MONSTA X Are Back in Their Yearning Era With “baby blue”
When you love someone for as long as you can remember, but know deep down your time is running out – do you hold on for the best or do you let them go?
That’s the question MONSTA X are facing in their new English single “baby blue,” released on November 14.
Following their highly anticipated full-group comeback THE X and the upcoming release of their concert film Connect X, it’s safe to say MONSTA X have been feeding us nonstop. With their past English albums All About Luv and The Dreaming topping Billboard and Rolling Stone charts, their return to the global scene is needed now more than ever and the group have proven they’re more than ready to take on a new chapter.
The Ghosts of Our Past
The group is no stranger to documenting the trials and tribulations of love, from vocalizing all its highs to all its lows. The lyrics of “baby blue” find a complicated middle amongst all the chaos, as Minhyuk and Shownu start with acknowledging how they and their partner “keep saying nothing’s changed” rather than choosing to come to terms with reality. But yet, Kihyun notes “there’s no easy way to lose / A love that you get used to” during the first chorus, displaying the mixed emotions of a broken relationship because of all your shared memories.
The signature ‘80s synth pop sound adds emotional depth to lyrics like “Now every touch is not enough / And I don’t know where we lost it” by I.M and Shownu. The electropop beats throughout the track make the listener feel they’re running alongside each member, as they climb this uphill battle trying to make sense of their sinking relationship. During the bridge, Jooheon and Hyungwon melodically repeat “A love that you get used to” which could read as an attempt to desperately reassure themselves that a fading relationship can last with its lingering past – or the first step to picturing a life without them.
A Light at the End of the Tunnel
The “baby blue” music video leans into its moody and nostalgic tones with heavily dark filters across each scene. It can’t help but feel like a touching nod to their older projects, like “Jealousy” and “Fighter” to name a few.
During the first verse, Jooheon sings “My morning light / Don’t feel the way they did lately” in a dark room by himself as a golden light shines bright above him, creating a visual juxtaposition to his own words. Hyungwon follows up with shots of him drowning deep in water, flickering back with him being in a white room as he tries to hold up a flower that’s now decayed. The lyrics “One kiss at night / No wings to fly” develop the song’s theme of feeling comforted by nostalgia or old memories of love, but the inability to ignore this weight holding everyone down.
At the pre-chorus, Minhyuk sits in a dark room as he sings “You keep saying you’re not mad,” indicating miscommunication to be the main cause of a dying love. His hands are tied up as he tries to free himself, but he acknowledges how “I keep disregarding facts.” Suddenly, a charming clone of Minhyuk with glasses appears in front of him as the line “Knowing nothing stays the same” is sung, indicating this may be a past version of himself from the start of a relationship that once felt strong. The video cuts to Shownu standing still in a dark room with a grainy, black and white screen. You almost can’t spot the group’s 5 ’11 ” leader, but it’s a unique stylistic choice in portraying older memories as he sings “Are we living in the past? / Just so we can make it last / And am I supposed to run away from home?”
From the first and second choruses, we get the physical and mental flashes of a dying love. Kihyun frantically paces a parking garage, desperately looking for the presence of a white light that once shined brightly in a relationship while singing “You dance like I remember baby blue.” Fast frames of waves crashing, a pair of piercing blue eyes, two people running on the beach, and fireworks beaming into the night match with “Still looks good, it always did on you.” It captures the nostalgia of a relationship and how the good memories can still stay with a person even after it’s all said and done. All six members take turns spinning 360° in a white room, as they close their eyes to seemingly try to remember all the good left in their relationship. You can’t help but feel intrigued in how blue is used as a color that represents a sentimental value of happiness, rather than sadness or something they want to actively forget.
The bridge is mixed with a twist-and-turn of emotions with flickering lights throughout several shots, from Minhyuk hanging on a chandelier to Jooheon staring down the blinking eyes of a bird. I.M is dancing in the rain, as bright blue waterdrops fall down on him while he describes this as “A love that you get used to.” It sends a beautiful message that he would rather remember all the perfections and flaws of a past relationship than erase them completely out of mind.
Some of the most powerful shots are put on display within its last chorus, finalizing a moment where the members have come to terms with what they feared from the start – the end. Hyungwon’s room gets covered in feathers floating all around him, circling back to when he initially felt he had “no wings to fly.” Kihyun is seen running out of the parking garage while still acknowledging how “there’s no easy way to lose,” signifying the sense of freedom in leaving a broken relationship but how it still doesn’t feel like a win because there’s a whole other battle that lies ahead: moving on.
Even down to the last second, the final frame shows all six members laying down overlapped with each other as if each of their pain is intertwined together. It’s a bittersweet feeling, but it creates a touching and lasting image that the group has each others’ backs through thick and thin.
A New Story is Written
So, a note to MONSTA X: It looks like desperately pining while serving face is 100% your look. But on a more serious note, the group is redefining their journey of love by reflecting on all its shared paths. A relationship isn’t usually linear – it’s composed of the good, the bad, and everything in between. But MONSTA X are ready to open up that chapter, and we’ll all be here for it. Just as soon as they start stealing everyone’s hearts again on the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour.
You can listen to “baby blue” now, available on all streaming platforms. Stay updated with MONSTA X on Instagram, X, TikTok, and YouTube.
Want to add more new songs to your playlist? Check out CLOSE YOUR EYES’s latest self-titled album here!
