It’s Easy To Fall For SHOWNU X HYUNGWON’s EP [LOVE ME]

BusinessHollywood & EntertainmentIt’s Easy To Fall For SHOWNU X HYUNGWON’s EP [LOVE ME]ByLaura Sirikul,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Laura Sirikul is a L.A.-based reporter covering film/TV and music.Follow AuthorMay 21, 2026, 05:47am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.Forbes Exclusive Image - SHOWNU X HYUNGWON's [LOVE ME]Starship EntertainmentLove is a fickle thing – unless they look and sound like MONSTA X’s unit group SHOWNU X HYUNGWON, then it’s easy to be smitten by their new EP [LOVE ME] that demands it.The Korean performance powerhouses reunite for the second time, nearly three years after their first unit album, [THE UNSEEN], which grapples with their self-identity and staying true to their authenticity. Now, the duo is older and wiser, offering a “more defined emotional perspective shaped by subtlety, tension, and atmosphere.” With seven tracks in [LOVE ME], there’s also a level of maturity that is felt throughout the album, that feels pretty sexy, playing on the sensual tension that also comes through this love – and their lyrics.Also, the guys seem more mature given as so much has happened since the last album. Shortly after the release of the unit album in 2023, HYUNGWON went to the military and returned last year, just in time for MONSTA X’s 10th anniversary. Since his military discharge, he’s grown so much as an artist and lyricist, contributing twice as many songs for their second unit EP (“Superstitious,” “In My Head,” “Accelerator,” and “NO AIR.”)“Through this experience, I was able to develop a broader and more diverse perspective on music,” HYUNGWON shares via email from Starship Entertainment. “It also gave me the opportunity to show a wider range of performances on stage.”While [THE UNSEEN]’s lead single asked their audience to “Love Me A Little,” they are now straightforwardly asking the question wit...