Sometimes you have to step away from big agency K-pop and allow yourself to fall in love with something a little off the beaten path. I recently took a detour, found, and fell promptly in love with M.O.N.T. And oh my, they certainly turned out to be the mood-lifting breath of fresh air I have obviously been craving.
M.O.N.T (Members Of The National Team) is a trio of musicians from Ganghwa Island in South Korea. They debuted on January 4, 2019 with Fly Music Entertainment as “organic, rural, Ganghwa idols.” Ganghwa Island sits at the mouth of the Han River about 30 miles northwest of Seoul and is South Korea’s fourth largest island. There is something about a rural island that sounds so soothing when I think about the place that nurtured Narachan, Bitsaeon, and Roda (all stage names with cherished meanings). Yet, there is hardly anything remotely calm and quiet about the group’s catchy, fun and playful Rock Paper Scissors.
[Subtle bias product placement ~ Narachan]
The Rock Paper Scissors MV dares you to try and ignore it with its colorful palette, powerful and tight production and three charming princes vying for the affections of a beautiful damsel in a mint-colored dress who has lost her wristwatch. [MINT, by the way, is the name of the group’s fandom.]
When our princes happen to find the watch, they are at odds as to who will be the one to return it to her, and opt that the only way is through a friendly game of rock, paper, scissors. Even though it appears that Narachan may have won the honors, Bitsaeon and Roda challenge him by returning some other personal items (an earring and shoe, respectively) that this beautiful but careless young miss has also managed to lose.~😂
I am not going to lie, I have been unable to stop watching this MV. The visuals coupled with the song push the catchiness level off the charts! Moreover, both the song and the MV really do a fine job in showcasing the gregarious personalities of these three Ganghwa princes, in addition to their keen talent.
Earlier I mentioned that the members each have stage names that have special meanings. In light of this ‘national team’ kind of feel, it is not surprising that each of those names are in fact ancient Korean words:
- Narachan (나라찬): A genuine person
- Bitsaeon (빛새온): New and strong light
- Roda (로다): The person you have been waiting for
In further research, I discovered that Fly Music Entertainment is planning to add six more members to the M.O.N.T family. Collectively, M.O.N.T Arena will be divided into three subunits. The first of the three (Narachan, Bitsaeon and Roda) will be known as M.O.N.T Original. I’m hooked and am really looking forward to watching this M.O.N.T project grow. In the meantime, I will be cheering on and lovingly supporting the original three!
~💚~
[References: Fly Music Entertainment and Kprofiles]
Hmmmm I have never heard of them. Thank you for introducing them. Love the title of the song. I feel like I’m ready to play now 😅
Hi Nelly!! Aren’t they fun? Just really refreshing and catchy. I was recently searching through Apple Music with the intent of finding groups I had never heard of, just for something different. That is how I found them. I found a few others that I will probably drop a post or two about at some point. I hope you and yours are doing well, staying healthy and safe!😘