Monster attraction
K-Pop group Monsta X made it a concert to remember during its recent visit here.
FOR those vying for the top spot in the competitive K-Pop industry, one of their biggest aspirations is to make it big in the US mainstream market. This follows from the ground-breaking success of eclectic South Korean music group BTS, which has topped multiple American music charts and bagged various accolades.
One of the select few K-Pop acts also making the cut is Monsta X, a seven-member boy group which is currently embarking on its third world tour.
The tour covers Europe, South and North America as well as Asia, but only Thailand and Malaysia. So local fans are so lucky!
Even though its Malaysian fan base isn’t that big, Monsta X was greeted with deafening cheers when it performed as part of the K-Wave Music Festival concert lineup here in August last year.
At the Monsta X World Tour [We Are Here] 2019 concert in Kuala Lumpur which drew 5,000 fans to Stadium Malawati Shah Alam last Saturday, the frenzy was also evident.
Incidentally, upon landing in Malaysia, member Wonho found out that his passport was missing. He actually had to return to Seoul to get a temporary one.
According to a statement from his agency, Wonho decided to fly back to Kuala Lumpur to prove his sincerity to local fans even though he couldn’t perform at the concert.
Kudos to him for taking another six-hour flight to Kuala Lumpur!
At the concert, the remaining members — Shownu, Jooheon, I.M, Minhyuk, Kihyun and Hyungwon — did their best in Wonho’s absence.
TALENTED AND FUNNY BUNCH
I’m not familiar with Monsta X's work but their songs are not bad at all, especially explosive, upbeat ones such as Shoot Out, Hero, Trespass and Jealousy.
The dancing was amazing, the rappers were spitting fire and the vocalists belted out the lyrics with fervour.
For slower numbers such as Party Time, Play It Cool and Mohae, the boys showcased their sexier side with sleek choreography.
Suffice it to say, they sent the fans, who call themselves Monbebe (pronounced as “moan-bae-bae” which means “my baby” in French) into hysteria.
When the boys disappeared for a costume change, the fans were entertained by a clip in which each Monsta X member acted as a TV personality and promoted his skills.
Kihyun played a barista, Wonho (who’s known as the muscle of the team) was a personal trainer, I.M (the group’s only English speaker) was an English teacher; “Joohoney” was a cook, Minhyuk was a beauty consultant, Hyungwon was a fashionista while Shownu pretended to be affected by ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response, an experience characterised by a tingling sensation that typically begins on the scalp and moves down the back of the neck and upper spine)
I’ve attended many K-Pop concerts and this was by far one of the most hilarious concert clips ever! It made the audience howl with laughter.
The boys then took to the stage in groups. Hyungwon, Minhyuk and Kihyun performed a sexy dance cover of the Monsta X song Myself (involving even a hip thrust!) while rappers Jooheon and I.M gave a stunning performance of 3HYTHM.
Up next, the Monsta X boys showed off their softer side with Honestly, IDo Love You, Sweetheart and No Reason. The light choreography complemented the cheerful and moderate-tempo tracks well. Meanwhile, the next clip had a dramatic setting where the boys represented the seven deadly sins. It was seriously like a short crime thriller!
The theatrical vibe continued for the next song performance, Myself. The stage turned dark, mysterious and laced with smoke. With the members standing still in a neat line, the spotlight shone on the member who was singing. It was all stunning.
Monsta X also performed its catchy hits Dramamama, Oh My!, Special, Fallin’ and Alligator next.
Hyungwon then took over the stage wearing his “DJ H.One” persona and with a turntable for an EDM set. It got the crowd and the other Monsta X members dancing energetically. During the segment where the boys spoke, group leader Shownu said: “Last time we said we’d come again to Malaysia for our own concert.
“Even though there are only six of us here today, we’re still happy because we got to keep our promise to our Malaysian Monbebes.”
“I never expected to see this many fans in Malaysia. So we can’t just come once, right?” Minhyuk asked the screaming fans.
I.M added, “Thanks for inviting us to this beautiful country. We hope to come back as the full version of Monsta X.”
Kihyun said, “Wonho couldn’t come he apologises. We apologise too because you used your time and money to see all Monsta X members. Because of that, we promise to return.”
“Wonho’s space was filled by Monbebes tonight,” added Jooheon.
They then closed the show with Rodeo and By My Side to show their appreciation to their fans.
The Monsta X World Tour (We Are Here) 2019 In Kuala Lumpur was organised by MacpiePro.