Monsta X perform at Pyeongchang-gun (Picture: Han Myung-Gu/Getty Images)

To someone not familiar with Korean pop music the scene at the Hammersmith Apollo on Sunday night looked like the intense sort of fan dedication not seen since One Direction were a thing.

A lot of Kpop fans are probably used to hearing things like, ‘why do you like it? They’re not singing in English!’

But it’s like asking Eurovision fans why they’re into it. It’s simply good, affirming pop music that unites K-Pop lovers, and in this instance Monbebe, the name for Monsta X’s fans.

Music, like food and film, is universal.


If you’re already knee deep in the world of K-Pop however, you know all about Monsta X and their seven members: Shownu, Wonho, Minhyuk, Kihyun, Hyungwon, Jooheon and I.M. They debuted in 2015 after they were put together on a talent show called No Mercy and embarked on their first world tour just eight months ago.



They made a comeback this year with their album The Connect: Dejavu and are taking it on the road.

Monsta X kicked off their The Connect world tour in London (Picture: Hannah Deen)

The smaller stage at Hammersmith meant none of the backing dancers seen at their shows in Seoul, but it wasn’t any less of a spectacle.

The group emerged, in shimmering white suits, from below the stage to dramatic music and glitter canons.

There were sparks and confetti, slick dance routines, light shows and even a beautifully shot short film involving time travel.

Monsta X member Hyungwon (Picture: Hannah Deen)

An interpreter was on hand, but they made every effort to speak to their fans in English which some found easier than others.

They didn’t have to, but the fact they gave it a go was enough and showed that the dedication was a two-way street.

The band made a solid attempt to speak English (Picture: Hannah Deen)

A standout moment was a new unit stage from Hyungwon and rapper I.M., a cover of Drake’s Fake Love which I.M. wrote his own rap for, followed by a saucy bit of choreography to How Long by Charlie Puth.

I.M. stans might not survive it.

Jooheon, the other half of the band’s rap line, showed a sensuous side too, teaming up with Shownu, the group’s leader, for a cover of Versace On The Floor; Wonho’s efforts as a producer were displayed in his catchy and sweet tracks From Zero and 널 하다 (Neol Hada).

Some K-Pop groups can come off as unconvincing or forced when trying out different concepts, but Monsta X are chameleons and own every one.

They pull off seductive with ease (and they know it) in the likes of Jealousy and the sultry Because Of U, to cocky in Rush and their brassy debut single Trespass, and full on fist-pumping fun in club anthem Fallin’, which was sadly cut short when the show threatened to run over the venue’s curfew.

Everything is done with charm and a wink. They’re performers, training for years to do exactly this.

It’s no more evident than in Lost In The Dream when the dancing stops and they really sing, Kihyun’s powerhouse voice soaring to the rafters.

You couldn’t help but think of what you hear about the K-Pop industry, the crazy schedules and so on, and wonder – are they okay? Are they getting enough rest? Are they happy?



Well Monsta X definitely looked it, often staring out in awe as the foreign crowd made heart shapes with their arms and belted out the chorus to dreamy crowd-pleaser Rollercoaster.

Understandably the temptation to compare them to BTS is there.

BTS are household names after recently breaking America and becoming the first Korean artist to score a number 1 album on the Billboard Top 200 chart but other than the fact there are seven of them and they are also from Korea, that’s where the similarities end.

Monsta X is its own glorious beast.

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