As a lover of boy bands, I know that it is inevitable for a group to eventually break up or for a member to leave. Even though I am aware of this, it does not mean that it hurts any less when a member of a group you love does decide to leave.
Right now, one of my favorite groups is Monsta X - a Korean boy band. The group is fairly new, (they debuted in 2015) so I was in complete shock when I saw that one of the members was leaving. It also happened to be my favorite member, Wonho. I instantly felt my stomach drop and I had to hold my tears back since I was getting ready to go to class. The entire day I just kept thinking about him and how this all felt like a nightmare.
I felt especially sad that Wonho felt he needed to leave the group because of accusations made against him prior to being a member of Monsta X. The group's company, Starship Entertainment, denied these allegations, but Wonho still felt that the best decision for the group as a whole was for him to leave.
As I scrolled through Twitter to see the reactions of other fans to the news, I came across several people saying that we were being dramatic and that we should not give a boy band so much importance. Several fans were also mocked for crying when they read the news. I'm sure some of you reading this article probably think I am overreacting too, but hopefully, you will change your mind.
When you become a fan of Monsta X, you quickly learn that the group is a family. Their relationships are not fake and the love they have for each other is strong. As you learn more about them as individuals, you begin to love and respect each one of them. The thought of one of them not being in the group is unfathomable not only because of how close they are but also because each one of them plays an important role in the group. This is why it was such a huge shock to see that Wonho was leaving Monsta X.
To me and many other people, Monsta X is a safe haven. Their music lifts our spirits when we are feeling down, encourages us to continue working hard, and helps us learn to love ourselves more. Each one of the members is extremely kind, humble, sincere, and loving. They have genuinely made a positive impact on my life and I can never thank them enough for that.
I am not being dramatic for crying at Wonho leaving Monsta X. It may not be that serious to you, but it is to me. I am allowed to feel sadness, even if it does not make sense to you. My feelings should not be invalidated because they are related to a boy band.