Interview: CIX Reflect on Their Latest EP, Memorable Moments With Fans, and Being a Part of the 4th Generation of K-Pop!

The 4th generation of K-Pop artists are currently dominating the industry at the moment. Constantly thinking of new concepts and sounds, the artists of this generation are pushing the boundaries of the genre that keeps growing. One of the groups dominating the scene is 5 member South Korean boy band, CIX. 

The group’s name, CIX, is an acronym for “Complete in X.” Each member of CIX has their uncertainties, but become complete when they come together as a group. The members of CIX include: BX, SEUNGHUN, YONGHEE, BAEJINYOUNG, and HYUNSUK. Furthermore, the group’s fans have been given the name FIX (Faith in X). Producing music that is R&B and electro hop within the overarching K-Pop genre, CIX has attracted a large fanbase with their unique sound and addictive rhythms. 

Under C9 Entertainment, CIX debuted as a group in July of 2019 with their first EP: Hello Chapter 1: Hello, Stranger containing the lead single, “Movie Star.” Along with the release of their first EP, CIX’s debut showcase sold out within 30 seconds of going on sale and the group won their first award 6 days after on the Korean program, THE SHOW. That same year, CIX also signed with Warner Music Japan and made their Japanese debut in October with the Japanese version of their first EP. 

CIX Group Photo. Photo Credit: C9 Entertainment.

In total, CIX has released 6 EPs and 2 studio albums since their debut and most likely have more on the horizon. Recently, the group released their new EP, ‘OK’ Episode 2: I’m OK in late May of this year. Acting as the finale to their ‘OK’ series, CIX considers their latest EP to have a very different feel compared to their previous releases. Member SEUNGHUN stated that the EP felt a bit overwhelming at times, but allowed the group to grow and really show themselves in a different way. 

The first part of the ‘OK’ series was released in 2021 with their first studio album: ‘OK’ Prologue: Be OK followed by the second part ‘OK’ Episode 1: OK Not released in 2022. The ‘OK’ series was intended to represent a period of time that could reflect either good or bad times: a person’s youth. The end of the series focused on the process of soul searching through wandering. ‘OK’ Episode 2: I’m OK depicts the colours that can be found after wandering through one’s own experiences. 

The EP has five songs in total including the title track, “Save Me, Kill Me.” The title song tells an emotional love story coming from a very deep and sorrowful place. It may seem that the song depicts a very hopeful time; however, it actually emphasizes a very harrowing time in a person’s life. Broadwayworld had the pleasure of speaking with CIX about their new EP, acting for the first time, being a part of the 4th generation of K-Pop, and more. Read the full interview below! 

Recently, the finale to your “OK” series, OK Chapter 2: I’m OK, was released featuring the song, “Save Me, Kill Me.” You have been praised for the beautiful story, artistry, music, and dance for this song, attracting both current and new fans from around the world. Could you speak a little bit about this comeback and what it means to you? 

BX: Through this promotion, we believe that we have shown a new image of ourselves with this concept. This was an opportunity for us to share the color of our team once again. Additionally, this promotion allowed us to express new and different aspects of ourselves while showing an improved and mature image of our group to the world. 

BAEJINYOUNG: Our latest promotion was an opportunity for us to show that we are able to digest various concepts. With every comeback, we try to show a new side of ourselves. As a group, we were very proud of this promotion because we showed a different side of ourselves that we haven’t shown yet through previous albums. 

BX of CIX. Photo Credit: C9 Entertainment.

Being a K-Pop group with music that addresses social issues and stories that many youth can relate to must be very impactful and meaningful to all of you. From your recent EP, the title song, “Save Me, Kill Me” is such a powerful song that elicits many emotions to the people who listen to it. How does it feel to have music that reflects such important messages and stories? Do you find that this aspect makes it easier or harder when preparing for a comeback? 

HYUNSUK: Every time we prepare for a comeback, we go through a lot of thought and practice. This comeback was particularly difficult because of the message we wanted to convey. Since the music video was filled entirely with our acting, there were challenges in analyzing our scenarios and characters that we played. The message itself is profound and deals with many issues in today’s society and our own universe story at the same time. We went through a lot of thought, revision, and re-shooting when recording the song and filming the music video and the story film to deliver the message as accurately as possible. It’s never easy to prepare for a comeback, but this one focused a little more on the areas I just mentioned.

YONGHEE: It’s an honor to be able to give strength to those who listen to our music and watch our music videos, even if it’s just a little bit. As HYUNSUK said, it is difficult to convey an important message, so we continued to think and revise while filming the music video in order to express it better. Many people liked the songs and music videos we released and we will continue to work hard so that more people can gain strength through us.

HYUNSUK of CIX. Photo Credit: C9 Entertainment.

There has been a lot of positive reception towards your music video for “Save Me, Kill Me.” Fans have been praising the quality of the MV and have been very impressed with it saying it is like they are watching an entire Korean drama. What was it like filming the music video? Did it ever get overwhelming acting in something so emotional? 

BX: Acting and emotions were important when filming the music video and story films. The process was difficult for me as I have never acted before. During filming, I think I was able to do well by immersing myself as much as I could into it and constantly discussing with the director. The more I analyzed and understood the character, the better I could immerse myself into the role.

SEUNGHUN: In the past, 2nd generation senior artists did a lot of music videos that were filled with stories and acting. We don’t think we’ve seen a music video released recently that is entirely filled with acting. “Save Me Kill Me” was a good opportunity to continue that style of music video done by our 2nd generation seniors and we’re grateful that many people like it. We felt somewhat pressured to act out emotional scenes and really put a lot of thought into our characters. We asked ourselves questions about how our character would react or what our character would say in certain situations frequently throughout the whole process. In the end, the music video and story film came out very well thanks to our thoughts and efforts. The filming took place over three days and all of our members, staff, and other actors worked really hard. It was truly a team effort to make everything a success. 

Your first four EPs are part of a “Hello” series starting with Hello Chapter 1: Hello Stranger released in 2019 and ending with Hello Chapter Ø: Hello, Strange Dream released in 2021. When creating these EPs did you always plan for them to be in a series? Was it something you planned all at once and released over time or did you tackle each EP one by one? 

SEUNGHUN: Usually, the entire series is planned ahead and then released sequentially. The big umbrella story is pre-planned and more detailed work is done every time an album is released. If you listen to our album while following the overall flow, we think you’ll be able to enjoy it more.

SEUNGHUN of CIX. Photo Credit: C9 Entertainment.

When preparing for future EPs, albums, or singles, do you think of the concept or the music first? What is the process usually like when preparing for a comeback?  

BX: We usually think of the music first, then decide on the concept based on the music style. After the music and the concept are decided, we practice, record, and shoot the jacket image and music video.

Ever since you debuted in 2019, you’ve achieved many successes including a sold out debut showcase, winning several awards, and releasing many EPs and a full length album. How did it feel to debut in CIX after your past experiences as a trainee,  in other K-Pop groups, and in competition shows? 

YONGHEE: I consider it an honor. I am happy to be able to spend my 20s with good people and lovely fans.

BAEJINYOUNG: Although I have received a lot of attention and love, I personally don’t think  I have achieved great success yet. I believe I always have room to improve and show a better side of myself, so I still have a thirst to reach my goals. I have received a lot of support so far and I want to repay my fans and continue to show the best version of myself to them. 

It is evident that you have established yourselves as a group that has found and embraced their own style and artistry within the industry. While paving your own way, was there another artist or someone that you looked up to, drew inspiration from, or gave you guidance to build yourself as an artist today? 

HYUNSUK: While preparing to act in the “Save Me, Kill Me” music video, I was inspired by the words and actions of the actor, Gary Oldman. I felt that he was a great person, so I came to respect him.

BAEJINYOUNG: I want to resemble the Japanese artist, Yuuri,  in terms of voice and vocals. The singer I want to learn from as an artist is The Weeknd.

BAEJINYOUNG of CIX. Photo Credit: C9 Entertainment.

CIX is part of the 4th generation of K-Pop artists in the industry. In your opinion, how do you think the 4th generation of artists are different compared to those of earlier generations? 

BX: We think everyone is amazing because all artists have their own unique charm. When we practice, we always think about how to optimize our teamwork in order to produce the best stage performances as a group.

SEUNGHUN: We hope that many people will see us as a group with a detailed universe. Even the smallest parts of our promotions are connected to our universe story! All artists have their individuality and charms and we learn a lot from them. As a group, I think our unique universe and performances sets us apart from others. 

CIX’s most recent live performances were at the “We Bridge Festival'' in Las Vegas in April and your “Save Me, Kill Me” global tour earlier this year. What do you most look forward to when performing for live audiences? Have you had any memorable moments with your fans recently that you can elaborate on? 

BAEJINYOUNG: I think seeing our fans enjoy our performances with us are always happy memories and moments we look forward to seeing. Communicating with fans on the stage is always new and memorable. Every moment that we spend with fans is always precious for us.

SEUNGHUN: I really look forward to the reactions of our foreign fans who wait a long time to see us. Their passionate and excited reactions make us excited to be on stage and allow us to pour our energy into the performance even more. As much as people like our performances, we look forward to seeing the audience’s reactions as well. It was nice to be able to showcase our group in front of many people at our recent Las Vegas performance. It was especially memorable because they sang along to our songs and cheered for us. 

YONGHEE of CIX. Photo Credit: C9 Entertainment.

Like you have said in the past, this is just the beginning for CIX and you have a lot more you want to show the world. What is one thing you hope to achieve as a group in the future? 

HYUNSUK: We want to perform in a very large venue to communicate with more fans and show ourselves on a large scale.

YONGHEE: We want to become more famous so that we can spread a lot of good influence to other people. We hope that our music will be a good force for many people as it is our main goal to become a group that comforts people.

Top Photo: CIX Group Photo. Photo Credit: C9 Entertainment. 

This interview was done with the assistance of a translator. 

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