Monsta X reflects on 8-year career through new EP “Reason”

Monsta X drops 12th mini album "Reason" on Monday. (Starship Entertainment)

Returning with more powerful performances and unique musical color, South Korean boy group Monsta X launched its 12th mini album "Reason" on Monday.

The album, released nine months after the previous EP “Shape of Love,” conveys the group’s story of how it found the reason behind its existence and the meaning of their relationship with one another, according to agency Starship Entertainment.

The latest work looks back on the group's eight-year career, the long-established teamwork and embodies their growth as artists, it added.

The album comprises six tracks all in different tones: the title song “Beautiful Liar,” and the side tracks “Daydream,” “Crescendo,” Lone Ranger,” “Deny,” and “It’s Okay.”

The titular track “Beautiful Liar” is a rhythmical and powerful punk rock that sings about the reason for love found in the most dangerous relationship.

I.M of Monsta X gives dramatic tension to the masculine, addictive song with his fancy rapping.

The title track is followed by “Daydream,” a mellow and sensual side track, in which Jooheon, the main rapper of the group, shows off his vocal skills instead.

Jooheon, who helped compose and arrange the tracks from previous albums such as “Love,” “Gambler,” and “Rush Hour,” also participated in producing the tracks “Crescendo” and “It’s Okay” from this album.

Especially for the song “Crescendo,” he used the sounds of traditional Korean musical instruments "geomungo," a long zither, and "taepyeongso," a double-reed wind instrument.

Other producer members, Hyungwon and I.M, enriched the album with “Lone Ranger” made with unique Western sounds, and the R&B track “Deny,” respectively, further expanding their output spectrums.

"Reason" is Monsta X's first release since the members renewed contracts with Starship Entertainment last August.

Since dropping its 11th EP “Shape of Love” in April, the band has been on a whirlwind concert tour.

They held their first arena tour in the US, “2022 Monsta X No Limit US Tour,” from May 21 to June 11 last year. Tickets for the show at the Forum, Los Angeles, were all sold out.

Last September, the act also successfully held a three-day concert in Seoul.

Monsta X was formed through Starship and Mnet’s survival audition program, “No Mercy,” in 2015 and it debuted with the EP “Trespass” that same year.

The act is known for songs like “Who Do U Love?,” “Love Killa,” and “You Problem.”

By Hong Yoo(yoohong@heraldcorp.com)