MONSTA X deals with fatal attraction in dangerous ‘Gambler’ music video

By Monica Yadav -

June 1, 2021 - 3:43 PM IST

South Korean powerhouse group MONSTA X has dropped their mini-album 'One Of A Kind' accompanied with the music video of the title track 'Gambler'. Shownu, Minhyuk, Kihyun, Hyungwon, Joohoney, and I.M are fierce, confident, and absolutely smashing in the video.

MONSTA X deals with fatal attraction in dangerous ‘Gambler’ music video

The music video begins with all six members focused on their characters. Each of them is working on a task in order to attend closed-door bidding and well, soon things turn brutal. The gambling parts switch between crisp choreography and how they are executing this heist/gamble situation in a powerful and sonically strong rock track. The strange secret auction conveys the thrill of a movie equivalent to that of James Bond.

The temptation of fatal attraction towards someone is compared to gambling. Talking about the same which seems to be a call back to 'Fatal Love' as well, the lyrics perfect reflect the sentiment, "So sweet, I fall more into one kiss / I'm obsessed with your tricks / Even if you try to stop me / Even if I try to get away from you / This trembling heart callin' you now / Zero zero lucky bang."

The tracks behind this mini-album were meticulously curated in order to highlight 100% of Monsta X’s purity. The title 'One Of A Kind' came to fruition in order to show the fierce style of Monsta X, through stronger-than-ever teamwork, grand blockbuster scale visuals and movie-like music videos. Speaking into the mic, “If you don't know, now you know,” Joohoney’s luring voice kicks off the focus track 'Gambler' leading you into a world of rising tension and unexpected guitar riffs. This track represents the fatal masculinity of Monsta X and highlights their beast-like appearance; with lyrics referring to “love as a gamble.” This focus track depicts an exchanged glance between lovers, while exploring irresistible feelings and a strong attraction, to a point where one is ready to bet on everything.

The message of 'Gambler' compares the breathtaking moment of temptation into a suspenseful game, which is further showcased throughout the music video; showcasing the mysterious mood of a beloved woman and the emotion of a man falling into her, while eyeing each other. The story takes place within a secret auction; which is held to sneakily deliver an odd thrill in a densely plotted composition and mysterious mood of a crime movie. Joohoney states confidently, “it’s a song that’s unforgettable; a song that you keep wanting to listen to; a song that you want to repeat after. I’d like to say that it’s literally the best song.”

'Gambler' is produced by Joohoney, Ye-Yo! (Yeyosound), Laser, and Jooyoung. I.M and Hwang Yoo Bin take part in the lyrics. The heavy bass rhythm and electric guitar sound create an impressive section and particularly increasing the growing tension in this movie-style storytelling. The thrill is the ad-libs as the members shine through this song delivering a masterstroke. The keyword is "If you don't know, now you know, deal?" which leaves quite an impact.

Consisting of seven tracks, the members have continued to expand their musical territory by participating in composing, producing, and songwriting throughout this whole album. Rapper Joohoney, taking the helm as the main producer for the title track 'Gambler' for the first time in six years, also contributed to the rest of the tracklist.

'Rotate' in particular was written, composed and arranged by I.M, in which he states, “The track is about flowing chemistry, which doesn’t require further explanation.” Hyungwon, who is also active as DJ H.ONE, participated in producing his self-composed track for the second time since his debut on the track 'BEBE'. Hyungwon says “I’ve always wanted to write a song dedicated to my fans, and this was a great opportunity for me to make that wish come true. I want them to feel loved by me, and us Monsta X, and realize how much we love and think of them.”

MONSTA X released their third full-length album 'Fatal Love' on November 1, 2021, along with the title track 'Love Killa'. The group's members released their solo work in the past year and even had an eventful year with many accolades. They recently made their Japanese come back with 'Wanted'.