It smells like whiskey… Monsta X I.M, first world tour finale in Seoul ‘Rich Aftertaste’ (Comprehensive) [DA:On-site]

It was just like whiskey that had been well-aged in an oak barrel. Smooth yet full of body, spicy yet subtle. It was the moment when the experience and skills accumulated over the past 10 years finally shone. MONSTA X‘s IM, who is celebrating his 10th debut anniversary this year, put a splendid end to his first solo tour with a performance that infused his own unique style.

I.M met Monbebe (fandom) by holding the ‘I.M WORLD TOUR 〈Off The Beat〉 FINAL IN SEOUL’ (hereafter referred to as ‘Off The Beat’) for three days from the 17th to the 19th at the Olympic Park Handball Stadium in Songpa-gu, Seoul.

This performance is the encore concert of I.M’s first solo world tour that started at Jangchung Gymnasium in May of last year. Starting in Seoul, I.M successfully completed his first world tour in 18 cities in 10 countries including Europe, the US, Canada, and Asia, and decorated the finale in Seoul again. Just like the story of Monsta X‘s growth, I.M also entered the handball stadium by increasing its scale from Jangchung Gymnasium, adding more meaning to it.


I.M, who opened the concert with ‘Burn’ and ‘More’, said, “We met in Jangchung in May last year and have been touring hard until meeting you this time. I’m grateful that you came to see us in Seoul,“ and added, “I hope you can react and respond as much as you want without worrying about what other people think. He greeted them by saying, “Even if you’re shy, I hope you can express yourself freely since this is a place where you all came to visit.”

He then performed a variety of songs from his single albums that he has released so far, such as ‘OVERDRIVE’ ‘Slowly’ ‘Withered Flower’ ‘LURE’ ‘Not Sorry’ ‘Habit’ ‘God Damn’ ‘Howlin‘’ ‘MMI’, as well as his mini albums ‘DUALITY’ ‘OVERDRIVE’ ‘Off The Beat’.

I.M. presented a stage production that captivated both the eyes and ears with a rich band sound, sophisticated hip-hop media art, sensual lighting effects, and even a fragrance effect reminiscent of cognac. Although it was an encore performance, he created a different feeling with the new VCR footage and outfit.

I.M confessed, ”While planning the concert, I thought to myself, ‘I’ve released many songs‘ and ’I‘ve really lived hard’.“ He said, ”I don‘t have any specific goals that I want to show in the future. I want to honestly express the things I see, feel, and consider important as I live, as well as the emotions I currently feel, in music. I’ll just live doing what I want to do and making music.“ He added, ”Music is like my diary. I‘m embarrassed to be able to show you my diary like this, but I’m grateful.“

He made a surprise appearance on the encore stage, performing the unreleased song ‘Don’t Speak‘. The stage was repeated several times due to the heat that filled the concert hall and the enthusiastic response from Monbebe.

I.M said, ”We were thinking about where to put “Don’t Speak” and decided to put it as an encore song. As the title suggests, it contains a message to not speak but just feel. It‘s a song we worked on with the crew in late 2023 to early 2024,“ and added, ”We kept it for longer than we thought, and we thought, ’You‘ll like it if we do a new song as an encore song,’ so we decided to present it.“ [#142] ”We haven‘t had any specific talks about when it will be released, so this is the first time we’re telling you all about it.“


After the performance, I.M said, ”Last year was really nonstop. Considering the production period of our third mini album, ‘Off The Beat’, last year was really busy. There were many things I did for the first time, like the world tour and concerts, and I felt a lot. I feel this every time, but the preciousness of the stage and the earnestness of spending time with you all are great. I want to tell each and every one of you who are here with us that I‘m so grateful,“ and added, ”Sometimes I think, ‘Why did I get to like it this much?’. For what was given to me, the love you gave me, Monbebe who made today possible for me to be on stage, and the tour family and staff, I am so grateful,” he said.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of I.M as a member of Monsta X and he is also about to fulfill his military duty. Previously, members Shownu and Minhyuk returned after completing their military service, and Jooheon, Kihyun, and Hyungwon are scheduled to be discharged in the first half of the year. Although the specific time has not been set, I.M is expected to enlist after celebrating Monsta X’s 10th anniversary as a whole group.

I.M said, “2025 is the year we (Monsta X) celebrate our 10th anniversary. It means a lot to me,” and “As time passes, the indescribable gratitude deepens. There are many things I am thankful for while I am active. While thinking, ‘How did I do it?’, I also think that it is because of you who gave me strength back then that I am where I am now. Every moment I spent with you is precious and I am grateful. He said, “It’s the same at this moment.” He also said, “There‘s not much I wish for. I hope that my hyungs, and all of our Monbebes stay healthy.” He also said, “There are so many things we need to do in 2025, so I hope we can be together. I love you.”

Jung Hee-yeon, Donga.com reporter shine2562@donga.com
Photo courtesy of Sony Music Entertainment Korea
This article is automatically translated using Google AI. If you notice any inaccuracies, please let us know at allkstar@donga.com.