MONSTA X’s Provocative Portrayal of Masculinity
In the 9 years since debut, MONSTA X have become a rare thing: A K-Pop group that is actually subversive.
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There are very few groups in K-Pop who have evolved as much as MONSTA X. As winners of the survival show “No Mercy”, the Monstas could not have been more industry-made as a group put together by the K-Pop reality TV machine. But throughout the years, Shownu, Minhyuk, Kihyun, Hyungwon, Jooheon, and I.M have created a group that uses the theatrics of K-Pop to their advantage.
By K-Pop industry standards, too, they have been given a remarkable amount of creative control. They now write their own lyrics and direct the majority of their concepts for their albums. They were the first K-Pop groups to release two English language albums, and their members have all experienced individual success. They are one of the few groups whose rappers can out-sing a main vocalists, and their aggressive performance style has made them dynamite entertainers.
Their name might lead you to believe that they portray a one-dimensional form of masculinity, and perhaps in the beginning, this is what they were known for. Tracks like “SHOOT OUT” and “ALLIGATOR” portrayed the group as highly masculine, athletic performers. But as the group has been given more autonomy over the years, the Monstas have begun to play with something far more provocative: their sexuality.
The guys are not shy about wearing stage clothes that are revealing: crop tops, no shirt, even leather harnesses. “We’re not ashamed. We've done a lot of sexual items, like harnesses and chains,” the group’s rapper I.M told GQ in 2019. “We're comfortable [like that].” This filters into an eroticism that is palpable in their music. “I want you to eat me like a main dish,” I.M raps in a memorable line from “Love Killa”. On “The Dreaming”, their second English language album, the group sings that they’re “tied to your body”. And their looks have only grown more suggestive over the years: At a festival performance in Germany last year, the group’s leader Shownu wore a see-through tank top with a butterfly that covered his pecs.
But what I most appreciate about the Monstas is how they have subverted the misconception that they are a stereotypically masculine boy group. I first recognized this elevation during the “FANTASIA” era in late 2020. For that comeback, the group wore shiny lamé outfits and gave listeners an invitation: “Let me be your fantasy”. The music was as high-octane as their visuals, which fused highly masculine imagery with feminine outfits. Even Wonho, who left the group in 2019, has continued to subvert ideas of male sexuality with imagery that appeals to a largely queer audience.
By this point it was clear that the Monstas were operating on a different playing field. Their lyrics became smarter, thanks to Jooheon and I.M, and their performances were audacious. They seemed to enjoy using their bodies to portray eroticism and a theatrical form of masculinity, like in performances for “The Gambler” or “Lone Ranger”. It felt most ironic to me, though, that the group really found their footing once Shownu left for his military enlistment. Perhaps this is because Shownu best represents the dichotomy of Monsta X. He might look like one of the most classically handsome and masculine men in K-Pop, but he’s also remarkably transparent about his emotions. When Monsta X won their first music show trophy, he cried the hardest.
In the same interview with GQ, Minhyuk bristled at how people interpreted masculinity. “I don’t think the world sees the right things,” he said. Jooheon was more direct when asked what his thoughts were on K-Pop idols being less masculine than other men. “People talk about masculinity and femininity but, at the end of the day,” he said, “MONSTA X is there to perform a show and we don’t let that affect us.”
