Monsta X are celebrating their tenth anniversary — a huge milestone for any group. Album promotions kicked off with pre-release Do What I Want last month and now they’re back with their title track N The Front. It’s a Dem Jointz production, whose work I haven’t always gelled with. But if anyone’s going to carry a big hip-hop sound, it’s Monsta X.
Given the members’ penchant for song composition, I’m surprised they didn’t lead with a self-penned track. However, N The Front echoes many of their musical hallmarks so I understand why it was chosen. The song melds rollicking rock verses with a heavy hip-hop, chant-shouted chorus. The blend is cacophonous enough to work and it’s buoyed by the group’s boisterous performance, but no element of N The Front really grabs me. It almost feels like its duality should have been teased apart to create two different songs.
Despite Monsta X’s brash, often aggressive sound, their best music also found a way to dole out killer choruses. N The Front lacks this feature, though the layered “I wanna see you in the front!” exclamation is very satisfying. I wish this ushered in a stronger chorus, but instead N The Front devolves into a string of repetitive catchphrases. I have similar thoughts about the verses, which sabotage their adventurous energy with so-so melodies that don’t stick in memory. Each of these extremes is missing something important, and shoving them together with jarring tempo changes only exacerbates the problem.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7.5 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
The song’s good, although I prefer Do What I Want over this.
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There is a good song buried in all that noise, but it is over-produced. And over-EQ’d – it all hits at the same volume. Missing the quieter parts to contrast. 2:01 does not count. 2:13 also doesn’t count. Same volume, same intensity, just a percussion shift.
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Very disappointing.
Dem Jointz strikes again.
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Too scattered for me. It pulls its punches and doesn’t dare to be polarizing like Dem Jointz’s and MX’s best work.
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I still think this song is better than the melodies i still can’t remember, but you must have a point!
7,9,8,9= 8.25
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I’m not completely sold on the chorus, but I absolutely love the lyrics and the bridge is solid, so it balances out for me. They bring an energy and genuine enjoyment to this track that I’m not sure a lot of other groups could, and I think that’s great. Also, it’s just super nice to see them releasing music after so long!
As an aside, I think the bsides on the album are really good. They explore several different genres and it’s always nice to see the members have a hand in writing and producing. ‘Savior’ is my favorite out of all the track, but ‘Fire and Ice’ is a close second for sure.
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