Welcome back to Takeover Tuesday, where each week, Billboard taps chart-topping artists and tastemakers to compile their very own playlist exclusive to Billboard‘s Spotify account. We give the artists free rein to base the list on whatever subject they choose. The only rule? Make it as creative and unique to them as possible.
Five years into their career, K-pop boy band Monsta X made history this year, becoming the first K-pop group to perform at the iHeartRadio Music Festival and Life Is Beautiful Festival in Las Vegas in September. One month later, the boy band released their latest EP, Follow-Find You, and this month, they’re playing Jingle Ball Tour stops around the country.
The group — who recently became a six-piece, with the exit of Wonho in late October — just performed in Minneapolis on Monday night and will make appearnances at the Jingle Ball in Philadelphia on Wednesday and in New York at the famed Madison Square Garden on Friday.
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Ahead of their Jingle Ball appearances, Monsta X put together a playlist for Takeover Tuesday, which they dedicated to their all-time favorite songs. The guys (Hyungwon, I.M, Joohoney, Kihyun, Minhyuk and Shownu) each picked four or five songs for the playlist, including tunes by hitmakers like Harry Styles and Post Malone, as well as rising stars like Roddy Ricch and Ruel — and, of course, a couple of tracks from Follow-Find You.
If there’s one takeaway from Monsta X’s playlist, it’s that the group has quite a wide array of musical interests. Among the 26 songs is hip-hop, pop, acoustic, and R&B; and even the songs they chose by superstars like Kanye West — Minhyuk’s favorite artist — are deep cuts.
The Monsta X guys told Billboard what makes each of their picks their “all-time favorites.” Check out their playlist and what they had to say below.
Shownu
Lauv, “Paris in the Rain”: “It’s a good song to listen to when you want to spend time by yourself.”
Post Malone, “Paranoid”: “This song is a mood.”
24KGoldn, “Games On Your Phone”: “I listen to this when I get bored or want to do something exciting!”
Ellie Goulding, Diplo, Swae Lee, “Close To Me”: “It’s a perfect song to listen to when you’re in a happy vibe. Especially when you want to share that joy with everyone.”
Minhyuk
Ruel, “Painkiller”: “I’m so into this song lately, and the atmosphere is so good.”
Harry Styles, “Lights Up”: “This song is one of my all time favorites seriously. So I recommended it to the members, and I.M added it to his Playlist too.”
Daniel Caesar, “Too Deep to Turn Back”: “I can say this is my lullaby. It feels really good when I listen to it before I go to bed.”
Kanye West, “Wouldn’t Leave”: “My favorite artist! Kanye. He’s the best. Everything about this song is good.”
Kihyun
Jon Boden, Sam Sweeney and Ben Coleman, “How Long Will I Love You”: “Original sound track from my all time favorite movie [About Time].”
Coldplay, “Everyday Life”: “It’s just so good.”
Imagine Dragons, “Believer”: “Vocals, lyrics, vibe, everything is on point.”
MONSTA X, “Disaster”: “I like the overall rhythm of this song.”
Hyungwon
MONSTA X, “See You Again”: “Lyrics, melody. That’s all.”
D.O., “That’s Okay”: “Because of his voice, the mood of the song is so attractive that I want to hear it over and over again.”
Masego, “You Gon’ Learn Some Jazz Today”: “[When I listen to this] I’m moving my body without realizing it!”
Martin Garrix feat. Jamie Scott & Romy, “So Far Away”: “Listening to this song in the winter time feels so nice.”
Joohoney
Roddy Ricch, “Every Season: “I listen to this a lot these days.”
Nipsey Hussle feat. Stacy Barthe, “Victory Lap: “It’s a rap song that makes me focus on every word of the lyrics. I learned a lot from this song.”
Post Malone, “Hollywood’s Bleeding”: “As a fan of him, it’s the first track from the latest album and my favorite at the same time.”
Logic feat. Alessia Cara & Khalid, “1-800-273-8255”: “This song brings cheer to me.”
Tessellated, “I Learnt Some Jazz Today”: “It lifts my body with great feeling.”
I.M
Harry Styles, “Lights Up”: “I like this song because I like it. I hope Monbebe can feel me and like this song as well.”
Goldlink, “Crew”: “It’s a song that I really love. Always on top of my playlist.”
Bas, “Nirvana”: “The vocals on this track are super attractive.”
Drake, “Girls Love Beyonce”: “If you ask me to tell you just one of my favorite songs, this is the song.”
I.M, “Scent”: “A moody, addictive song. That’s why I recommend it to you.”