Valentine’s Day is All About Luv, and that’s exactly what Monsta X is celebrating on their first-ever all-English language album, out today (Feb. 14).
Featuring several high-profile collaborations from Pitbull, French Montana, Steve Aoki, and Will.I.Am, the South Korean boy band’s latest is a pure blown pop album full of tracks that relay the emotions of romance, bolstered by lilting electro-pop and R&B melodies.
A divergence from the boisterous dance-oriented album they typically release in the South Korean music market, the focus on All About Luv is an overwhelming sense of sentimentality and smoothness.
Ahead of its release on V-Day, Monsta X’s members (Shownu, Minhyuk, Kihyun, Hyungwon, Joohoney, and I.M.) broke down their new record, exclusively for Billboard. Check it out below.
1. "Who Do U Love? (Feat. French Montana)"
I.M: This song talks about how someone who’s in love can become very anxious to a point where it leads up to obsession.
Minhyuk: The song depicts a man consumed by jealousy, and this shows through the repetition of the lyrics, "Who do you love, Is it him or me," where he even makes a comparison to his competition.
2. "Love U"
Shownu: Two very famous producers Andres Torres and Mauricio Rengifo], widely known for the song “Despacito,” produced this song for us. This song showcases the brighter aspects of love, the side that describes the exact moment where we fall in love with someone — the moment we get "butterflies" by just looking at them.
Kihyun: I would like to recommend listeners to pay a little more attention to the lyrics, which will remind you of the last time you really fell in love.
3. "Happy Without Me"
Hyungwon: We believe that people who have experienced pain from unwanted breakups would strongly sympathize with this song, especially because of the lyrics. Missing your ex and faking your smiles to cover your pain is something that we might’ve gone through at some point in our lives. We tried to really emphasize the sadness and the stress that one goes through in order to move on.
4. "Got My Number"
All: This track is about the desperate measures that a man can take when they are in love with someone. Even if the person is taken, love will make you do things that you would never think to do. In this song you can see that the man is desperately trying to be there for the girl by saying, “You got my number! Look at me! I’m here and I will always stay here if you need me!”
5. "Someone’s Someone"
All: We really wanted to emphasize the harmony of our voices in this song, as we intended to dedicate this song to our fandom] Monbebe. Being someone’s someone means a lot to both parties and we wanted to be Monbebe's someone.
6. "Middle Of The Night"
All: This track is solely based on the irresistible thoughts of regret after a break-up. Reminiscing through all the beautiful memories that you shared with your lover. Additionally, It also conveys the thought of what it could’ve been if things went differently.
7. "She’s The One"
All: Have you ever felt emotionally stuck to a point where you cannot stop thinking about someone? Knowing that you are messed up and constantly trying to recover, but it just doesn’t go as planned. This is a condition called “lovesick." Producer Noah Conrad, who has worked with many other K-pop artists, participated in making this amazing pop-sounding track.
8. "You Can’t Hold My Heart"
Joohoney: To me, the sound of the bass and drums from this track is what attracted me the most. I also like the lyrics because it is realistic, it shows how not all love lasts forever.
Minhyuk: Love and feelings can easily change..This harsh reality can be hard to face, but sometimes it is easier and better to accept the truth.
9. "Misbehave"
All: “Misbehave” is written based on the experiences that all of us encounter during a relationship. People often misbehave knowing the consequences that they will have to face. We justify these behaviors with the idea of love and comfort ourselves that it will be okay because we are not alone.
10. "Beside U (Feat. Pitbull)"
All: This song is based on the idea of obsession, as the lyrics emphasize on finding "you" and being beside "you," regardless of the whereabouts. The lyrics also show the negative and aggressive side of obsession — one can] get lethal when they can’t see the person they are obsessed with.
11. “Who Do U Love? (Feat. French Montana) (Will.I.Am Remix)"
Hyungwon: I think his remix is pretty addictive and gives extra spice to the original song.
