- Is that kind of like
your outfit when you're sitting at home?
Because it's very fancy.
(laughter)
- Thank you! No, this is not!
I wore this just for you guys!
(all laughing)
- Otherwise, I would be wearing pajamas.
- [All] Oh yeah!
- Monsta X, it's so
exciting to talk to you guys
because you're no stranger
to the MTV News family.
We've been talking to you guys,
following your career, for so long.
Congratulations on another VMA nomination!
(all cheering)
- VMA!
- Nominee!
- Nominee!
- At this point, you guys
are legends in this category,
because the Best K-Pop
category was started in 2019,
and ever since it started,
you guys have been nominated!
What's it like to be
veterans at this point
in this category?
- Yeah.
Obviously, yeah.
It's such an honor,
and we don't take that as granted,
and, well, just appreciate to all around,
the K-Pop fans and we didn't expect this.
We hope we can get the award, please, yes.
- K-Pop fans in the United
States are so influential.
What do you think it is about K-Pop
that speaks so deeply tonyour fans here in the States?
- Maybe the music videos. Visual.
Yeah.
Concept.
- Dance?
- Dance.
- I think they like our kind of, like,
you know, super high energy.
And when we are on the stage,
they are, like, dancing like us.
So we always kind of like, communicate.
Even when we are performing on the stage.
And-
Even though, like, when
they don't understand
about our language.
I mean, the Korean.
They just vibe with us.
You know what I mean?
- [Dometi] That's right.
Music is universal!
And the video for "SOMEONE'S SOMEONE"
is nominated this year.
What was your inspiration behind that visual?
- [I.M] Uh, that is
a super good song.
So, I mean, like, the
lyrics are kind of, like,
we all need somebody.
And somebody needs someone.
And I can be that someone.
And you can be my someone, too.
We wanted to explain that
message through the song.
Previously, we were talking about, like,
we are connected by our Korean album.
And we wanted to express that
message inside of that song.
- That song appears onnyour most recent album,
'ALL ABOUT LUV,'
which is your first fully English release.
Tell me more about the album title,
and the message you wanted to
get across in this project.
- Love can be explained
by very,
like,
different ways.
Love can be very difficult, or very sweet,
or very hard, very smooth.
- Sad.
- It's sad.
- Bad!
- Or bad, or something.
But, the reason that we released kind of,
like, nine or ten songs,
is because, you know, love can express
in many different ways.
That's why we wanted to release kind of,
like, nine to ten-
- Songs?
- Songs, and,
each songs have a very different message.
It could be some,
very sweet.
Before, I told you,
like "SOMEONE'S SOMEONE," or like,
"MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT," thinking of you,
like something kind of like that.
And, what was that?
♪ If you need someone who can- ♪
(all singing)
- "You got my number."
Loneliness, and, yeah. Very-
Kind of, like, very, lots of emotions.
- Right, right.
So you explore every emotion around love.
Everything from loneliness
to happiness to sadness.
- [All] Yeah.
- Yes! I think that's why so
many people resonate with it.
Now, we talked about language
a little bit earlier,
but you release so much music!
I mean, your eighth EP you just released,
you've got albums in different languages.
What is the biggest challenge
of creating music for different markets
in different languages?
- We think we need to
understand their culture.
The first thing's first, of course.
And, personally,
K-Pop these days is kind
of like a phenomenon.
And, the reason that I think
like that is kind of, like,
K-Pop has lots of messages,
and that message can connect
all around the world.
And we were trying to challenge to
like, other countries,
and even, like, Japan, or Chinese,
or, like, in the States.
And I think
we
try
to, you know,
understand their culture and
put inside lots of messages.
And I think that's the reason that
the K-Pop fans are loving us right now.
- And I can tell you
guys really think deeply
about the culture of the market
that you're really going to,
and how your fans may receive it.
Because it's not just as easy
as translating from one
language to another.
Sometimes the sound is different
in a different country.
How do you guys approach
the creative process
when you think about how the Japanese fans
may want something different than
your American fans,
than your Chinese fans?
- Especially, we were trying
to concentrate on the lyrics.
Like, in the States, we were trying to
like, explain the lyrics very honestly.
In a very
easy way.
Like, "straight up to the bedroom."
Like, "after when we, like, fight."
- Whoa!
- Something like that.
For example, I know you like that.
(laughing)
- For example, like, in Japan,
we try to make the lyrics
kind of smooth and
very
artistic.
Like a fairytale or something.
- You also dropped your most recent EP,
your eighth EP, "FANTASIA X."
Where do you get the inspiration
for all of this music you guys
have been releasing lately?
- Well, I know it can sound a little bit obviously,
but
we get lots of inspirations by fans.
Our Monbebe.
Because, you know, their reaction,
and the way they love us.
Like, they also express their
love in many different ways,
and we get lots of
inspiration by that, too.
And
I think a tiny inspiration can be
a huge inspiration when you make a song.
You know what I mean, right?
- Yeah, yeah. Absolutely.
And I'm sure the fans
are excited for Minhyuk,
who has a new gig hosting a show
very similar to the one
that birthed Monsta X
in the first place!
It's like a full circle moment!
Congratulations on hosting this new show,
'Back to the Idol!'
(clapping)
- What has that experience been like
with this new hosting gig?
And what can you tell us about it?
- I think I'm proud of me.
- He's proud of his self.
(laughter)
- And my mom.
- Your mom?
- Proud of me.
- Proud of you?
- Yeah. And then our
members proud of me, so.
- Yes, I'm proud of him, too. Yeah.
- He's happy!
- Yeah, he's happy.
- Yeah, I think his name is Proud.
(laughing)
- [Dometi] His name is Proud today.
- Yeah!
- I love that, man!
And you said Monbebe
have been a huge inspiration for you guys.
What message do you have for them
if you win the Moon Person this year?
- These days, you might catch, like,
COVID-19.
And then, everyone in quarantine at home.
So, um.
I want to say just cheer
up and then stand up.
- Be positive.
- Be positive.
- He always says, "Stay happy."
- Yeah. Be happy, and then stay happy.
- Well, they've got your
music to keep them happy!
Monsta X!
Once again, big congratulations
on your second VMA nomination!
Best of luck this year, fellas.
- Thank you, man.
- Thank you so much.
