MONSTA X Talks About Their New Album "FANTASIA X," Their Global Promotions, And More

May 26, 2020

On May 26, MONSTA X held an online showcase to mark the release of their new mini album “FANTASIA X.”

Leader Shownu said, “This is our first domestic promotion in a long time, so we worked hard in order to perfect everything. We think that the best way to repay the fans who are always giving us love and support is through good music and performances. We will work hard to show them that.”

Kihyun said, “This album was a painstaking process. We kept changing and adjusting the songs, and we practiced really hard as well. I’m happy that we can show everyone the songs we took such trouble over. It’s not just the vibe from the melody, beat, and lyrics, but our performance adds a new element to the songs. Our title track was made naturally without restricting ourselves to conventions. It contains the message that we should be as freeform as possible, delivered in our own energetic style.”

Minhyuk said, “Overall, all the songs have a natural and flamboyant vibe. There’s a lot of leather, in the style of old Western movies set in the wilderness. We tried to combine a sexy vibe with a free-spirited vibe. We tried a lot of diverse concepts, from all gold to vivid colors. ‘FANTASIA’ means the most beautiful and brilliant part of your life, so we worked to capture that side of ourselves.”

Joohoney and I.M also talked about their self-produced tracks on the album. Joohoney said, “‘FLOW’ is a song that compares us to swans. Swans are beautiful on the water, but they’re paddling like mad under the water. I compared swans to the celebrity lifestyle. I wanted it to have a comforting message, like we should go with the flow once in a while.” He added, “‘Stand Up’ is a fan song for Monbebe [fandom name]. It means that we should all gather strength and stand up together. It’s a theme that I hope will give people strength during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

I.M said, “‘Zone’ is in the EDM style, so it’s fun to listen to. It contains a confident vibe and means that we’re the best in this zone. I really want to sing it at concerts.”

MONSTA X also addressed their future mandatory military service, with Shownu saying, “No details have been decided yet about my enlistment. Because nothing has been decided yet, I am going to do the best I can in MONSTA X right now.”

Joohoney said, “I took a break before I returned for this comeback. I worked hard in order to return with a better mindset and position. I really want to see Monbebe. We can’t always show how much work MONSTA X does for Monbebe, but I firmly believe that they know anyway. I hope that Monbebe can gain strength, just like everyone else. MONSTA X will cheer you on.”

Over the past few years, MONSTA X has broadened their global reach with a world tour, the Jingle Ball tour in the United States, ranking high on music charts like Oricon and the Billboard 200, and frequent appearances on U.S. network television. I.M said, “It was an honor. We believe that it was due to our fans around the world that we were able to do those things. I feel overwhelmed just thinking about it. They are all happy memories.”

Minhyuk said with a laugh, “Surrounded by famous foreign artists, I thought that I had become a famous foreign artist as well.” Hyungwon said about the Jingle Ball Tour, “It was a new experience for us to meet an audience of 100,000 with singers whose music we often listened to.”