Monsta X’s upcoming album was included in Billboard’s list of top 10 most anticipated K-pop albums of 2019, with Billboard introducing the group as having held “(its) biggest U.S. shows to date (in 2018)” and “the first K-pop group to play on iHeart’s Jingle Ball tour.”

During the group’s interview with Billboard, its member Kihyun heightened anticipation for the new album, teasing, “(Monsta X) has some stuff with other artists, but it’s top secret.”

The septet’s EP “The Connect” released last March topped the iTunes’ world albums chart and the K-pop albums chart in 25 locales. The studio album “TAKE. 1 ‘Are You There?’” released in October won the group its first trophy at music shows. Its non-Korean releases were also a success. Its first English single “Shoot Out” topped iTunes charts in five locales, and two Japanese singles, “Livin’ It Up” and “Spotlight,” both sold 100,000 copies

Monsta X toured 20 cities around the world, staging 25 shows in total. The group won the artist of the year and Best Icon awards at the Asia Artist Awards and Style in Music, and made it to the Worldwide Fans’ Choice Top 10 list at the Mnet Asian Music Awards last year.

Also on Billboard’s list of top 10 most anticipated K-pop releases were g.o.d, GFriend, Astro, Seventeen, Tiffany Young, BTS, Blackpink, Nu’est and Big Bang.

By Kim Arin (arin@heraldcorp.com)