EXCLUSIVE | ‘We wanted to show the mature side of love’: CIX gets candid on their journey from young boys to mature men in interview
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: The South Korean boy group CIX (Complete in X) made their comeback on August 22 as they released their fifth mini-album, 'OK’ Episode 1: OK Not' with the title track, '458'. The single as well as the rest of the album received immediate love from fans all over the world. Moreover, the five-member boy group has already hosted a successful US Tour in 2022 and has more special content and events planned out for FIX (fans of CIX) with the release of their new album.
CIX debuted under the label C9 Entertainment and has released music with a lot of interesting concepts ever since their debut in 2019. Now, three years after their debut, the boy group has started showing their mature side. The lovely youthful boys are growing up to become mature young adults as they express complex emotions of love in their new album. In an exclusive chat with MEAWW, members of CIX get candid about their emotions and how they channel them in the process of making new music for their beloved FIX.
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MEAWW: Congratulations on your first US Tour ‘REBEL’. How did you all celebrate the success of the shows you hosted over the course of the tour?
BAEJINYOUNG: My birthday also happened to be during this tour, so the members celebrated my birthday and we went to eat delicious food together and made unforgettable memories. After the concert, we ate together, talked about how we felt about our first overseas concert, gave feedback to each other, and were able to finish the tour happily.
MEAWW: Other than the USA or South Korea, which other countries would you like to host your next tour at?
HYUNSUK: We think there are more opportunities to meet our fans in Korea and abroad from this promotion. Any time we have a good opportunity, we want to meet FIX all over the world and show our performance.
MEAWW: You also recently made your Japanese debut with ‘Pinky Swear’. How does it feel to open yourselves to your Japanese FIXES (fans)?
YONGHEE: Even before the release of 'Pinky Swear', we have consistently released our albums in Japan from 2019. However, we thought it was a shame that we didn’t have much time to meet our Japanese fans in person because of Covid-19. Following our tour in the US, we saw our fans in Japan after a long time, and we were so thankful that many of them came to the concert even though we couldn’t see them in person for a long time.
MEAWW: Your new album, 'OK’ Episode 1: OK Not' released one year after your first full-length album, ‘OK’ Prologue: Be OK'. How do you compare your growth as an artist from then to now?
BX: Since our last album, we wanted to show a new side of us, so we exchanged a lot of feedback on each other’s vocals. Also, the concept of the album itself was something that we had to show a more mature side, so we considerately discussed the points that we could show on stage. The choreography for the title song was also very difficult, so we thought a lot about how to show our chemistry through performances. In that process, we felt that our skills grew a lot!
MEAWW: How is 'OK’ Episode 1: OK Not' different from your other releases?
BAEJINYOUNG: In the last album, if the overall story of youth was the main focus, we wanted to show the mature side through the love experienced by youth and the various emotions derived from love. Therefore, we came back with a more intense and sexier concept than the previous album's concept.
MEAWW: Your new album aims to express your mature selves through emotions of pain that are derived from love. Which CIX member is the most emotional and how do they channel their intense emotions?
BX: I think I’m the most emotional member. These days, I tear up over small things and get emotional when I watch romantic movies. Therefore, I try to melt these emotions as much as I can when I work on a song.
SEUNGHUN: All of our members are sentimental, but I think we all express our emotions differently. I think HYUNSUK is honest about his feelings and expresses them coherently.
HYUNSUK: I personally think SEUNGHUN is the most sentimental member. He usually gives warm and kind expressions to FIX. I learn a lot from him.
MEAWW: Please explain the message behind your title track ‘458’ to your fans.
YONGHEE: In the previous album, we focused on the overall story of youth. In this album, we wanted to show the mature side of youth through the pain and emptiness that comes from love. If you listen to the various emotions of love that we express with our identity concept, you will be able to enjoy the album from more varied angles.
MEAWW: Your lead single, ‘458’ portrays conflicting emotions. In a situation where you are conflicted between reaching out to a loved one and controlling your hasty feelings, what will you instinctively do?
BX: I personally think love is the most honest emotion, and I feel it when our fans express their honest feelings to us. Rather than suppressing my emotions, I think I’ll show my honest feelings and express my love a lot.
SEUNGHUN: I also think I’ll choose to take a step forward rather than keep thinking about it in my head. Especially when I apply FIX as that special someone, I can't wait to get closer.
BAEJINYOUNG: I think I’ll think more carefully. I think the more I love, the more I will approach myself carefully while restraining myself.
YONGHEE: I haven’t experienced that yet, but if that happens, YOLO! So I want to choose to move forward and get close.
HYUNSUK: I think I’ll try to control myself rather than get close right away. If you approach someone in a hurry, that person might feel uncomfortable.
MEAWW: ‘Without You’ promises to be an emotional hybrid genre song. How would you describe the emotions you went through when you first heard the final version of the single?
HYUNSUK: There were new concepts that we’ve never shown before, so we were excited yet nervous at the same time. We tried many things because we thought we could show how much we’ve grown in addition to how much we’ve changed visually. When we got to see the results of our hard work, we were very excited and yet got nervous because we really want to perform at our best level.
MEAWW: The third track on your album titled, ‘Bend The Rules’ gives off rebellious vibes that, very aptly, is also a callback to your hit single as well as your first tour - ‘REBEL’. How does this song describe CIX’s rebellious journey to chase your dreams as K-pop idols?
SEUNGHUN: All the songs in this album express various feelings about love. Among them, 'Bend the Rules' is a song that expresses breaking the rules for love and suffering from it. It’s also a story that connects with the story behind our identity concept because it narrates a journey to find the essence of love and another process of us maturing.
MEAWW: ‘Drown in Luv’ expresses the emotions of an ending, cold relationship. What is your message to listeners who also may have experienced such a relationship?
YONGHEE: We want to tell them to give their best in the present moment. Even if it's not necessarily about love between men and women, we think that it is best to express our true feelings to our loved ones when we have a chance.
MEAWW: As members of CIX, what is your next goal as a boy group?
BX: Our common goal this year is to make more opportunities to meet more fans in and out of Korea. We also want to promote CIX more to the public through various contents and concerts.
MEAWW: This is your fifth mini-album and your sixth Korean comeback. Among all the albums you have released so far, which album was the hardest to prepare for?
BAEJINYOUNG: Every time we release an album, it’s never been easy. Every time we release an album, all the members do their best, and they care about each and everything that goes into an album. Every preparation process is hard, but we think we can show good performances to our fans who support us through such a challenging process.
MEAWW: Among the four tracks in the mini-album, 'OK’ Episode 1: OK Not', which one song do you most resonate with?
BX: In this album, it’s 'Drown in Luv'! It’s a song that’s good to listen to comfortably. Whenever I listen to this song, I feel comfortable, so I listen to the song the most.
SEUNGHUN: 'Bend the Rules' is my favorite song in this album. I was praised a lot by the composer when I recorded the song, and I paid a lot of attention to the song as it’s a song that expresses strong emotions.
BAEJINYOUNG: I like all the other songs, but I want to choose '458'. I think it’s a song that expresses the concept of this album most strongly.
YONGHEE: It’s our title song, '458'. I like my part, and I think it’s a song that’s like a piece of art because the outfit and choreography go so well together.
HYUNSUK: It’s not easy to choose one song exactly, but I want to choose 'Drown in Luv' now. I think it’s a song that makes you want to listen to in this weather.
MEAWW: Finally, any last words for FIX who have been waiting for your new album?
SEUNGHUN: For this album, we prepared a lot of things to show a variety of different sides of us since we can meet our fans in person for the first time in a while. We are planning to meet our fans in Korea and abroad with new contents and various performances, so please look forward to us and show a lot of interest. I love you FIX!