Never one to miss an opportunity, Monsta X have been releasing a non-stop stream of music over the past several years. Between Korea, Japan and America, they’ve got to be one of the most prolific artists of this generation. Though it’s been over eight months since their last Korean album, the wait hasn’t seemed nearly that long. As the group’s discography has grown, their sound has become more diverse. You wouldn’t necessarily know it from their title tracks, but their b-sides have slowly begun to paint the picture of an interesting, genre-bending act.
For the first time, new single Follow takes that experimentation to the group’s promoted material. Though the track retains their big, blustering energy, its jam-packed instrumental offers a few surprises. Chief among these is the central synth drop, which has a middle eastern feel. It veers dangerously close to grating, but the uniqueness in tone successfully sets it apart from the many EDM-structured tracks cluttering the market. The verses and pre-chorus are even stronger, stuffed to the brim with aural cacophony. Rather than beat you into submission, this density compels a closer listen.
I’m not as sold on Follow’s repetitive chorus. I like the brashness of it, but I also know that a more developed hook would have shot this into the stratosphere. On the plus side, this is the first Monsta X single in forever where the rap verses are an asset rather than a distraction. There’s no “I’m an alli-alligator” here. Instead, the rap makes a perfect match for Follow’s propulsive rhythm, especially during the track’s latter half. Even the expected second-verse slowdown isn’t a total buzz kill. Monsta X have made their name on bringing big, boisterous energy. Follow isn’t their best overall song, but it’s a solid delivery method for their over-the-top bombast with just enough twists to help it stand out.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 9 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 8.5 |
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The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
I am always perplexed mystified and in awe of Monsta X, all at the same time.
They seem to be always touring, always releasing something, multiple languages, multiple territories. They also seem to have made as much inroads into the US – UK – English speaking market as SM who have spent a boat load of money trying. So I have to complement them for that. That is not easy to keep up, physically, fiscally.
That said, their songs aren’t for me. They always sound like something else to me, and I only have so much bandwidth for groups that sound like other groups. This one sounds to me like Stray Kids could have done it better. Not the boys’ performance, but the song editing and production. Also the foll-la-la-la-low harkens back to so-lo-lo-lo-lo from this time last year. Maybe foll-la-la-la-low will be the great concert sing-a-long hype anthem they need in their set for the next tour which starts again soon.
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I sadly agree. Their insane marketing strategy is about to kill them (and maybe is already doing it, according to the lower and lower amount of YouTube views of their latest 397 releases in a few months), and the truth is they absolutely don’t deserve it.
I think they’re fully talented, highly versatile, charismatic and energetic. But despite any other comeback in KPop Market which is always – at least – a “breaking news”, they have a comeback every 15 days and no-one seems to care about it any longer.
If I was their manager, I would give them a 1-year rest and make their next comeback – at least – a “breaking news”.
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Well, i’m a fan of monsta x blustering energy so this one is for me. It’s just the kinda song you’ll bask in for the hype to cheer you up instantly.
The middle eastern touch is a good experiment, And things calmed down just enough in the verses to not be pure noise
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i liked this more than i thought i would considering the drop chorus. its the right level of bluster that makes mx compelling for me.
did NOT like the b sides, found them v bland for the most part. i did adore the past 3 korean albums tho (and i liked some of the japanese work too), so i guess there was bound to be a dud eventually
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I actually liked the song as well as the B-sides this time. The B-sides like mirror, find you, UR and Monsta Truck. Find you is my favorite soft-ish ballad songs of the year along with UR. Mirror is beautiful and it is actually very deep.
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