Monsta X – ‘Rush’ Album Review

Starship’s latest boy group Monsta X was formed through a trainee survival show “No Mercy”. Monsta X made their debut in May 2015 with a hit album Trespass that garnered much attention through their tough and edgy hip hop concept. The boys return a few months later with a follow-up effort, Rush. Rush preserves Monsta X’s hip hop roots, but sprinkles in a variety of different pop elements that make their songs more original and intriguing than ever. Rush further solidifies Monsta X’s status and establishes them as a new force to be reckoned with.

Track 1 – 신속히 (Rush)

Rush is an extremely addictive heavy synth backed hip hop number. It’s a track that perhaps defines Monsta X’s music style the best — youthful yet masculine, aggressive yet refined. The R&B flavored hooky chorus blends well with the bumpin’ raw hip hop beats to instantly capture my ears and my heart.

Track 2 – Hero

Hero begins with an unusually dark and dramatic intro, but quickly adds on strong drum beats, video game like synths, and powerful electric guitar to turn up the intensity. These seemingly random elements work surprisingly well together to accompany Monsta X’s energetic rap, resulting in a blast of electronic rock fun.

Track 3 – Perfect Girl

Here comes a sweltering and groovy mid-tempo R&B hip hop number to tone down the high energy. Perfect Girl shows off Monsta X’s polish and sophistication without the rough edges felt in their previous songs. The boys use their smooth vocals to express their fascination with the ‘perfect girl’. Personally, I’m a fan of this mature sultriness and hope to see more songs like this in their future endeavors.

Track 4 –  Amen

Though Amen is another R&B hip hop song, it’s fundamentally different from Perfect Girl in spirit. Fun bass line, brass instruments, cheery trumpets, and bouncy piano chords give Amen a much more lighthearted and relaxed vibe. It’s a multi-dimensional song where you’ll hear different ranges of Monsta X’s vocals via their low-register raps and falsetto ad libs.

Track 5 – 삐뚤어질래 (Gone Bad)

Gone Bad is another unique combination of super funky hip hop beats, trap rhythms, and Latin music infused ballad chorus brought to life by fingerstyle guitar riffs. The best part is the startling twist towards the end that completely shifts the tempo and vibe of the song, giving it even more charm.

Track 6 – Broken Heart

Rush wraps up with an unexpected, bluesy ballad defined by simple yet graceful piano riffs. What makes Broken Heart special is the layering of the boys’ vocals on top of each other during the chorus, creating an echo-like illusion that adds immense drama and emotion to the song.

What Do You Think?

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.