MONSTA X's I.M. And Minhyuk Discuss Their Solo Activities And Working Around COVID-19

MONSTA X’s I.M and Minhyuk recently sat down for an interview with Vogue Korea.

They began by talking about attending award ceremonies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most ceremonies were either canceled or held by following strict guidelines including masks, social distancing, no audiences, and pre-recorded performances. I.M. expressed, “We were grateful to win awards, but since the fans weren’t there in person, the trophies felt less meaningful.”

Sadly, this meant that MONSTA X had to also cancel their concerts and activities abroad.

It was the first time since debut that I spent so much time in bed that my back hurt. Other than exercising, I spent most of my time at the studio. When I was busy, I went to the studio whenever I could, but now I have a lot of time to create.

—I.M.

I.M plans to release his first official solo single in February and discussed how that is going.

“I want to show everyone what kind of music I do. The album is about ‘dualism’, which I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. You know when you’re fine but you’re not fine? I can’t always be smiling, but I have a job that requires me to smile. I want to talk about that contradiction. It’s I.M’s own color, not very bright. The members listened to it and joked that it’s good but won’t be popular. I think if the public is looking for a cute idol concept then they’ll be surprised. I like when people say, ‘I.M does this kind of music?

—I.M.

Then, it was Minhyuk’s turn. He was first asked about his choice of songs when performing on The King of Mask Singer. The songs he chose were from 1989 and 1991, “I Even Loved That Pain” by Jo Jung Hyun and “Because I Love You” by Lee Hyun Woo, which were before he was born.

He explained that “At my childhood home, we had a record player and I listened to a lot of different albums. I remember Im Chang Jung’s album cover that came out when I was seven. He dyed his hair blond and had his arms stretched toward the sky. When we went to the store I would ask for albums instead of toys.”

He was also asked to talk about his popular MC work on Inkigayo and his new radio show, Vogue Ship Show.

If I were a listener, I think I would want a DJ who talks sincerely even when it’s not in the script. I spend at least 30 minutes looking up articles about a guest beforehand. It would be rude to talk to someone without knowing anything about them just because they’re a new artist.

For example, the group DRIPPIN recently came on the show, and I didn’t know much about them. However, since I looked them up beforehand, the conversation went much easier. When Jaejae came on the show, I mentioned that I had seen an article about her brand modeling, and she was really happy to hear that.

—Minhyuk

Minhyuk picked XIA as his favorite guest saying, “When he saw me he said, ‘I don’t know if this will make you feel bad, but your voice sounds similar to mine.’ I almost cried. I used to be insecure about my delicate voice but I felt hopeful when I saw him sing.”

Finally, he mentioned his love for drawing and how it brings comfort to him and his fans. “You can only draw when your mind is at ease. The fans like that it’s a fun, safe hobby, so I think I will continue it.”