[Interview 2] Monsta X's Kihyun: "Youth Is Over, and the Responsibility and Pressure Are Heavy..."

[Sportschosun Baek Ji-eun] Youth is over. A new world has opened for a vocalist who is now growing and maturing.

Monsta X is widely known as a group with performances you can trust to hear and watch, and as a leading K-pop act that has achieved steady, step-by-step growth. As Monsta X's vocalist, Kihyun has made a strong impact on major pop charts, including Billboard, and has helped raise K-pop's profile through global activities such as the Jingle Ball Tour.

Kihyun will release his second solo mini album, "Borderline," at 6 p.m. on the 7th. After showing a different side of himself from Monsta X's flashy music through "Voyager" and "Youth," he is returning with a new album for the first time in three years and nine months, so it is only natural that global fans are paying close attention. Kihyun also said he went through a great deal of thought to solidify his own musical identity with this album.

"Monsta X is at its best when we all shine together. So in the group, my role as a vocalist was to bring out the songs the members had already built. But as a solo artist, the biggest difference is that I have to sing exactly the way I want from beginning to end. Of course, that comes with responsibility and pressure, but I think it's a healthy kind of pressure. The more I grow, the more it also has a positive effect on the group's activities. When I work solo, I think more deeply, so when there are many directions the team needs to move in, I feel like I can look at things more calmly. I think it helped shape my identity and was useful in how I think and act."

Because Monsta X is known for its strong teamwork, members who had already experienced solo activities became a reliable source of support.

"Jooheon is someone who approaches his album with great confidence and spends 365 days a year thinking about what he should do, so his opinions were very helpful. Jooheon and Hyungwon are both musicians, so when I explained why 'So Good' became the title track and played it for them, they said, 'This song shows you best.' I also played it for our youngest member, I.M, who is currently serving in the military. At first, he worried that the song might be too difficult for me because of its level of difficulty, but after I recorded it and played it for him, he said it was really good and gave it his full support."

The title track, "So Good," carries a message about the freedom that comes when you trust your own choices and move forward amid countless voices around you that try to force a single answer. Rising guitar sounds, Kihyun's delicate vocals, and explosive high notes come together to captivate listeners.

"My earlier songs were more the kind you could enjoy freely, but 'So Good' has a higher range, more emotion to carry, and a much greater level of difficulty, so breathing control is extremely important. For a song like this, delivering the lyrics is key, so I kept talking with the lyricists. Even when I first started preparing to become a singer, I wanted to be someone who could deliver lyrics well. Musically, I want to be a singer like Britpop artists, someone whose voice can still be heard clearly even if there is background music playing."

The biggest difference in this album is that it sheds the "youth" concept that was the main theme of his previous work.

"'My own choice' is the key word for this album. I have left youth behind. I'm in the middle of my musical career now, and it feels like my own color has been completed. When I told fans, 'Youth is over, and there is no more young man,' they didn't believe me. So I'm really curious to see how they will react."

Monsta X continues to grow, even after the members' military hiatuses. Its 10th-anniversary digital album, "NOW Project Vol. 1," was a full-group re-recording album, yet it topped the iTunes Top K-pop Music Album charts in eight countries and regions, including the United States, France, and Germany, proving its global presence. The world tour was also a major success. Maintaining a team for so long without change, and earning such strong love, is something not everyone can do.

"When I was in the military, I honestly had vague fears like, 'What if the fans leave?' or 'What if I fall behind?' Watching other acquaintances perform made me feel envious and uneasy. But the fans stayed right there, making those worries and anxieties meaningless. I may not be able to repay that huge support and love, but I think I'm truly a lucky person, and I need to remember to be grateful, so I try to live hard every day. My mother always tells me that I should be thankful, and I really do have so many things to be grateful for. There is a big difference between just staying busy with schedules and doing them with gratitude. The bond between us and Monbebe seems so strong that it doesn't easily break, and the members also put in an excessive amount of opinions and passion when making albums. I think the know-how and sense we've built up over time create even more synergy."

Baek Ji-eun, silk781220@sportschosun.com, photos provided by Starship Entertainment