Who Is MONSTA X? Members, Music, and Their 2026 Comeback

MONSTA X is a six-member boy group from STARSHIP Entertainment. They debuted on May 14, 2015, with their first mini album, TRESPASS, and marked their 11th anniversary in May 2026. In other words, by the time their latest EP came out, they had been releasing music as a group for more than eleven years.

That is a lot of music to catch up on. STARSHIP's official discography for the group runs from TRESPASS through thirteen numbered mini albums, three full-length albums (the second one released in two parts), and a number of digital singles, before The Phase arrived in September 2026. You do not need to know all of it to enjoy the group, but it helps to know that a new release from MONSTA X sits on top of a long catalog.

Their fans are called Monbebe. You will see that name a lot in comments, concert titles, and fan posts, so it is worth knowing early.

STARSHIP's official profile lists six current members: Shownu, Minhyuk, Kihyun, Hyungwon, Joohoney, and I.M. Instead of giving everyone a fixed role, here is one recent, easy to check detail about each member, mostly from 2026, so you have something concrete to look up next.

One naming note: Joohoney is also known as Jooheon, and you will see both spellings in English-language news. We use Joohoney on this page.

When English-language Korean media introduce MONSTA X, two descriptions come up again and again. One is that they are known for high-energy performances. The other is that the members are actively involved in songwriting and production. Korea JoongAng Daily used both when The Phase came out.

The second point is easy to see in the new EP. Joohoney took part in writing the lyrics for "MAGIC," and the closing track, "Sweet Night, Sweet Morning," is a song Hyungwon wrote himself. Add the solo and unit releases members put out earlier in 2026, and you get a group where making the music is part of the job, not something left entirely to outside writers.

The performance side is harder to explain in words, so the honest advice is to watch. The "MAGIC" video further down this page is a good first look, and comparing it with one of their older official videos will show you what has stayed consistent over the years.

Nobody outside a group can fully explain why it lasts. That usually comes down to things fans only see part of. What we can do is point out a few patterns that are easy to check in MONSTA X's official record.

• •They kept releasing as a group. Group releases appear in the discography every year from 2015 to 2023. After a quieter stretch between REASON (January 2023) and THE X (September 2025), The Phase followed in September 2026.
• •The members work on the music. Writing credits from members show up on group releases, including the current EP.
• •They reached beyond Korean-language releases. "baby blue" (November 2025) and "growing pains" (February 2026) came out as U.S. digital singles, aimed at listeners outside Korea.
• •Solo work runs alongside the group. In 2026 alone, Joohoney, Shownu and Hyungwon, Kihyun, and Minhyuk all released their own music before the six came back together for The Phase.

The Phase is the EP MONSTA X released on September 4, 2026. It is their first Korean EP since THE X, released in September 2025. That does not mean they were silent in between: the two U.S. singles and several member releases filled that time. As a Korean group release, though, The Phase picks up where THE X left off.

The EP has six tracks:

1. 1.MAGIC
2. 2.Type X
3. 3.SURVIVOR
4. 4.Electric Heart
5. 5.That's My Girl
6. 6.Sweet Night, Sweet Morning

You do not need to go through all six to get started. "MAGIC" is the title track, which means it is the song the group leads with on music shows and in the main video.

With a group that has more than eleven years of music, starting from the very beginning can feel like homework. "MAGIC" is easier. It is the current title track, all six members are in it, and the official video gives you their faces, voices, and performance style in about three minutes.

Korea JoongAng Daily described the song as combining rhythmic guitar riffs with a punchy beat, and as mentioned above, Joohoney took part in writing the lyrics. If you have only heard of MONSTA X as a name, this is the version of the group you are meeting right now.

There is no single right order, but this one keeps things simple:

1. 1.Watch the "MAGIC" video above and try to match each face and voice to the six names in the member list.
2. 2.Go back to one or two older official videos. Korea JoongAng Daily coverage of the group lists songs such as "Dramarama" (2017), "Shoot Out" (2018), and "Love Killa" (2020) among their known songs, and all three have official music videos on STARSHIP's YouTube channel.
3. 3.If the performance side is what pulls you in, look for the dance practice videos on MONSTA X's official channel. Our dance practice guide explains why fans like watching choreography that way.
4. 4.If one member stands out, try their 2026 solo or unit release from the member list. It is a quick way to hear them on their own.

If the K-pop release vocabulary is still new to you, our guide to what a comeback means explains why a new EP like The Phase gets called a comeback even when a group never really went away.