MONSTA X KIHYUN Confesses to 300 Stage Experiences During Military Band Days, "Induced Applause from Division Commander with Lim Young-woong's Song"

MONSTA X KIHYUN revealed the vast stage experience and changed vocal style he experienced during his military service.

In a video for 'Lee Mujin Service' on the KBS Kpop channel, MONSTA X KIHYUN reappeared on the program for the first time in about 4 years. During this broadcast, KIHYUN revealed that while serving in the military band, he stood on more than 300 stages over a period of 1 year and 6 months, including wind instrument events and civil support. He explained that he changed his song selection depending on the target of the event, and specifically recalled that when he sang Lim Young-woong's 'My Starry Love', he sang with immersion according to the original singer's intention, which led the division commander to clap.

"Trying vocals that go up and down"... A widened musical spectrum

KIHYUN mentioned that there have been changes in his vocal style over the past 4 years. He said that while his previous style was generally using sound upwards, he has continuously attempted to use his range widely up and down in the process of handling various songs. In particular, he explained that leveraging his characteristics of having a beautiful voice based on rock vocals, the process of finding the 'middle value' between a beautiful voice and a powerful rock sound helped widen his musical spectrum.

In this video, KIHYUN performed live covers such as Doh Kyung-soo's 'Popcorn' and HANRORO's 'Beginning of Spring'. Especially after the 'Beginning of Spring' stage, he showed his continued interest in band music by singing part of his own song 'Howling', which features a rock sound.

A 12th-year singer with increased involvement in album production... "Perfectionism as a lyricist"

Entering his 12th year since debut, KIHYUN shared that the album production method for MONSTA X has changed from the early days. He stated that while they used to follow the direction set by the company in the past, the members are now actively involved in the overall production, including choreography, concept, jacket, and schedule. KIHYUN added that he especially performs a role similar to a producer by delivering opinions to the members without hesitation when selecting title tracks and B-sides.

Meanwhile, KIHYUN mentioned that regarding his future solo activity direction, he is considering three paths, including songs with a rock sound and the Zitten style of songs he has enjoyed listening to recently. He also drew attention by showing a perfectionist attitude, stating that although he once expressed an ambition to write poetic lyrics, if the quality is lower than that of a professional lyricist, there is no reason for him to write them himself.