Exclusive: MONSTA X's Shownu X Hyungwon Chat About Looking Up To 2PM And Their "I Hate You" Cover For Spotify's K-Pop ON! First Crush Campaign

MONSTA X’s sub-unit Shownu X Hyungwon are here with their Spotify K-Pop ON! Single!

In celebration of the anniversary of K-Pop ON!—Spotify’s global genre flagship playlist—Spotify launched the K-Pop ON! First Crush campaign to release a special series of Spotify Singles headlined by ENHYPEN, MONSTA X’s Shownu X Hyungwon, and STAYC. The Spotify Singles program gives artists the opportunity to re-record their songs or cover a song by one of their musical role models.

As the second Spotify-exclusive cover for the K-Pop ON! First Crush campaign, Shownu X Hyungwon released a cover of 2PM’s iconic 2009 hit “I Hate You”—one of the duo’s favorite songs from back in the day—on February 29. The track is an ode to the soundtrack that shaped their journeys as both K-pop fans and idols.

Reflecting on the process of the creating the single, the duo shared, “We thought the concept about reflecting on your ‘First K-pop Crush’ was fun,” explaining that they had the opportunity to revisit the songs they listened to when they were younger and the influence those songs had on them. They added, “We thought this project would be a great opportunity for our fans to listen to older K-pop songs and our own version of it that fits us well.”

Much more than a nod to the very beginnings of every K-pop fan’s journey into the genre, which started with that first K-Pop artist who captivated them with their artistry and flair, Spotify’s K-Pop ON! First Crush campaign calls on fans around the world to unite over their shared love for K-pop music and the artists who started it all.

Regarding their rendition of 2PM’s “I Hate You,” Shownu and Hyungwon emphasized, “‘I Hate You’ is such an iconic song, and the original version will always be something only 2PM can deliver. So rather than covering the track as it is, we’re honoring the song by delivering a version that allows us to put our best performance forward. 2PM’s version is more powerful and wild compared to ours. We wanted to make it more laidback and smooth to fit our unit music style better,” they elaborated, also mentioning that they wanted to keep the raw emotion of the song in their cover.

The unit also reflected on how 2PM inspired them when they were younger and how they shaped their growth following their debut. “We grew up admiring the performances and choreography videos of our respected and beloved sunbaes (senior artists) 2PM.” Shownu shared, “I just simply thought the profession of being a singer was cool. I liked that with K-pop especially, you could express yourself through music and dance.”

Conveying their gratitude to Spotify for an opportunity to release new music, Shownu and Hyungwon shared, “For fans that knew the original version, we hope our version can remind them of their old memories connected to the song, and for fans who aren’t very familiar with the song, we want them to enjoy it and be a song they want to go back to listen to.”

On music the group has recently been listening to, Hyungwon brought up Giveon’s songs, sharing, “His music style is very comforting and easy to listen to, and it inspires me because I want to try making that kind of music too.” Shownu answered, “Lately, I’ve been listening to Jungkook’s songs and think he’s really talented and cool.”

To wrap up, Shownu and Hyungwon reflected on the future of K-pop, sharing, “We hope that K-pop continues to evolve and connect listeners around the world.”

Check out Shownu X Hyungwon’s Spotify K-Pop ON! Single here!

Photo Credit: Spotify