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By Kim Ji-soo
Monsta X, back from their first world tour, has released their fifth mini-album titled "The Code."
The seven members _ Kihyun, Wonho, Shownu, Jooheon, Minhyuk, Hyungwon and I.M _ were picked via a survival audition program produced by Starship Entertainment and Mnet. Monsta X this year gained traction overseas, making their Japanese debut in April and participating in the Summer Sonic music festival held in Tokyo in August, along with such stars as Foo Fighters and Rick Astley. The boy band recently went on its first world tour titled "Beautiful," where it held 18 performances in 16 cities in 11 nations including Atlanta, Chicago, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Paris, Berlin, Moscow, Buenos Aires and Mexico City. It's a noticeable achievement for a band that debuted in 2015.
"The Code" is the first release by the band since completing this tour. It includes seven songs including "Dramarama," "Now or Never," "In Time," "From Zero," " X," "Tropical Night" and "Deja Vu."
"The key concept of our album is time slip where the seven members are traveling through time," Shownu, leader and vocalist, said at a showcase press conference held in Jangchung Arena in eastern Seoul.
"You can see the fantasies of seven members traveling through time," said Jooheon, rapper.
"This album is about a more mature Monsta X," Hyungwon said.
The band is among the new generation of K-pop groups such as Seventeen and Wanna One returning to the pop scene, along with veteran bands Super Junior and Urban Zakapa.
What differentiates them from others and who do they think are their competitors?
"I think we're outright sexy," Kihyun said. With performances of "Now or Never," which is a trap hip-hop song, and "Dramarama," an urban funk song Tuesday, the members demonstrated the highly aligned group choreography that K-pop bands are known for with the rap sections of the songs standing out.
Members such as Jooheon and Wonho took part in writing lyrics and rearranging and some music writing. The duet by Jooheon and Wonho "From Zero" performed at a Seoul concert in June has been turned into the band's song, upon fans' requests for work from the "The Code."
As for rivals, the members said they try to concentrate on their stage performance, even as they study what other groups are doing with their music videos and rehearsals at music shows.
The member said they learned a lot through the world tour.
"I saw American fans doing their own freestyle dance, which took me aback and impressed me," Minhyuk said. "That led me to think a lot, that I had to be crazy, and love what I do on stage, for audiences to love the performance."
"I remember Mexico, where we had to perform with oxygen masks on standby," I.M said. "We've also tried to immerse in the local culture, history whenever we can during the world tour," he said.
Kihyun added he could feel the high sea level after singing three songs in Mexico.
The band is known for their powerful energy and hip-hop music, seemingly reminiscent of such K-pop bands as B.A.P or even BTS. Because of the powerful music and the dance moves, its members have been hurt often, prompting one reporter to ask what the band would do if one of the members gets hurt. Wonho did not take part in the showcase held Tuesday as he was undergoing tests for possible cerebromeningitis. On Wednesday, the agency said Wonho had fully recovered and will join his band starting with an Mnet performance this week.
"Can I show you images of me completely eating big?" said Shownu, after which his fellow members mocked him for disclosing his real interest "in food."
Shownu later said he would heighten the difficulty of one of the dance moves included in the "Dramarama" music video.
As the newer generation of K-pop boy bands have in recent years debuted and performed hectically, vying to become the next EXO or BTS, the Monsta X members seem to be thinking about defining their style.
"We've pondered a lot about what Monsta X music is during the world tour, and we hope these questions will be answered through our activities in Korea with The Code," Jooheon said.
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