Monsta X are back – and they’re not holding anything back.

With the release of their pre-comeback single “Do What I Want,” the group prove once again that fearlessness has always been their defining trait. The track serves as the curtain-raiser for THE X, their new mini album due out September 1, 2025, marking their first full-group comeback in four years. For fans who have waited since 2021 to see Monsta X as six, the payoff is a comeback that is anything but safe.

The single explodes with Joohoney’s trademark production style: sharp-edged, unpredictable, and packed with shifts that refuse to settle into one genre. It’s a sonic blitz – the kind of record that blurs the line between K-pop banger and underground experiment. The hook barrels forward with the confidence of a group that has survived every industry shift, but its refusal to conform to today’s polished pop formulas makes it stand out even more.

Visually, the “Do What I Want” music video pushes the group into their most bizarre world-building yet. The members embody goblins in scenes that swing between gothic parody and pure absurdity. Shownu, washing down a car in angel wings, has already cemented itself as one of the MV’s most viral images, while the rest of the group navigate a series of surreal, cryptid-like vignettes. The result is a sensory overload that feels closer to 2000s cult horror aesthetics than the high-gloss sets usually seen in K-pop. Fans have compared it to everything from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to early internet found footage – a deliberate collision of nostalgia, camp, and chaos.

What makes “Do What I Want” work is its paradox: it sounds new, but unmistakably Monsta X. This balance between reinvention and continuity has been the group’s secret weapon since their debut, and Monsta X consistently thrive in tension – pushing into abrasive sonics and unusual visuals while still anchoring it all with their trademark power and charisma.

The comeback also lands at a pivotal moment in their career. Joohoney, who returned from military service earlier this year, described their comeback as a weapon designed to “shake up K-pop again.” His role as producer puts him at the creative centre of this comeback, underscoring how much Monsta X’s sound has been shaped internally rather than outsourced. Meanwhile, Hyungwon, another member increasingly known for his songwriting, unveiled his track “Fire & Ice” at their 10th anniversary concert 2025 MONSTA X CONNECT X. The duality between Joohoney’s explosive chaos and Hyungwon’s atmospheric palette hints that THE X won’t be confined to one lane.

In that sense, “Do What I Want” isn’t just a pre-release – it’s a thesis statement. It captures Monsta X’s enduring willingness to disrupt expectations, even when the safer route might be tempting. The visual excess, the experimental production, and the unpolished strangeness of the MV all signal that the group are far more interested in provoking reactions than delivering comfort. For a group capping off their first decade, that boldness matters more than ever.

If “Do What I Want” is the spark, THE X may well be the firestorm.