The Kulture Study: MONSTA X 'Gambler' MV REACTION & REVIEW 

On Minhyuk's radio, he said when Starship Ent. was about to give MONSTA X the new title song for this comeback, it was so bad that he spoke up about it to the Vice President of the company. It was to the point where Minhyuk didn't want to do a comeback because the company's song was that un-motivating to perform. That is when Jooheon spoke up and said he had something for the group, which was 'GAMBLER'. It originally didn't have the melody in the music part created yet and the pre-chorus was a bit lacking at the time but after Jooheon developed on it more, all the members of MX voiced that they wanted to use Jooheon's song. The amount of love I have for Jooheon skyrocketed even further; If it weren't for him, we would have gotten a comeback song that even Minhyuk didn't like. Jooheon deserves all the love he gets for this comeback!

Jooheon wrote and produced this song!!!! He’s also a huge Michael Jackson fan and I feel like Gambler is influenced a little by MJ songs!

PD in high pitched voice: "It's sexy! IT'S SEXY!"

This song and MV is masterpiece. Jooheon King! Monsta X and theirs whole discography is top tier. With or without show wins.

As an answer to you going "they gave that part to Jooheon?" He gave the singing parts to himself cause he produced the song. (Source: their latest appearance on Weekly Idol.)

this is what happens when you let Jooheon produce and make the title track just legendary

The only way I can describe MONSTA X is that they're a 'Men's Group'. They're all so sexy and charismatic. Literally, the finest men I've laid eyes on, not to mention HOW INSANELY talented they are!

Gambler was the first title track song produced by Jooheon and thats why this song has so much importance to Monsta X and to Monbebe's......

You know it's masterpiece when PD started laughing and went speechless

Your reaction is probably one of the most relatable reaction for monbebes, or personally just me- 1. I literally died when Minhyuk & Hyungwon started off with their sultry voice 2. I am so used to Jooheon and I.M rapping back to back so yea- I was not expecting I.M to come for us with his vocals at the beginning (I knew I.M can sing but never in title tracks so it also threw me off guard) 3. I was also thrown off guard during the Shownu bridge part (his high notes tho *chef kiss*)- I thought the part with Kihyun is the chorus- 4. That drop towards the chorus murdered me again, Alexa play Amen by Monsta X 5. I was not expecting both Jooheon and I.M to sing the chorus, I got so happy that I teared up on my first time listening 6. Jooheon & I.M’s rap flow are insane in this song. Periodt. 7. DANCE BREAK. ITS BEEN SO LONG- Plus hyungwon center? Yep I am living a happy mbb life 8. Joohoney’s high notes defo killed me for the third time- I thought kihyun gonna come thru but they really say “SIKE” 9. Minhyuk vs Kihyun’s acting is so good, and it fits with the beat which makes it more satisfying to see and hear 10. Kihyun’s raspy scream at the end? Yea my life is so complete. Since the whole time their tone went “down”, their “high” screams at the end are just so pleasing to hear. If you read this far, thank you- I just love my boys I can’t help but ranting this xD Note to PD: - This song is composed and directed mostly by Jooheon, so yea definitely more creativity freedom - Jooheon really did change his real name to Joohoney to make it easier pronounced by international mbbs (i forgot when exactly it’s official but it is a few years back i think?) - I.M definitely can sing- I think only a few of the b-sides where he actually show off his vocals, and only little parts. This song tho, he really popped off

Monsta X is the sexiest band out there for me. And it comes from someone who stan Vixx and History soooo yeah. I love this comeback so much and I'm so happy Monsta X are growing so well !

"They're great, but GAMBLER is just different" SAME MAN SAME FINALLY SOMEONE FEELS THE SAME

I'm so happy for Jooheon, he composed, arranged and wrote lyrics for this, it's his first title track.

Liking their newer stuff more just shows that they are improving and topping themselves each time so I find that totally fair and fine

In 2019 Jooheon changed his stage name to "Joohoney" for (mostly) English activities! He hoped that "Joohoney" would be easier for international monbebe to pronounce, since a lot of people would say "Jooheon" incorrectly.

true Minhyuk and Hyungwon shine a lot lately, I feel like it's partially due to Wonho leaving. Since then they finally got more lines and could show off their style. Unfortunate that it has to be Wonho leaving until the company gave them some attention, but I'm glad they can are finally getting more parts and more center positions, they deserve it.

I love kihyun's lines especially the bluffing part cause it kinda shows his rock voice like when he sang bad and I think he really suits that vibe

they definitely had more creative freedom, if not the most, this comeback with their title track since jooheon did produce it himself. also from what i understood, joohoney is the stage name he uses in english/for english promotions but still uses jooheon if written or said in korean! i might be wrong though?

I’ve been a monbebe for 6 years and I have the same dilemma as you as I now consider Gambler as my favorite Monsta X title track and feel guilty that I have to dethrone Beautiful 🥲 it’s just too good! It shows so much of their musical growth. And having Joohoney be the producer of this song kinda makes perfect sense as to why it’s amazing: no one else other than a member of the group himself can truly go in the direction the group wants (probably this more mature sound) while still capture their usual “MX style” sound.

I totally get how you’re feeling with their past recent discography, because from what I’m seeing MX is still exploring different sounds while sticking to their signature vibe/energy/image even 6 years into their career. And naturally with experimentation we can expect mixed responses with each comeback title track, and that’s totally fair. In fact I’m really glad that MX is doing music like this because this signals longevity, I know I’m gonna be stanning these dudes for a long time.

Joohoney is his stage name people couldn't get his name straight

I'm definitely with you, but in that I felt that since Wonho's departure from Monsta X their songs just haven't been the same. I really didn't care for their English songs except for Someone's Someone, either. But Love Killa bringing in a more slow, low, sexy vibe really brought me back in. They started off as revolutionizing noise music in K-pop and now they're adding their ranks into the seductive vibe that I'd say is similar to Taemin's Move, Wonho's Open Mind/Lose, or even Singularity by BTS's V. Makes me feel like even though Monsta X and Wonho have parted ways, they're still connected through their music and their progression.

PD you need to check out I.M covering "Instagram", his vocal is ughhh, or maybe his solo "God Damn"

fatal love b-sides are PURE GOLD like, seriously! Same with one of a kind... I am so happy to stan these guys, they're kings and that's it.

I personally feel like every MX release is better than the last one so I have zero guilt saying I like their new material. I still love their old stuff but I love the new stuff more. They’re more experienced and their voices are all even stronger and their charisma is top knotch! They’re confident and sexy and I’m here for it.

Monsta X is getting to the point in their history as a group where you can really feel the distinct eras in their music. I have been a Monbebe for almost five years and the beautiful thing about sticking with a group for so long is that you really get to grow with them. You get to experience the changes in their sound and while their new tracks are getting progressively better, their old tracks still carry so much nostalgia. So much of your reaction highlighted their talents, such as the rappers also being amazing vocalists, to each of the members really getting the chance to shine recently. They really are such a unique group and they will always have such a unique place in kpop.

15:26 honestly ever since this song came out ive been waiting for PD to listen and pick this song apart cos YESS, THANK YOU FOR SAYING THAT ive seen a lot of mbbs who said they wished this song had a proper chorus, but LISTEN. i know these minimalist drop choruses in kpop tend to be overused and disappointing, and not all subversions work, but this time IT ACTUALLY DOES. and thats what really drives me insane cos it's not supposed to work as well as that, but goddamn the overall production, instrumentation and melody of the song is just so smooth and tastefully done. each section flows well to the next, it's not jarring to the ears at all. it's mx trademark noise music and yet it's not noisy at all and has great replayability. love what PD said about monsta x being a 7 year old group but still reinventing and improving themselves cos i literally thought the same thing when i heard this album, it made me so emotional to see their monstrous improvement. i mean consider: mx is one of the older idols out there. more than half of them are approaching 30. they're old. they're veterans in the industry and have been through so much BS and yet they still have that rookie spirit. it is actually insane to think how they had to lose wonho, one of the most popular members of the group, and then had to perform this comeback without shownu, AND YET looking at their stages monsta x shows an image of being at their peak. they have never been this confident and explosive onstage. minhyuk and hyungwon really stepped up their game, everyone's showing off their ranges and generally just feeling their oats. we LOVE to see it.

Sorry I'm not sorry (Fatal Love B side) already showcased IM's singing skills so well actually all of the members singing skills ❤

This is Jooheon's era.

I actually haven’t been obsessed with a monsta x comeback since jealousy. Gambler freaking killed it.

I share the same sentiments with PD. I've been wanting to get into MONSTA X since last year mainly because I know they have the talent (other factors include, as an ahgase I wanted to know more about them & I have monbebe friends who like them sm). However, I'm not really that into heavy, loud music. I mean, yeah I can listen to some but I can't listen to them for too long. But I stumbled upon Love Killa quite recently and it was sooo good. Now that they released Gambler, I'm soooo amazed. Gambler is perfection - from the concept, visuals, choreo, vocals, and other musical elements (dang that electric guitar hits differently!). I didn't wanna say it's my fave because I like the english album and Love Killa too. But omg this one really just keeps surprising me. Every performance is amazing! And I can't wait to see this perform with Shownu in it! I'm a new fan and tbh I like this musical route. I'm still exploring their other albums but for sure, this is gonna be at the top 3, if not the top 1!

이 리액션이 찐이다,, 고개 끄덕이다가 턱 빠질뻔했어요 갬블러로 몬베베 유입이 많이 되긴 했지만 더 많은 사람들이 명곡인걸 알았으면 좋겠다는 갈증이 있었는데 ㅜㅜ 귀한 영상 감사합니다 하고싶은 말씀 다해주심 하 그리고 주헌이는 정말 만능 엔터테이너에요 ..

Jooyoung, a great soloist at their agency, helped write and compose the song. When I saw his name credited in the preview video, I knew the song was going to be good.

I´m so glad you acknowledge Minhyuks Talent here. You might wanna check out one of the Alligator performances again, where the Camera has such a great angle on Minhyuk, cause in the pre-chorus he lets the jacket drop down his shoulders and then he pulls it back up and he does it with so much swagger and immediately gets back into the choreo like omg i´m sure y´all can tell that he´s my bias lmao.

Plz do a "One of a kind" album reaction.... And do with lyrics... It's crazy...

I KNEW YOU’D LIKE IT PD!!!! Jooheon produced this song and it’s his first title track for Monsta X he got to produce.

Joohoney knows what they are capable of as a group and he showcased that perfectly in this masterpiece. Hands down my fave MX title song.

PD! Please don't feel guilty to say that Gambler can be a 11/10 because it's AWESOME and of course it's going to make us feel confused and shocked hahaha Thank you so much for your reaction!! You pointed out the best parts of the MV and you really represented how Monbebe feel 👐❤️

yea I was hooked to this song once I.M started his "don't you really wanna feel alive?" and I basically sank when he went "my suit is black my suit is fresh, open my pack let me show how I bang." lol I love his tone when he sings and raps. different kind of "boss" from JH, but still.. boss ^^

one of the things that I love about Monsta X music is partly you don't know what to expect next, another part is you know they're going to grow more...it makes u stay curious...downside is they don't do mainstream which as we all know, doesn't really keep a lot of fans...but as their fan, i prefer the first, i also have a hunch that they're going to be more famous later, like maybe their songs will become unexpectedly more known to the public...sometimes i feel their music is too early kinda out of the era (it has pros & cons), i hate boring stuff so their music is perfect for me...especially their b-sides, the songs are well thought out, none of those, let's just smack that song there to complete an album kind of feel...& that's why i like their music so much, plus they're all gentlemen

Man I love you for this reaction. I’ve been waiting for it since the song was released. Nobody and I mean NOBODY does Monsta x justice like you do. How you interpret their direction and the nuances. The song is amazing and the MV and choreography did it justice and you’re the one to appreciate and understand all this creativeness. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I love the evolution of MX - The maturity and sound is fantastic and very sexy - 11/10 for me - Best come back ever. Also Joohoney wrote, composed and produced it!!! and they All did great - Thanks for the reaction, I was patiently waiting for it

And also he said himself that he wanted to give himself more in this song so maybe thats why he did that high note instead of Kihyun and he also sings Shownu’s part since he is not doing promotion for health reasons so yeah… he and the group have so much freedom now I guess. Also, Hyungwon wrote the lyrics of two bsides as Changkyun and Jooheon always do. You should check it out, its a grate album :)

Minhyuk told that they didn't liked 2 songs the company introduced them to pick as title song for this comeback. So Joohoney said, that he has one he wrote. When they heard demo, all members said that this will be this comeback song. SS vice president also was very impressed, that he told: Jooheon-ssi you improved a lot! And today Joohoney said on the radio, that he wants to produce a song for Aespa. The producer Joohoney is born people!

2:24！！！！this literally my face during watching wtf I LOVE THEIR NEW STUFF i just cant stop listen to this song until today jooheon my biasss😭✌️

I hope more (korean) people can see their efforts.

In the last comeback, Minhyuk said that this is the real monsta x, so maybe the company is giving them a lot more freedom than usual (hence jooheon being the one that composed, produced and arranged this song) so I guess we can expect more of this type of comeback in the future ones.

It's true that their B-site is insane!!! Cuz Monsta X is the only group that i listen to the whole Album!!! Best reaction of all!!!

Yup would definitely love to see actor Minhyuk someday 🙏

I love Gambler, I love it is brilliant. Jooheon did it all brilliantly and the rest of the guys did it wonderfully too. But Jooheon is the producer of this song, so really a standing ovation for him

the cool thing that Monsta X has done, and has continued to do well throughout their career is keeping their signature intense sound while also experimenting with genre and style. it's why the difference between their old and new music is so distinct yet so familiar at the same time. their execution of this is probably one of my favorites in kpop.

hyungwon stole this for me. his smooth butter vocals and his visuals are something else.

In case you are reading this Jooheon: You did great with this song! The whole album has been on repeat since it came out :) Even if we weren't able to give you the win on The Show, you all killed it with this comeback :)

please, jooheon’s solo ‘smoky’ from last year has been one of my favourite songs ever since, the man can Sing sing. anyway i love monsta x thank you for reacting

He still goes by both Jooheon and Joohoney. He changed his stage name for international fans in 2019 since everyone kept pronouncing it wrong.

Yes their B-sides are too good which many missing out

i love how they try new stuff like more sexy and matured concept and i think it's good that they are trying new stuff and people are loving it! Not that their old songs are bad they are good, i love shoot out and stuck so much but I'm grateful that they tried a new concept and showed a different side of them.

I love their entire discography, when they first started their music was very intense but now since they are maturing I do like their approach to more powerful lyrics and mature songs.

ALL MONBEBE OR ALL KPOP STANS SHOULD WATCH THIS REACTION. HE LITERALLY GAVE A WHOLE 34:45 MINUTES LECTURE ABOUT HOW AWESOME MONSTA X IS. AND I HAVE TO SAY I ACTUALLY LEARN ALOT FROM THIS VIDEO. AND I ALWAYS KNEW HOW GENUINE PD WHEN IT COMES TO HIS REACTION 🥲 SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS 💜

I became their massive fan after Gambler! 100000% banging song, awesome choreo, amazing concept, and they’re so hot omgg

not to be a stan, but with monsta x you are never disappointed. And form of therapy is right with their b-sides. personally, they're better than their title tracks. ofc title tracks have to have that extra “punch” to attract the general public, but whenever i’m asked to recommend their music, more often than not i’m talking about their b-sides. people just presume all of their music is “loud” when they are literally full of surprises. they stand out bc their music genuinely is different. their new music (without wonho) is completely different to what they’ve released in the past, and i feel we’re getting a more mature/adult sound from them. though, all of their discography is top tier and to my taste so they’re definitely getting an 11/10 from me lmao

Monsta X are definitely the best of the best in the music industry. Jooheon is insanely talented!! Sonically and lyrically they always come out with masterpieces including B sides. Chefs kiss!

MonstaX has never been a boy group, they make grown MEN music which is what I love. . Each comeback they give us new sound new melody, they are evolving. Can’t wait to see how they top OOAK !

Gambler is so so good but then l'm used to these kinds of bangers from Monsta X. They never let me down.

Im so happy u reacted finally and even i looooove this song and MV its masterpiece and this song is actually produced by jooheon and also speaking of jooheon, joohoney is his stage name but his real name is still jooheon and yeah i.m can sing too and he has been shy to sing but has improved his vocals a lot too

I'm not deep in the fandom, but I like a lot MONSTA X and for me, I don't think saying the older or newer stuff it's your favourite it's an insult, because we all are different and we have different taste, so, I feel like you can like or not some song from them, it's not a crime. I don't know, this is how I think. PS: Sorry if I can't explain clearly, this isn't my first language. Thanks for the reaction ^w^

The song got me back into MX. I was still listening to them but just wasn't that enthusiastic for whatever reason. Imo 2018 was KILLER for them ( the connect dejavu being PEAK) but this song? I like it. A lot. I think they were just releasing almost t o o much so I just couldn't keep up? But yeah, we love this

On the contrary, they'd be very stoked to hear Gambler surpasses your all-time fave Alligator. They said in interviews that with this new album, they wanted Monbebes to feel that it is better than their previous work cos they don't want to be thought of as being stagnant

I like that they still included the brash synth in the chorus. It fits in well with the rest of their discography while spicing up the smooth, sleek vibe of the rest of the song. It could have come across as generic, but the addition of that synth makes it monsta x and it is amazing.

Gambler is MONSTA X, refined. They are all inherently sexy and I think they just own their sexiness now. Their sexiness is not overt..it is just who they are and it looks like they are finally just accepting that fact…MONSTA X IS SEXY. MONSTA X ARE GROWN MEN making grown folks music. The creative freedom that Joohoney had was a rejuvenation for the entire group. You can feel their freedom in this track. I Am so proud of all of them. Thank you MONSTA X for always working so hard for MONBEBE.

I think you should listen to the album because it also matured in a good way, they surely step into a great direction, I think.. I love their previous cb ofc but since love killa, they definitely did a great job. I can't stop listening to their new album Fatal Love and OOAK. Their b-sides undebatably good. Monsta X always give me a "shock" like I never know what they will do next. Always suprising.

It’s a new era. If gambler is your new fav it means Monsta X is going in the right direction and growing not only as singers but also performers. I love their old stuff too but this definitely takes the cake. Joohoney really killed this track. The lines were more ever my distributed so I really felt the diversity and essence of Monsta X. I loved it.

This is absolutely me giving speech in front of my family about the history of monsta x and 1001 reasons why i love them

After Wonho left, I felt that it really left a dent in the group. Like there was something missing. Even in their group formations with their choreo. This comeback song and MV felt complete, giving me the same energy as Shoot Out and Alligator. Well done Monsta X!!!

Well it's definitely dope because Joohoney composed and direct the MV itself.. *sorry i didn't mean Jooheon fully directed the mv but he participate in directing the mv too since he is the one composing the song..

thank you for reacting to them. I agree, I haven't seen you this excited since Alligator. lol. they've been pushing their boundaries ever since Fatal Love. I really like this change they're doing with their music. They're finally really committing to their sound. This sound has always been present from the beginning but more raw. You can hear it in their b-sides, especially of those written by Jooheon. (as you've said) Their B-Sides are top tier. It has always been like that for me with Monsta X. I think people inside the company put pressure on them in maintaining their "loud" music which they are really known for ever since they blew up with Shoot Out, since Shoot Out is kinda loud. The bass in that song. LOL. I honestly found Follow and Fantasia louder than their usual sound, but lol Fantasia especially really grew on me. The contrast of Min and Hyungwon's soft voice with the bg just works so well. Anyway, If you haven't checked out the whole Fatal Love Album, you really should check it out. it kinda establishes their root sound with that album and I am excited what they would do with their core sound. also, this album is soooo good. The bravery and confidence of putting a full English track in a Korean album which was also made by Hyungwon. Like what. I don't know what they have in store for their next albums but I'm really really excited. They just keep on improving and it is blowing my mind. In the past, I have trouble with identifying my favorite title track because for me they're all so good, also my opinion remains that their B-sides are superior but now I can confidently say that Gambler is my favorite title track. Gambler is just so good. it felt like they re-debuted lol. it's kinda weird. But yeah, it really feels like a re-debut. i can't even compare this to their past title tracks because it's just so different but the same? it's hard to explain.

Okay, first of all Jooheon changed his stage name to Joohoney a couple of comebacks back (I don't remember the exact moment tbh) because people kept pronouncing his name as Joohyeon and he got sick of correcting them. Second - he wrote the song and it's the first title track written by a member - and he decided he's gonna sing (he actually said he wanted to give himself more parts lol). So yeah, more creative freedom definitely - there's one more song by Jooheon on the album, one song by Changkyun, one song by Hyungwon and also Hyungwon wrote lyrics for one more song. So they kind of produced the majority of the album (they did it in the past too, but this time more than ever). Oh and we knew Changkyun can sing, but it's the first time he did it in the title track. Btw their b-sides are outrageously sexy this time. Basically every song tbh... they went for sexy chill kind of (more or less) and I'm here for it! I just say I like Fantasia and Fantasia X the least out of everything they did, but I still love it. My favorite title track might still be either Beautiful or Shoot Out and my favorite MV is still Alligator, but Gambler is excellent and the whole album is awesome... I just love their music in general, so it's hard.

Jooheon and Kihyun High notes killing Me!!! GAMBLER is AMAZING ! ! Thank you for your reaction

I.M and Joohoney sang on a lot in the B-Sides of Fatal Love. That would be a cool listening party, I think you would really like it. This mini album is very jazz inspired, I love it so much. Edit: I think they have been given a lot more creative freedom, between album concept and song creation and production. I've been loving their new stuff. Their album credits are littered with I.M, Jooheon and Hyunwon now.

I think it has been a long time since I have seen you react to a song in this way. MonstaX did that

So excited for this reaction!

I feel you! Fantasia was actually a candidate with Follow, I guess they decided to continue with the same style to show that even with 6 members they're still the same? Idk it's my opinion. With Fatal Love they showed a more mature concept of music and now with Gambler I think they found what works best for them! I feel a little similarly with Dramarama and that's no wonder Gambler is becoming my favourite since Dramarama is what got me into them! Also, Jooheon produced and directed the song himself!!!! THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN SOMEONE SO TALENTED IS FREE TO WORK ON THE TITLE TRACK 🔥

i love that a jooheon-produced title track brought you this much hype back into monsta x to give it a 10/10 and that you like listening to their b-sides 🥰❤️

the jooheon-kihyun back to back part got me reacting the same way LMAO they're mad

I really really like this song. When minhyuk's part start I was like ???wtf??? It's so good?? And I think this is the 1st time I liking the title song right away, before I need to listen 2-3 times more And for the performance video don't worry It'll be out soon!!!

I totally feel the same! I was so shocked and I felt kinda guilty not having expecting this but OHMYGOD, Gambler hits so deep, I don’t know how to explain

I.M. Had a solo track a few months ago, Goddamn, and he sings most of it. *Chef's Kiss

I was waiting for THIS REACTION. THANK YOU SO MUCH. Jooheon created a masterpiece.

Funny you mentioned how the song is kind of up and down at the beginning. I'm betting it's keeping up with the theme of keeping that poker face, not doing what's expected. Also, Monsta X has a knack for songs that could be interpreted a LOT of ways. Most of the times, it's kind of bad relationship dynamics 😅 (primary example, Shoot Out). Gambler could be talking about how the other person is playing these games; and you don't want to give in, but they're too compelling. So there's this push and pull of sorts.

I totally agree with you about the Monsta X music sound lately, the things you've pointed out were definitely incisive.

HELL YEAH JOOHEON X KIHYUN (2CHAIN) BETTER MAKE A COME BACK NOW

Jooheon and Kihyun popped OFF with those high notes!

This song is something else! its so good!

I feel as what they said this last few weeks. Monsta X keep doing new thing at comebacks. They always wanted to do great and upgraded. So, here born Gambler. They've evolved on musics, lyrics, performances, dances, styles, what else? Everything! They just don't do ordinary, they want impact they DO impact

Joohoney really doesn't stop surprising me. He is just crazy.

я обычно не смотрю очень длинные реакции, но я так увлеклась вашей, что не заметила как прошло время спасибо за классную реакцию

PD LOOSING IT LMAO

one thing with monsta x' new songs is that i feel like they FINALLY discovered how to use minhyuk and hyungwon's voices properly and it is. magical

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Joohoney has been his english stage name since 2019.

dont know much about monsta x but joohoney as a name is so cute haha it's a really good idea for fans who can't pronounce his name correctly