"Rather than receiving good grades, we would be more thrilled if our fandom Monbebe enjoyed our music." (Shownu) "One fan at a recent meet-and-greet said that Monsta X's music had given them a lot of strength during tough times. It made me realize clearly why I create music and perform. I hope our new unit can give strength and purpose to someone's life." - Hyungwon

Whether sitting or standing, they are always thinking of their fans. Monsta X, already renowned in the K-pop market for their love for their fans, has formed their first unit Shownu X Hyungwon, promising activities by, for, and of the Monbebe. Hyungwon, in particular, said he's conducted extensive research on what Monbebe wants to see, stating that their motivation and diligence comes from the fans.

Shownu X Hyungwon, confident about fulfilling 100% of the fans' desires, is ready to join the line of trustworthy units from Starship Entertainment. The duo recently sat down with Star News to discuss their first mini-album 'THE UNSEEN,' released on the 25th.

 ◆ Shownu X Hyungwon: After 8 Years Since Debut, Unmasking the Real 'Self' 

Shownu X Hyungwon is Monsta X's first unit, following the successful solo debuts of Kihyun, I.M, and Joohoney. Their fourth individual activity, 'THE UNSEEN,' encapsulates Shownu X Hyungwon's perspective as they encounter the numerous 'selves' in the eyes of others, showcasing their accumulated skills and capabilities in vocals, performances, and visuals, creating a unique synergy. Their title track 'Love Me A Little' portrays the inner conflict between the individual's genuine self and the image others expect, delicately and edgily expressed through their vocals and performance.

Hyungwon focused on producing, while Shownu participated in choreography creation, further emphasizing their musical growth. Shownu stated, "I realized that there's a gap between how I see myself and how others see me. It made me understand that there can be numerous versions of 'me,' and that's what drove the creation process."

What is the true 'self'? Shownu humorously responded, "It's quite tricky. There are many 'mes'," while Hyungwon added, "I am usually slow-paced and reserved. However, I think I became a bit more open and faster-paced during my activities with Monsta X. I consider these acquired traits as part of my real self."

 ◆ Shownu's Discharge, Hyungwon's Upcoming Enlistment... No Changes in Sentiments or Pressure 

Shownu fulfilled his military duties as a public service worker from July 2021, and was discharged this past April. His first music broadcast performance since discharge is with this unit. Shownu expressed, "I don't think it will be very awkward since I already warmed up during the fan concert."

Shownu shared his feelings during his substitute military service, "I spent almost 21 months with a variety of people, not just my members. I got to understand a bit of the difficulties the company's employees were facing. It was an enlightening experience."

At the time of the interview, Joohoney had yet to enlist. Regarding his enlistment, Hyungwon stated, "The exact time hasn't been determined, but given my age, I'm assuming it will be sometime soon."

Shownu added, "There weren't any major emotional changes or feelings of pressure among the members before enlisting. Maybe it's because we've been so busy. As for advice, I don't have much to give since I wasn't in the active-duty camp. However, once I start social service work, I'll probably have some stories to share."

◆ "24 hours on repeat"... Shownu X Hyungwon, Confidence in their Unit Debut Song 

Shownu and Hyungwon explained the process of coming together for their unit debut, which is Monsta X's first unit activity. Shownu said, "Since Kihyun, I.M, and Jooheon showed off their cool sides in solo activities, we thought 'Why don't we do it together too?'. We had planned to form a unit with Hyungwon for a long time, but I couldn't properly discuss it due to my military service. After being discharged, we started preparing properly from the beginning of May." Hyungwon added, "Shownu and I loved to dance and choreograph since our trainee days. The company saw these performance aspects and visualized a concept for us. I thought it would be good to work together with Shownu, which is how the unit was formed."

In particular, the track that Hyungwon worked on was chosen as the title track after a blind test within the company. "I had mixed feelings," Hyungwon confessed. "I was thrilled, but being a title track for the first time brought about a bit of pressure. It was surprising for myself. While working, I thought, 'Let's make music that satisfies me and that I think is cool,' but when it became the title track, I worried unnecessarily and felt pressured."

How did the other members react? Shownu shared, "No member asked me to work on their solo song next time," and added, "I think they generally liked the song. Before the song was selected as the title track, I thought it was clearly unique, even though I couldn't exactly articulate its concept. I think everyone sympathized with it." Hyungwon said, "The members all came to support us at the music video shoot, but because of their individual schedules, they couldn't see our practice process. Afterwards, when they saw us filming, they all said it was really cool, which felt great."

Moreover, Hyungwon said he would like people to listen to their song "24 hours a day". Shownu commented, "I've listened to it a lot while choreographing, and it's surprisingly good to listen to while working out, driving, and even before going to bed. I feel like it might cause a slight nightmare, but other than waking up, it seems fine." They have high hopes for their title track 'Love Me A Little.'

 ◆ Why is Monsta X Always Angry? "Our own cool color" 

Shownu and Hyungwon, despite similarities, have different personalities within Monsta X. Therefore, they had new feelings about each other while working on this unit album. Shownu first said, "One similarity with Hyungwon is our easy-going, genial personality. Both of us are good at listening to others. We are positive and smooth in our work and practice. Apart from our genial nature, everything else seems different. Hyungwon is a bit more meticulous and focused, and I tend to see the bigger picture and have a simpler aspect compared to Hyungwon." Hyungwon noted, "Shownu always has an easy-going style. He knows everything, but he doesn't express or show it, which is similar to me, but more extreme. What surprised me during this work, which I already knew, is that Shownu is quite sharp when it comes to choreography. He accurately pinpointed the focus and created the choreography. I realized that 'Indeed, there are sharp aspects when he's working'. People generally think our image will 'undoubtedly come out sexy', but we expressed the idea that hidden sexiness is sexier through music. I was surprised that Shownu caught that well in the choreography," he said with a laugh.

As Hyungwon mentioned, the public views Monsta X as 'sexy', 'intense', and 'charismatic'. They are even referred to as 'always angry boys'. Regarding this, Hyungwon said, "Personally, I think it's good. I'm very pleased that we are remembered with a specific image. I think Monsta X's color is cool. Although we always seem angry, it's not that we are really angry, we're just expressing that energy. I think of it positively." Shownu agreed, "I also concur."

In addition, when asked if there was a concept they couldn't do due to their image, Hyungwon replied, "There is a predominance of strong and intense music. I felt this during our fan meeting too. When we do sweet and refreshing music, the members are happy and express it well. It made me realize, 'It's not that we can't do it, the members want to do other aspects too'." Shownu said, "There's nothing we can't do. I think we do all genres."

Copyright © 2023 Kpop Reporter. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.