Monsta X unit explores darker shades of love while expanding its musical identity through second EP Shownu X Hyungwon (Starship Entertainment) Nearly three years after debuting as Monsta X’s first unit, Shownu X Hyungwon are returning with a fuller, more layered take on love.The duo’s second EP, “Love Me,” marks its first release since “The Unseen” in July 2023. Led by “Do You Love Me,” the seven-track album explores different shades of love, from attraction and uncertainty to emptiness and emotional collapse near the end of a relationship.The EP also highlights the duo’s creative involvement, with Hyungwon credited for producing four of the album’s seven tracks. Shownu, on the other hand, participated in creating the choreography for “Do You Love Me.”When asked why the duo chose love as the central theme, Hyungwon said the emotion allowed them to explore more than romance on the album.“Love is something I often write about because I don’t think it only exists between two people romantically,” said Hyungwon during a round interview held at Starship Entertainment’s headquarters in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul. “It can be love for an animal, love between friends, love between fans and artists, or love between parents and children. It is still the same emotion, but there are so many ways to express it.” Shownu X Hyungwon (Starship Entertainment) Shownu said love, to him, is something essential.“It may sound light at first, but if you go deeper, it can become endlessly deep,” he said. “I think love is something people need to live, like eating and exercising — something that has to be beside you.”While the album centers on love, its lead track leans toward a darker, heavier mood. Hyungwon said that the sense of danger comes from the point where love reaches its end.“There is the stage of excitement, the stage of being in love and then the stage where it ends,” he said. “With ‘Do You Love Me,’ we wanted to express the emotions that come when you reach that ending, so I think it carries a rougher, less polished and more loosened feeling.”The album also includes solo tracks from both members. Shownu’s “Around & Go” captures a love that feels playful yet exhausting — a relationship one wants to cut off but cannot easily escape. Hyungwon’s solo track “No Air” focuses on desperation and emptiness right before the complete end of love. Shownu X Hyungwon (Starship Entertainment) Still, Hyungwon said the album was not meant to portray love in only dark terms.“Since the lead track carries a painful feeling, we included songs like ‘Superstitious’ and ‘Accelerator’ to show brighter sides of love as well,” he said. “That also allowed us to experiment with different musical genres throughout the album.”For the duo, “Love Me” also serves as a way to continue building identity.“We are still in the process of creating the color behind this unit. With both of our first and second albums, we wanted to leave an impression on the public and fans that this is the kind of music we do,” said Hyungwon. “We chose ‘Do You Love Me’ as the lead track because we wanted to showcase the intense style we do best. I think it will become a stepping stone for us to show more diverse sides later on.”Shownu X Hyungwon’s second EP, “Love Me,” will be released Thursday at 6 p.m. on major music streaming platforms.