MONSTA X with The Clan Part 2: GUILTY album and "Fighter"
Hello Kpoppers of the Universe,
MONSTA X came back withThe Clan Part 2: GUILTYand the title song "Fighter". Monsta X debuted in 2015, so they are no longer rookies, but they are still newish to the Kpop world. So for those of you who don't know of MONSTA X, the group is an all-male group and includes seven members. The members are Kihyun, I.M.Wonho, Jooheon,Shownu, Hyungwon, and Minhyuk. The overall music I would describe as EDM and dance music, but more on the Hip-Hop side.
Looking at the "Fighter" music video, I think it was well made and the dark background of the video gave the atmosphere of mystery and almost a sense of underestimation which turns into the "fighting" spirit that they sing about, which
are great. There were a couple of things that I don't know how they fit in the video, but it was interesting to look at. For example, there were the two members in the video who were in the psychiatric hospital, and then there were the guys dressed as teddy bears in the fighting ring who were knighting one of the other members. But overall the connections throughout the video didn't quite come together until the end of the video, almost like having the last few pieces of a puzzle come together and finally seeing the big picture. Also, in the end of the video, it showed that they can stand strong together as one and overcome hardships, which I think can also signify the group's progress as well as individual growth in the Kpop music world.
Alright, so moving on to the songs of the album, “Fighter” is the title song of the album, hence the music video. It sounds like a song that might be featured in a drama during a really dramatic fight scene, acting out a man fighting for the woman he loves. The song has awesome vocals for it being a song that is supposed to be pumping you for a fight. When I listen to this song it really reminds me of the training scenes from the ‘Rocky” movie. It is complete with electric guitar and boxing rink bell.
Next is “Be Quiet”. It is anything close to quiet. When I saw the title of this song I thought it would be a nice soft ballad. NOPE! That it Monsta X for ya. It has dubstep, a loud bass, and synthesizers to complete intense song.
“Blind” really shows the individual member’s vocals and a nice in and out of singing and rapping. I like that there was some rapping towards the end of the song, rather than just singing the chorus twice in a row or something. I really like the first part of the chorus where they sing “bli-i-i-ind”, it just sounds cool. Speaking of blinds, I had to look up the lyrics because I had no idea what they were taking about because the song sounded mysterious and a bit on the sexy side to be honest. I originally thought the song was talking about going blind (and it kind of is), but they also sing about hiding behind some blinds. Interesting.
“Queen” really sounds like a “Monsta X” song. What I mean is it has that same sound like their debut song “Trespass”. The hard dubstep and TRAP-like sound. If you listen to “Trespass” you will kinda understand that sound I am talking about. The difference between “Queen” and “Trespass” is that there are improved vocals that are more powerful in “Queen”, which shows their improvement.
“하얀소녀 (White Girl)” or “White Love” really through me off because of member who leads the song off, I think is Minhyuk, it sounds like L from Infinite. But then I realized his voice has a lower pitch. But the song was a pleasant surprise because they went with an acoustic ballad. It was really pleasing to my ears. I will say that the rapping members, I.M. and Jooheon, when they sang, I so enjoyed the bass that they add to the song, because they can sing lower notes and the other members really let them shine by hitting the higher notes. The chorus before the final chorus of the song is what really did it for me in this song; I am a serious sucker for hearing the whole group sing part of the song together and hearing the harmony between their voices just makes the song that much better. This has to be my favorite song from the album.
*I have just found out that Jooheon and I.M. wrote the lyrics for "White Love"… WTH! It is soooooooo good! And every song on the album they had a part of creating the lyrics.*
Finally, the last song for Guilty is “Roller Coaster”, which I think is a perfect fit for this album because we heard a “roller coaster” of songs that brought the emotions up and down. The beginning sounds like the start of a Backstreet Boys song or something. The song has a playful and groovy sound. It sounds like a song you might find at a more modern amusement park, just a song that is simple and you can relax and enjoy.
Well, that’s it for Monsta X The Clan Part 2: Guilty. Do you have any theories for the music video concept? Loved the album or a song? Just let me know in the comments below! I have included the dance practice for “Fighter” below.
