5 Reasons Why "Monster, How Should I Feel" Is The Internet's Newest Anthem Of Internal Conflict

The four-word question, "Monster, how should I feel?" has transcended its origins as a lyric from a 2000s emo-rock track to become one of the most potent and viral audio clips on the internet today. As of December 15, 2025, this phrase is not just a line of music; it's a shorthand for intense self-loathing, internal conflict, and the struggle to understand one's own darker emotions. The song's journey—from a deep-cut album track to a TikTok and Gacha Life meme sensation—is a fascinating study in cultural longevity and the modern rediscovery of raw, emotional music.

The core of the phenomenon lies in the original track, "Monster," by the American indie-rock band Meg & Dia. Released in 2008 on their album *Something Real*, the lyric captures a universal sense of alienation. Its recent resurgence, fueled by new instrumental versions in 2024 and widespread use in social media trends, proves that the emotional resonance of feeling like a 'creature' or an outsider is more relevant than ever in the digital age.

The Original Monster: Meg & Dia's Emotional Anthem and Biography

The song "Monster" is the definitive track from the band Meg & Dia, centered around sisters Meg Frampton and Dia Frampton. The track is a poignant exploration of deep-seated emotional trauma and the resulting internal identity crisis.

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• Artist: Meg & Dia (Meg and Dia Frampton)
• Song Title: Monster
• Album: *Something Real*
• Release Date: August 12, 2008
• Genre: Indie Rock, Emo, Pop-Punk
• Core Theme: The song is about a boy who was never shown love as a child, which led him to an inability to understand or process affection, thus feeling like a "monster" or a creature.
• Key Lyric: "Monster. How should I feel? Creatures lie here. Looking through the windows."

The emotional weight of the song is carried by the haunting melody and the desperate plea in the lyric. The 'creatures' mentioned in the song are often interpreted as the repressed fears, unresolved conflicts, or the "Shadow side" of the self that needs to be integrated, a concept rooted in Jungian psychology. The question "How should I feel?" is the cry of someone whose emotional compass was broken by a lack of early affection or trauma.

Why "Monster, How Should I Feel" Went Viral in 2024

Despite its release over a decade ago, the lyric experienced a massive, unprecedented resurgence across social media platforms in the early-to-mid 2020s, cementing its status as an iconic sound clip. This new wave of popularity gives the song a fresh and unique cultural context.

The Gacha Life and TikTok Meme Trend

The primary driver of the lyric's virality was its adoption as a popular audio clip in the Gacha Life and Gacha Club communities, which then bled over to TikTok.

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• The Trend: Users, particularly in the animation and edit communities, utilized a short, dramatic clip of the lyric to accompany videos that depicted a character's intense emotional transformation or a sudden revelation of a dark, hidden persona.
• Emotional Conveyance: The clip became a 'shorthand' for expressing internal struggle, self-loathing, and the feeling of being misunderstood. The dramatic delivery of "Monster, how should I feel?" perfectly captured the angst and turmoil of teenage or young adult emotional conflict.
• Fake Challenge Memes: The original version of the song gained popularity in "fake challenge memes," where the dramatic audio would be overlaid on a mundane or humorous situation for ironic effect, further boosting its reach.

The 2024 Remix and Instrumental Updates

The phrase's relevance was also solidified by a continuous stream of new musical interpretations, ensuring the sound remained current.

In 2024, an instrumental version titled "Monster (How Should I Feel) - Single" was released by artists Level 8 & LOTUS. This new, modern production provided a fresh backdrop for the viral lyric, reintroducing it to a new generation of listeners who prefer EDM and instrumental tracks.

Furthermore, the phrase is frequently associated with the Robin Schulz Remix of the song "Monster" by LUM!X & Gabry Ponte. While the original "Monster" in this case is a different track, the viral Meg & Dia lyric is often incorrectly or intentionally merged with the EDM track's popularity, creating a cross-genre phenomenon that boosted the search term "monster how should i feel" across all music platforms.

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The Psychology of the 'Monster' Within: Understanding the Internal Conflict

The enduring power of the lyric lies in its deep psychological resonance. The concept of feeling like a 'monster' is a universal metaphor for profound emotional alienation and self-perception issues.

Psychologists often refer to the 'monster' as the Shadow self, a term coined by Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung. The Shadow is the unconscious aspect of the personality that the conscious ego does not identify with, often containing repressed weaknesses, shortcomings, and instincts.

• Repressed Trauma: For many, the feeling of being a monster stems from early life trauma or a lack of unconditional love, as suggested by the original Meg & Dia song's meaning. This lack of affection can lead to an inability to form healthy attachments or understand positive emotions.
• Emotional Repression: The 'monster' can be the manifestation of emotions that a person has been told are unacceptable—anger, intense sadness, or vulnerability. The question "How should I feel?" is the conscious mind struggling to reconcile its true emotional state with societal expectations.
• The Need for Integration: The journey from feeling like a monster to a healthy individual involves what Jung called Integration. It is the process of acknowledging and accepting the Shadow self, rather than trying to suppress it, which ultimately leads to a more complete sense of self.

The 'Monster' Phenomenon: A Topical Authority Deep Dive

The phrase "Monster, how should I feel" is the most prominent iteration, but the theme of the 'monster' as an internal struggle is a recurring motif in popular music, which further solidifies the topical authority of the lyric. This is a testament to the universal nature of the feeling.

Other major songs that explore similar themes of internal struggle and self-identity include:

• "The Monster" by Eminem featuring Rihanna: This 2013 hit from the album *The Marshall Mathers LP 2* focuses on the internal struggle with fame, addiction, and the 'monster' of one's own identity that is created by public perception and personal demons.
• "Monster" by Lady Gaga: Featured on her 2009 EP *The Fame Monster*, Gaga’s track is inspired by her "Fear of Attachment Monster," exploring the darker side of love and relationships.
• "Monster" by Imagine Dragons: The band's song is a dark, introspective look at the fear of becoming a person one despises, often linked to the internal battle against one's own destructive tendencies.
• "Monster" by Skillet: This Christian rock track tackles the internal conflict of a person who is saved and forgiven but still struggles with the feeling of having a 'monster' inside, a battle between the spiritual and the flawed human self.
• "Party Monster" by The Weeknd: While different in theme, The Weeknd’s track addresses the lifestyle of a person who has become a 'monster' due to the excesses and darkness of the party scene.

From the raw, acoustic-driven angst of Meg & Dia to the high-energy house production of Level 8 & LOTUS and the global pop anthems of Eminem and Lady Gaga, the "monster" remains a powerful, timeless symbol for the parts of ourselves we struggle to love and understand. The question "How should I feel?" continues to be asked by a new generation discovering this profound, 17-year-old lyric.