MONSTA X I.M is currently receiving criticism after the solo teaser images for his upcoming solo debut were released. And so, the idol's management agency quickly took action.
On Feb. 14, Starship Entertainment shared the first set of teaser images for MONSTA X I.M's debut as a solo artist. While many are excited about the male idol's upcoming release, some took note of one of his concept photos. In the picture, it can be seen that the singer was wearing a shirt with an Arabic phrase that reads, "Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim."
ALSO READ: MONSTA X I.M Under Fire for Religious Insensitivity Towards Muslims
This is a sacred phrase that translates to, "In the name of Allah, The Most Gracious and the Most Merciful," which Muslims recite every day. Since it is a significant phrase among Muslims, it is viewed as inappropriate to be seen worn, and so MONSTA X was criticized for this.
MONSTA X I.M's Company Issues an Apology Concerning the Controversy
Many fans immediately took to social media to ask Starship Entertainment, MONSTA X I.M's management agency, to take appropriate action on the matter. And upon learning about this, the label released an official apology through MONSTA X's fan café.
The company wrote:
"This is Starship Entertainment. With regard to the concept photos that were released for I.M's digital mini-album 'DUALITY,' we have taken down all the pictures that include clothes with religious prints. We regret not taking further measures to ensure that there were no religious implications in the concept photos in advance and we regret not being able to scrutinize it fully. We deeply apologize to those who felt uncomfortable with our actions.
Going forward, we ensure you that we will make every effort to prevent something like this from happening again. Once again, we pay and extend our sincere apologies."
As stated, the recently-uploaded solo teaser images for MONSTA X I.M's solo debut have been deleted on all their official SNS accounts.
MONSTA X I.M to Make His Official Solo Debut
Meanwhile, MONSTA X I.M has already dropped the schedule for his upcoming solo digital mini-album titled "DUALITY," as well as the track list. Based on the track list, the singer participated in composing all the songs on the album, and he also wrote the lyrics for every song himself. Fans can expect five songs on the album, with "God Damn" serving as the title track.
ALSO READ: MONSTA X I.M Reveals Tracklist for First Solo Album 'Duality'
The oncoming release of his solo digital mini-album will mark I.M's official solo debut since MONSTA X launched its first extended play "Trespass" in 2015. Although the "Love Killa" singer has dropped numerous mixtapes in the previous years, "DUALITY" will be his first official solo work.
MONSTA X 2021 Activities So Far
In other news, I.M's group MONSTA X has successfully wrapped up the "UNI-KON" concert hosted by the new K-pop platform, UNIVERSE, alongside other Korean acts including Kang Daniel, IZ*ONE, Oh My Girl, AB6IX, Park Ji Hoon, and more.
READ MORE: MONSTA X I.M Reveals Important Details About 'Duality' + Group Praised For Dominating Charts With BTS & BLACKPINK
Starship Entertainment's boy group has also launched a pre-release track titled "Wanted" on Feb. 10 for its upcoming Japanese single album, which will be out on March 10. The music video of the song was revealed on Feb. 13.
Watch the MV for MONSTA X's "Wanted" below!
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Written by Mhaliya Scott
