Record deal announcement comes at an exciting time for K-pop

(Starship Entertainment)

K-pop boyband Monsta X has signed on with Epic Records, a major record label under Sony Music Entertainment that dates back to 1953, boasting pop legends like Celine Dion, Mariah Carey and Camila Cabello, just to name a few.

The new move marks a new chapter for the group which has been selling out arena shows, garnering streams in the millions and even appearing in an animation, as the label will be in charge of their English language recordings and distribution outside South Korea.

The group has been working on new music -- which the label says will be “coming soon” -- and going by the wordings, the group is likely to release new music specifically designed for international audiences.

Epic Records Chairman and CEO Sylvia Rhone says K-pop has “indelibly impacted” the global conversation, on top of which sits Monsta X.

“They’re ushering the genre into the future with an original style befitting their experience, passion, and diverse influences,” Rhone said in a statement.

The group’s US manager Eshy Gazit also shared his excitement while speaking to Kpop Herald.

“The boys are super excited. They are so modest and incredible human beings. They truly deserve the world. I’m beyond excited. This is a major part of a bigger plan that we’ve been working hard on for over a year now,” he said.

(Cartoon Network)

If you’ve been paying close attention, there has been buzz around the group in the US for a while. Earlier this year, the seven-piece teamed up with Steve Aoki for the track “Play It Cool” which racked up over 14 million views on YouTube.

The boys also made an animated appearance on Cartoon Network’s “We Bare Bears” this week, which all happened over a fan’s tweet from a year ago comparing bandmate Shownu to the Bear Bros, to which the creator of the show Daniel chong replied, “I’ll see what I can do.”

What to expect

First thing’s first, the group will embark on their “We Are Here” world tour. Kicking off in Bangkok this Saturday, the tour will see the band travel around Asia, Europe and the US in summer before the last leg in Los Angeles in early August.

With new music on its way, the group is also set to become the first K-pop group to perform at the iHeartRadioMusic festival in Las Vegas in September.

While not giving further details, Gazit says fans -- also known as Monbebes -- are in for a treat.

“Many surprises are prepared for Monbebes from Monsta X. They genuinely do everything they can to give back the love to fans. It’s probably the most amazing and symbiotic relationship in the world,” he said.

By Yim Hyun-su (hyunsu@heraldcorp.com)