- Hello. - Hi.
- Welcome to
- TTK.
(funky music)
It is a very special day.
Monsta X have released "Who Do U Love?" the MV.
We're all hyped for it, however,
we recorded this day because we're talking
about the music, not the music video.
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- Not much then.
We've got a long storied history with liking
and listening to Monsta X.
First of all, I always say Monster X not Monsta.
- I'm from Essex, it's how I speak.
- Second of all, we interview I.M for our podcast
on Radio 1.
We spoke to him kind of about everything, really.
He was great, really nice guy.
- We've been fans on Monsta X since, ugh, they released Hero
and that was one of the first K-pop MVs I saw.
(vocal squeaking) - And they jump
and they change from day to night.
You might be asking, "Well, if this video isn't about the MV
what is it about?"
We, had the idea to make a video about introducing someone
to a band that they've not listened to
(record scratching) - Ugh, I had the idea.
- And I improved it.
- Why don't we, if you're interested
let us know in the comments, do a series of videos
where we introduce individual K-pop acts or groups to you
and do a recommendation of songs to help you get into them.
- And we kind of get asked for playlists quite a lot
for like, new listeners or people who are interested
in K-pop.
- Just yesterday I got asked by one of our friends,
"Do you have a playlist on Spotify I can listen to?"
- (laughing wryly) Do I have a playlist?
- Do I have a playlist? Course I do!
This goes without saying,
they are a South Korean K-pop group.
Some of their top songs are very EDM heavy.
- Mhmm
- I would just, - I love them
- They're a septet
- They're a what?
- Septet, seven
- Is that even a word?
- Sept, seven, et...
- French?
- There are seven members, I would describe their sound
as edgy, and by that I mean it's got a bit of beef to it
and when I say that I mean you would listen to it
when you're trying to workout in the gym
if you go, sometimes, once a month like I do.
- (deeply inhales)
The leader of the group is the one and only Shownu.
Shownu is the leader, he's the vocalist, and a dancer.
Anything he can't do?
Wonho, who's a vocalist and dancer.
Vocalist Minhyuk, vocalist Kihyun Yoo, vocalist
and dancer Hyungwon Chae, Wrapper Joohoen Lee,
and last but certainly not least,
another wrapper by the name of I.M.
They formed on a reality show
in South Korea called "NO MERCY" all capitalised.
- If you're new to K-pop, which, actually
if you're watching this channel I'm guessing you're not.
But these reality shows are kind of a thing they've
been going for a while, you've got like "Produce 101"
One thing Monsta X has really got is PR.
Like they were just in a Cartoon Network Programme.
I don't actually know what it's called
cause' I don't watch Cartoon Network.
I think it's called "We Bare Bears"?
- In 2016 they released Part One and Part Two
of "The Clan".
- The first two tracks we can recommend, I personally feel
are for people that are just getting into K-pop
and are dipping their dipping their toes in.
- (speaker vocalising) - So we are going to give you
some English language K-pop songs.
- First song, "Who Do U Love?".
- "Who Do U Love" is the most recent release.
It's a collab with French Montana.
- Didn't see that coming.
- No.
- Did not see a collab with French Montana coming.
- Monsta X, I believe, have always released
very commercial tracks.
Nothing wrong with that.
I enjoy them, that's why I like them.
- "Who Do U Love?" Is one, entirely in English.
Um,
- Which is weird.
- How do you feel about that?
Let me know.
- I know that it's going to be mixed reviews on me.
- Also, French Montana is popular in Latin markets
so it might make sense that it's in English.
- Because they both speak English.
- It makes sense to have a full English song.
- There we go.
I have always said, like with regards to like BTS
and people like that, ugh, I don't really wanna hear them
do an English track, but Monsta X it kind of fits
and I feel like they're at home doing that.
- "Play it Cool"
- Right.
- Again, someone else we've interviewed is Steve Aoki
He famously had amazing collabs with BTS.
We spoke to him about other artists he was interested in.
He mentioned Monsta X, and then 6 months later
they have a track together called "Play it Cool".
- Now, I don't wanna claim responsibility for that but,
- I'll take a paycheck for it!
- So it's his track they're featured on it.
They actually had another version I think on their album
that didn't have Steve Aoki's twist on it.
- The reason I am recommending this track is
because when I first listened to it I put it on repeat
like four times,
(record scratching)
- I remember like- nope - "Hero"!
I remember listening to it in the gym, on the bike
(record scratching)
- Is it, "Beautiful"?
- No!
"From Zero" uh, if you haven't heard this one, think
actually, I'm not going to tell you what to think
I want you to experience it.
So put your headphones in, sit back and relax
and listen to "From Zero".
(speaker vocalising) from zero, from from zero.
("From Zero" sample playing)
"From Zero" is from "The Code" which came out in 2017.
Just before "Piece", um, I didn't rate "Piece" as an album
as highly as "The Code" so once you finish listening
to "From Zero", quickly, go straight onto "Tropical Night".
I love this song.
Um, it was on the album but I had never listened to
it in completion because I didn't vibe with it at the start
and then once I listened to it a couple times, I was like
"Okay, actually, this is what I'd call a jam!".
("Tropical Night" sample playing)
- That's quite chilled.
- It is such a different vibe to one of the lead tracks
off of "The Code" which is "Dramarama".
- Which actually
- Dra-ma-ma-ra-ma-ma-ra-ma-ma Aye!
- "Dramarama" is that kind of,
so should we just recommend it?
- It wasn't going to be one of my recommendations but,
- Ah it's, bonus mention, it's exactly
what K-pop is to me sometimes like it's just weird
in a good way.
There's nothing wrong with "Dramarama" but if you played it
on UK radio people would be like "What're they saying?"
("Dramarama" sample playing)
- Go and listen to "The Code" all the way through
and that will give you the best sample
of Monsta X you can get.
- It's only seven songs, like, it won't take that long.
- I would call this a mini album
it's not strictly a mini album but there's seven songs on it
it won't take you too long.
And it will give you the best sample
of what you can expect from, uh, Monsta X.
Cause' "Dramarama is very Hero, where as, uh,
I'd say "Deja Vu" and "Tropical Night"
are very new era Monsta X stuff.
- But two more recommendations that you can't make a list
of top five, maybe more, Monsta X songs
without mentioning these.
So the next one is, uh, "Beautiful", which is to me
an iconic Monsta X song.
If I was to show someone Monsta X I would play that song
within the first two.
("Beautiful" sample playing)
- And that's all the song does the whole way through.
- "Alligator"
- So good!
- I love it!
Like it's - I'm an alli-alli gator
- It's kind of weird again in a sense that
the theme is alligator, but it makes metaphorical sense.
- I've forgotten the song, and uh, this should've been in,
this should've been my ultimate recommendation.
If you've made it this far, this song is "Shine Forever".
(speaker vocalising)
("Shine Forever" sample playing)
- If that was - That song is so good!
- That's a really spicy sandwich filler
like you got your bread and your butter
which is just pure bop.
Then in the middle you got that spice that's Monsta X.
It's the eh-, it's the secret sauce.
- I'm just in my, eh, safe space right now.
I wanna know from monbebes or monbabies, my babies
- Or anyone that pronounces it differently.
Were our recommendations good, accurate?
Were they nice, did you like em'?
Did you disagree?
If you did, please
- educate us. - Fight me in the comments
- And let me know what you thought of the new MV
for " Who Do U Love?".
I would love to know if you enjoyed this video,
if we should make it a series.
I'd really like to do this for BlackPink
because I have a lot to say about BlackPink.
- I kno-, BlackPink's music is, I feel, so different
across tracks that
- They're very commercial.
- Yeah, similar thing to Monsta X. Anyway,
- Nicky wouldn't let me do with BTS straight away
because he was like "We keep talking about BTS
but let's talk about lots of other people"
- I have tastes in other things.
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Goodbye!
- Thanks for watching!
Ciao, adios, I'm done!
I bought some roses the other day that, thumbnail.
- Why is this a thumbnail?
We're not selling roses in the video.
We are going to Eric Nam's concert today
and will be vlogging it, so look out for that video
over the weekend at some point.