Showcasing his unique colors, the 'unconventional' solo artist unveils new track "LURE"
MONSTA X's I.M continues his ambitious solo artist journey with a new E.P, 'Off The Beat.' With six new songs, each embodying a unique story, the extended playlist incorporates hip-hop tracks all the while incorporating 'atypical' musical elements from various genres such as soul, R&B, and bossa / Latin music. The new extended play is available on all music streaming platforms. From his former releases 'DUALITY' and 'OVERDRIVE,' fans around the globe have been immersed in I.M's unlimited and non-stereotypical musical worldview. 'Off The Beat' will be a fresh addition to his portfolio that portrays this distinguished artist's unique self-storytelling as well as the motif of 'not following the regular' and being 'unconventional' by utilizing empathy to talk about the ambivalence in life that is not often mentioned through music.
I.M (Im Chang-Kyun) is a member and the lead rapper of the Korean boy group MONSTA X, who was formed under the survival show "No Mercy" and debuted under Starship Entertainment on May 14, 2015, with "Trespass." Even as the maknae, I.M has shown his talent and potential as a soloist through numerous mixtapes and solo EPs where he contributed to the composition, arrangement, and writing of the lyrics. His solo debut EP "DUALITY," released in February 2021, has gained massive success with five track 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. 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 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 sound and delicate melodies. I.M has been showing great success and growth as he continues to reveal a more unique side of himself as well as connects with his fans through his latest albums and singles, such as his debut EP 'DUALITY,' his latest album, 'OVERDRIVE,' and his latest single, "Slowly." All five songs in the 'DUALITY' album charted on Billboard's World Digital Song Sales Chart and have about 45 million all-time global streams.
While remaining as a member of MONSTA X, I.M is currently focusing more on his solo career. With the challenges and opportunities he may face as a soloist, the superstar has been showing such great success as he showed a more unique side of himself and connected with his fans through his previous bodies of work. The rapper is a solo artist under Sony Music Entertainment Korea for his subsequent solo music ventures.
Each song on the track list unveils I.M 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 and up-tempo exotic melody, and "nbdy" is where one is faced with the emptiness of someone's absence. 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 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 aims to hold onto the theme of 'temptation' and luring his listeners into the lyrics.
BE SURE TO FOLLOW I.M'S JOURNEY AS A SOLOIST
AND MAKNAE OF MONSTA X
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