Monsta X return with their most complete effort yet in “Beautiful”

Despite developing quite a fandom, Monsta X has yet to really have a signature song to add to their accomplishments. And while “Beautiful” may or may not be the song to get them recognition from Korea, it has certainly caught at least my ear.

The siren-effect intro transitioning into this booming, rattling bass with an upbeat tempo was certainly a way to instantly grab attention. Supplemented by an electronic sound that almost vibrates, Jooheon starts the whole affair with a rap verse of the quality I expect from him (as in, not whatever he did on his mixtape). It’s an abrupt start to affairs, but it works because of the energy and its sonic appeal.

Just as quickly as it begins, “Beautiful” transitions into the chorus. Initially I was kinda pissed when the bass/rap section stopped because I was into it, but the vocal section provided a nice reprieve from the verse instrumental, and avoided being bogged down by maintaining a strong bass-line throughout. The post-chorus instrumental drop following that was a nice transitional touch to get back into the heavy verses.

While there were times I thought the bass could’ve actually gone harder, that’s a minor complaint. “Beautiful” is one of those songs that seems shorter than it is because it’s so engaging throughout, and that gives it the replay value I look for in pop efforts.

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The music video wasn’t anything complicated in terms of plot, which is actually nice, as they pared down the nonsense and went with an aesthetic concept that worked out excellently.

Pair that with an interesting choreography, and it’s a simple music video that excels thanks to the details.

Also, I hope they manage to do the choreo with the jackets on shows, since I found that particularly cool.

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I’ve previously enjoyed a few Monsta X comebacks, but I’ve also had one problem or another with many of them. “Beautiful” is the exception, representing Monsta X’s most complete effort yet. While I’m not sure if this is the signature song to get them over the digital performance hump, in my mind it should be.

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