K-Pop Spotlight: I.M of MONSTA X Releases New EP 'Off the Beat' With Title Track 'LURE'

I.M., member of the K-pop group MONSTA X, and now an accomplished soloist, has released his new E.P. 'Off The Beat.'  With six new songs, each embodying a unique story, the album incorporates hip-hop with 'atypical' musical elements from various genres such as soul, R&B, and bossa/Latin music. 

The focus track, ‘LURE,' is the first to stand out as a unique musical endeavor, showcasing I.M's musical expansiveness between his vocals and his rap skills. With a punchy beat and Latin-influenced guitar sound, the tune becomes tangible in the listener's mind. The opening starts with soft guitar strumming that lures us into upbeat hip-hop and trap sounds, carrying into smooth vocals. Ending with a type of serenading tone with the lyrics “Want ‘em to know for sure, can't keep it on the low, babe can you love me out loud,” I.M sure aims to hold onto the theme of ‘temptation' and luring his listeners in to the lyrics.

Watch the Music Video For 'LURE':

Each song on the tracklist unveils I.M's current identity and different aspects of his daily life. ‘Bust it'  conveys his self-confidence over a strong trap sound, ‘X0' is a smooth sound that draws someone in late at night. ‘Skyline' with its rhythmic beat and tempting lyrics. ‘MMI' contains self-confessional lyrics in an uptempo exotic melody. ‘nbdy' is where one is faced with the emptiness of someone's absence. 

Listen to 'Off the Beat':

About I.M.

I.M (Im Chang-Kyun) is a member and the lead rapper of the Korean boy group, MONSTA X, who debuted in 2015. Even as the youngest member of the group, I.M has shown his talent and potential as a soloist through numerous mixtapes and solo EPs, where he contributed to the composing, arranging, and writing of the lyrics. His solo debut EP “DUALITY”, released in February 2021, has gained massive success with five tracks ranking in Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales Chart, reaching 8.5 million views on YouTube for his lead track, “God Damn”, music video and holds over 15.9 million streams on Spotify. While remaining a part of MONSTA X, I.M is currently focusing more on his solo career. With the second EP “OVERDRIVE” released under Sony Music Entertainment Korea in June 2023, he showed a wider range of skills with a style change in his music compared to his work with MONSTA X. This EP ranked first in 14 countries on the iTunes Global Chart and achieved over 1 million streams within 24 hours of the release, which led to this  extended playlist to place on the Melon Hall of Fame. The album carefully sets out the musical worldview pursued by I.M as a soloist through deep, sophisticated sounds and delicate melodies. I.M has been showing great success and growth as he continues to reveal  a more unique side of him  as well as connects with his fans through his latest albums and singles, such as his debut EP “Duality," his last album “Overdrive,” and his latest single “Slowly.” All five songs in the “Duality” album charted on Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales Chart and has about 45 million all time global streams.

About MONSTA X

Still remaining as an active member of his group, MONSTA X, I.M takes the role as their rapper and maknae. MONSTA X is a global top tier K-Pop group that has expanded its fandom both domestically and internationally over the past seven years and has been picked up by Epic Records. The group was formed from a survival program called No.Mercy by Starship Entertainment and Mnet in 2015. Since their debut, they have shown many different musical elements of hip-hop, EDM, and pop. The super group has gone on to achieve international success with nine studio albums released. In 2019, MONSTA X signed to Epic Records for their English-language recordings and worldwide distribution. With their first U.S. release of their full-length album “All About Luv” in 2020, MONSTA X ranked number five on the U.S. Billboard 200 Chart. The second release of their English-language full-length album “The Dreaming” in 2021 (under BMG), debuted at number 21 on the Billboard 200. The group's latest released music as a full group was in January 2023 with the mini album, “Reason.” The boy group has gained popularity throughout their years of being an active group and has even won Next Generation Asian Artist in 2015 at the MAMA Awards, Artist of the Year in 2018 at the Asia Artist Awards, Global Artist in 2022 at the Melon Music Awards, and was even nominated for the Choice International Artist in 2017 at the Teen Choice Awards. Fellow members also release music within units and solo albums.

Photo Credit: Sony Music Entertainment Korea Inc

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