MONSTA X contract update: Three members renew, three still in discussion

MONSTA X’s Shownu, Kihyun, and Hyungwon have renewed their contracts, stated Starship Entertainment in a statement released on May 9. The announcement also shared that the remaining three members, Minhyuk, Joohoney, and I.M are still in discussions.

The now six-member group officially debuted in May 2015 after being formed through the company’s survival show, No Mercy. Contracts in K-pop usually last for seven years, and many eyes were on the Love Killa group, waiting to see the path the group would take.

---

MONSTA X’s Minhyuk, Joohoney, and I.M still in discussion for contract renewal

Starship Entertainment shared a statement regarding contract renewals for MONSTA X. The six-member group recently released its album Shape of Love with the lead track Love. With its seventh debut anniversary nearing, it was only a matter of time before the company updated fans about the group's future.

The company stated that they have renewed contracts with three members, Shownu (who is currently in the military), Kihyun, and Hyungwon. They added:

“We are currently discussing with Minhyuk, Jooheon, and I.M in depth so that it can be the best direction for the group and its members. Our love for MONSTA X remains the same for both the company and the 6 members, so we will be able to deliver an official position as soon as the contract renewal is settled.”

With three members in and three still in discussion, fans are wary of what the future holds for the group, especially when there’s less than a week until their seventh debut anniversary celebration.

Prior to the announcement, the group announced rescheduled dates for their US tour, NO LIMIT. Unfortunately, the tour had been postponed a couple of times before. New dates indicated that MONSTA X would perform from May to June 2022. The rescheduled tour made many Monbebes (official fandom name for the group MONSTA X) believe that the group had broken the “seven year curse.”

The “seven year curse” is a common term used in K-pop to define the disbandment or changes in a group during or after their seventh year of the contract. Often, K-pop groups disband or some members leave the group, which may be due to various reasons.

A Monbebe's reaction to the group's 'seven year curse' (Screenshot via Twitter)

Due to the short shelf-life of K-pop groups that increasingly focus on young idols, the increasing competition, and pressure, numerous groups have fallen prey to this curse. However, a few groups have avoided the “curse”, which include BIGBANG, 2PM, Apink, SHINee, SEVENTEEN, and BTS, among others.

Whatever the final decision might be, Monbebes have expressed that they will continue to support the group loyally.