Jingle Ball is getting a monster dose of K-pop.
The iHeartMedia touring music festival will be featuring South Korean hip hop group Monsta X this year. It’s the first time the show will include a Korean pop act and the first time Monsta X has performed in Pennsylvania -- although they are no stranger to the U.S., having performed at theaters in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Dallas, New York and more.
Monsta X will be joining a lineup of established U.S. pop acts, including Shawn Mendes Camila Cabello, Calvin Harris and 5 Seconds of Summer. The concert starts at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Tickets range from $26 to $176 and can be purchased at wellsfargocenterphilly.com.
“When we first saw the lineup we were getting crazy -- we didn’t believe what the hell was going on,” recalled Monsta X member Im Chang-kyun, better known as I.M, in a Skype interview. “We are in that lineup and that’s the biggest exciting point for us right now.”
I.M is the band’s unofficial English spokesman, as the only member fluent in the language (he lived in Boston for a few years as a kid). But his isn’t the only voice you’ll hear singing in English -- the group just released an English translation of their single “Shoot Out.”
“We just wanted to communicate with more foreign fans,” I.M said. “Every single time, when we drop our new music it’s all Korean with Korean things. Lots of foreigners and Monbebes [the name for Monsta X fans] don’t understand that 100 percent, so we wanted to show those lyrics in their language.”
He was tight-lipped when it came to sharing information on what the group has in store for its Jingle Ball performance though.
“We cannot tell you in detail what we are planning for the Jingle Ball tour,” he teased. “But we are preparing some huge things. Expect very good things.”
Korean pop music has exploded in the United States over the past few years, but it has been growing its audience in the States for awhile. The first K-pop song to break into the Billboard Hot 100 chart was “Nobody” by the Wonder Girls in 2009.
Since then, 12 other songs have had the honor, including five by boy group BTS and four by Psy. The later’s “Gangnam Style” became a worldwide phenomenon in 2012, introducing many in America to the K-pop genre. K-pop’s popularity in the U.S. was solidified by BTS, which is arguably the most famous K-pop act in America now, having won a Billboard Music Award for Top Social Artist in 2017 and 2018.
But while BTS might be the most household name of the K-pop genre in the United States, other acts (including Monsta X) are on growing in popularity in North America. The United States’ appetite for K-pop has even led to the creation of KCON, a Korean culture convention and concert. The convention has been bringing numerous K-pop acts to the United States for concerts since its inception in 2012. At the time it was strictly based in Los Angeles, but has since expanded across the country, with a second convention taking place in the New York area. In 2018, more than 147,000 total fans converged on the East and West Coast events.
Hyungwon (left) and I.M (right) of the Korean pop group Monsta X. Monsta X is performing at the Q102 Jingle Ball in Philadelphia on Dec. 5, 2018. Provided photo.
I.M isn’t surprised at the rise of Korean music.
“It’s the generation of K-pop,” he said. “There were generations for jazz, pop, rock and RnB, and I believe it’s time for K-pop right now.”
A lot of that has to do with the relationship between K-pop artists and their fans. Monsta X supporters are known as Monbebes, and they work together to share the gospel of Monsta X: watching and re-watching and re-watching their videos, streaming their songs and voting for them in various competitions.
“The reason they say Kpop is a phenomenon is that it’s not just about music. It’s about communicating with each other,” I.M said. He described how the fans express their love of the band through supporting their efforts, while the group shows their love for its fans through social media posts and interactions. They’re supporting each other, in a way.
With Jingle Ball on the horizon and a new album just dropped (“Take. 1 Are You There” was released Oct. 22), it’s a busy time to be a member of Monsta X. When asked how he manages to sleep in between appearances, practices and performances, I.M shrugged.
“It’s case by case, but sleeping is not really important to us right now,” he said. “We have to make our own goal.”
That’s where having the other members of Monsta X comes into play. They are I.M’s favorite part about being in Monsta X.
“I got a new family. I got a new crew. I got new brothers,” he said. “I feel more strong -- not just physically but [in the mind.] Every single time, when I get down, the members make me stand up.”
Looking to join the Monsta X fanbase? I.M personally recommends starting by listening to “Shoot Out,” “Fallin’” and “Trespass.”
Insider info for fans from our interview:
- I.M said the song he first remembers humming along to was Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World.”
- I.M’s favorite holiday song is the group’s “Lonely Christmas” single, which was by written by member Jooheon. “Lots of people obviously like ‘All I Want for Chistmas is You,’ but my favorite song is that one,” he said.
- I.M’s favorite song to perform live is “Fallin.’”
- I.M’s favorite Monsta X concept is “Shoot Out”’s strong one.
JINGLE BALL DETAILS: 6:30 p.m. doors, 7:30 p.m. show Dec. 5 at Wells Fargo Center, 3601 S. Broad St., Philadelphia. Cost: $26-$176. wellsfargocenterphilly.com; 215-336-3600.