Monsta X 'Take.1 Are You There?' Review

Korean music group Monsta X cameback with their second full length album on October 22nd 2018. Their album Take.1 Are You There? is an album that everyone can love no matter what style of songs they prefer to listen to, there's something for everyone on this album, as there is with most of their releases.

Reviewing albums is something that I hope to explore more and make a more regular thing. As I've said in previous posts music is something that means a lot to me and has really influenced my life, so although I don't know much of the technicalities of how music is made or what certain sounds may be called/am no expert on the subject, I want to try my best. Since I don't know much of the technical stuff I really go by how each song makes me feel and the all around vibe that the song gives off, and with what it reminds me of. You'll see below when I go through each song what I mean. Maybe I'll explore and educate myself more on the technical side for better reviews but I enjoy going by how a song makes me feel more, but then again knowing proper names for things may be helpful.

I gave this album a listen the first time around the morning it came out while I was getting ready for work, so while I was paying attention it was my first reaction and I remember loving it. I proceeded to listen to the album all day, even while I was at work. In order to really concentrate on this review, last night while I was laying down I listened to each song with my eyes closed and really just focused on that particular song. Okay, now into my thoughts on each song!

INTRO: ARE YOU THERE?: This is a great intro and sort of overture of the entire album. It's light and electronic sounding while also having the stronger vibes that Monsta X usually have in their songs. The minimal, and by minimal I mean two, vocals that are present add a little extra dreaminess to this intro and really sets the mood for the entire album. It's a simple and short song that makes you excited to listen on.

Underwater: When that track list first came out with the songs' credits and I saw that Brother Su worked on this song I instantly became excited for it. I love Brother Su's style of songs and this song was no different, it's without a doubt my favorite song on the entire album. It's a song that is also very predictably my favorite. There are so many things that come to mind with this song. The first being that it reminds me of songs by LANY, Walk The Moon, and similar artists because of the overall lightness, echoey tones, and the symbol/clapping sounds. Even with all of these elements this song is still very Monsta X with the muted kazoo sounding breakdown that Jooheon and I.M rap over after the chorus. The second thing that this song makes me think of just by the feeling of it, especially the chorus, is the scene in the movie The Goonies where Cyndi Lauper's Good Enough plays. Lastly I think Kihyun and Wonho's voices really shine in this song. Wonho's voice adds a dreamlike element to the song while Kihyun's flawless vocals makes this a song that could anthemize youth.

Shoot Out: This song is really good and such a Monsta X title song, it fits them very well and the video is amazing. I think we can all agree that the choreography and the outfits this comeback are on another level, and whoever said they, "only had two buttons left" on their outfits wasn't lying. Monsta X's stylists always really come through with something amazing with each comeback they have. The styling of this comeback is up there next to DRAMARAMA and 아름다워 (Beautiful) for me. A funny little thing that this song reminds me of is this vine (you're welcome). Watch the Shoot Out M/V here!

Heart Attack: For some reason the first couple of times I heard this song it was giving me such old-school Disney vibes, like it's a song I could see the Cheetah Girls singing or it being in one of the High School Musical movies, I don't know how to explain it. I think this song could have some really epic and fun choreography and if anyone can do that it would be Monsta X. In this whole song the part that stands out the most is towards the end when Kihyun, Minhyuk, and Wonho are going back and forth. There's something really grabbing about Minhyuk's voice in this part that I love a lot. The instrumentals and ad-libs that come after this part is also where I think a great dance break would happen if this were a song from High School Musical.

널 하다 (I Do Love U): I wasn't surprised that this was on the album because if there is one thing that the past can tell us it's that when Wonho writes a unit song fans fall in love with it, me included. The story behind this song in particular is so cute and so fitting for the original unit (Kihyun, Minhyuk, Wonho) that sang it but it comes together so well with the other four members. 널 하다 (I Do Love U)'s overall feeling is, in my opinion, just very lovely. It's a song that makes you feel very happy and makes your heart flutter because of how twinkly-sounding it is. Wonho's song writing is something that I always look forward to with each comeback and anticipate on their world tours. I really hope that the original unit of this song does another unit song one day. Honestly, any unit performance with Wonho is so addicting and just so dreamy, I think it has to do with a combination of Wonho's charm and his talent.

어디서 뭐해 (MOHAE): It didn't fully dawn on me that I.M wrote this song until I watched their VLIVE comeback show. Besides his mixtape songs this is the first song that he's written for Monsta X as a group and it's so amazing. He mentions in the VLIVE that he worked on it for about a year and you can really tell how much care and thought went into this song with just how good it is. This is my second favorite song on this album because of how wonderful through and through it is. In my opinion the highlights of this song are definitely Minhyuk and Hyungwon. There's just something about their voices being next to each other, they remind me of wine and chocolate - rich, warm, and sweet. Another part of this song that I really enjoy is the rapping, especially in the second half of the song. The lyric "don't kill my vibe" and how Jooheon says it, to me, is very I.M - I think it really portrays his youth but also his musical abilities.

Oh My: Let me say this first before I get into this song: every time I listen to this song it reminds me of Kat Deluna's Whine Up. This song overall really just brings me back in time to like 2000-2010, I'm not really sure why but it really reminds me of songs from back then with how fast paced/fun it is. There's also an element in the chorus that I can't quite put my finger on that makes me feel this way/makes this song very catchy and addicting. As far as my favorite part goes in this song it's definitely I.M's rap after the first chorus. His voice just fits so well and you can really visualize what he'd look like while rapping this because of how his voice sounds in the song. Another part of this song I really like is the bridge(?) part with Shownu. His voice always gives such a mellow but fairy-lights-esque feeling to songs when he sings softly like he does in this part. Lastly this song is a song that makes me miss dance class because of how much fin it'd be to dance to.

Myself: This is a song that I really don't know how to describe but I'll try to. First off the style fo the song reminds me of Hey Angel by One Direction which is a close cousin to Yellow by Coldplay. I don't know if you'd necessarily classify it as rock (or a more mellow version of rock) but the deep vibrations and echoes give me that need-to-hear-it-at-a-concert live-and-in-person feeling. The whole song has an all around vibrating-airiness to it that kind of makes you feel like you're floating in the sky while it's thundering. There's one specific part towards the end that, I believe is higher, than the rest of the song which is already relatively higher than I think the majority of their other songs are. (Or I think anyways I don’t really know technically speaking but my ears think this way). In this part I believe it to be Wonho and Kihyun, again, who are going back and forth and it's so pretty sounding. I actually never even realized this part of the song until I sat down to do this more focused listen through. Overall I think this song is very unique and interesting.

By My Side: This song is one that Jooheon wrote for the album. I've noticed that Jooheon has kind of two kinds of songs that he makes and this one is one that's on the softer side - my favorite kind of songs that he writes. Like he describes in their VLIVE comeback show, this song has a very warm and embracing feeling that is very loving - a characteristic I find his more sweeter songs tend to have. There is something about Minhyuk starting off songs that really gets to me because of how amazing it sounds and how much it hooks me in and makes me never want to stop listening; This song is one that he really shines in the entire time. Shownu's voice is another in the group who I believe really fits this song so well. The richness in Minhyuk's voice and the pure sweetness in Shownu's voice really bring this song to life. One particular part in this song that really stands out and is so pretty that it reminds me of wine chimes is the overlapping of the last couple of lines, it's my favorite part in the entire song.

Spotlight (Korean version): Since this isn't a new-new song I don't have much to say other than Wonho did a really good job with writing the Korean lyrics. The flow is so similar that it's hard for my brain not to hear the Japanese since I'm so used to that version. I can't even imagine what it must've been like for them while recording it. One part in that Korean version that I think stands out more than the original Japanese version would be I.M's rap. The entire rap is in English just like he did in Destroyer. That combined with his delivery adds a new element and charm that makes it this version separate from the original.

I hope this was a fun read and I'm really excited to hear them perform on music shows. I really wish Monsta X to grow and continue to be loved! What's your favorite song on the album?