore and, hopefully, audiences they have yet to meet. For now, this phase finds MONSTA X doing what they have always done best: growing individually, coming back together and figuring out where they can go from here.