[INTERVIEW] CIX members talk new album, youth, finding their color

K-pop boy band CIX / Courtesy of C9 Entertainment

CIX returns with sixth EP

By Dong Sun-hwa

The history of boy band CIX started about eight years ago when two members ― BX and Seunghun ― bumped into each other at K-pop powerhouse YG Entertainment as idol trainees. Back then, they did not know they would form a group together at a company other than YG. But they did so in 2019, debuting as part of CIX ― an acronym of "Complete in X" ― under C9 Entertainment.

BX and Seunghun boast a close-knit chemistry today, but they did not find a family-like bond at the outset.

"Seunghun and I belonged to different teams (at YG), so we had to go head-to-head," CIX's frontman BX recalled during a recent interview with The Korea Times at a studio in Mapo District, northern Seoul. They were also the contestants of YG's survival show, "YG Treasure Box" (2018), which gave birth to the boy band TREASURE.

Flashing a playful smile, Seunghun jokingly said, "Since we were competing, BX did not really welcome me when I first came to our dormitory. But it was understandable because debuting is a matter of survival for all idol trainees."

BX quickly clarified, "It was not that I did not like him. I was just curious why this new rival was there. But now, we are very close and Seunghun plays a lot of pranks on me."

After joining C9, the two debuted as CIX with three other members ― Bae Jin-young, Yonghee and Hyunsuk ― and put out the EP, "Hello Chapter 1: Hello, Stranger." Among them, Bae was the most familiar face to the public as he was a member of the popular project boy band Wanna One. The act, which was made up of 11 winners from the second season of Mnet's audition program, "Produce 101" (2017), basked in immense popularity until its dissolution in 2018.

Shortly after arriving on the music scene, CIX dropped its second EP, "Hello Chapter 2: Hello, Strange Place," gradually carving out its own niche in the cutthroat K-pop industry. It continued its musical journey with the release of tracks like "Jungle" (2020) and "Wave" (2021), proving itself as a multi-faceted group consisting of gifted performers.

K-pop boy band CIX / Courtesy of C9 Entertainment

In May, CIX rolled out its sixth EP, "'OK' Episode 2: I'm OK." The members say their fresh release is about youth ― a double-edged sword for most people.

"Our EP centers on the theme of youth, the most beautiful and tragic time in our lives," BX explained. "It is also about how people end up discovering their own colors after going through this period."

The lead track "Save me, Kill me" is an emotional future bass single highlighting the members' vocal prowess. According to BX, it revolves around love and pain.

"It is a tune about a man who feels love is a fleeting thing that drags him to hell in the end," he noted.

Yonghee elaborated, "I personally feel that it is very poignant. Since it portrays the tragedy of our youth, it touches my heart a lot, too."

The members of K-pop boy band CIX during a recent interview with The Korea Times at a studio in Mapo District, northern Seoul / Korea Times photo by Yun Da-been

The boys first heard the tune about two years ago, but they kept it for themselves until they were ready.

"It was a vocally challenging song for us in the past," Seunghun revealed. "So we thought it would be better to first hone our skills and then showcase it to people. We repeatedly listened to it and spent much time practicing it."

All CIX members have found the song relatable, as they are in their youth too.

"Just like other people, sometimes we are really happy and sometimes we are not," Hyunsuk said. "I think this is part of our growth. But as K-pop singers, we receive so much love from our fans and we know that it is a special experience. That is why we are so thankful."

BX added, "I think it is so meaningful that five of us are spending our youth together."

"'OK' Episode 2: I'm OK" also offers three other tunes: "Back to life," "Curtain Call" and "Color." Seunghun and Yonghee say their favorite is "Curtain Call."

"It is my favorite among all B-side tracks we have released," Seunghun said. "It was my first time to shed tears after listening to our own song. Its lyrics are great, and they seem to depict the moments that CIX has walked together so far. I really wanted to bring it to our fans as soon as possible."

K-pop boy band CIX / Courtesy of C9 Entertainment

Shortly ahead of the EP's release, Bae made headlines thanks to Ayden of K-pop boy band EPEX ― which also debuted under C9 in 2021. Ayden said in a recent press event that he had "a dream-like moment" when Bae told him that he looked cool. Asked if he often praises or gives advice to younger singers at his company, Bae shook his head.

"I actually do not like commenting on other people's performances, because they may not be pleased by it," he said. "In the case of Ayden, I met him by chance when he was practicing something at our company at midnight. I did not quite know what to do or say when I saw him, so I told him that he looked very cool and hard-working. But I was being sincere."

CIX has hit the apex in its career with "'OK' Episode 2: I'm OK," with the album selling more than 130,000 copies during the first week of its release (May 30-June 5), according to sales tracker Hanteo. The music video for "Save me, Kill me" has exceeded 10 million views on YouTube as well.

However, the five boys still have big ambitions.

"I hope CIX takes a leap forward in its career with our new release," BX said. "It will also be great if we can rank first on any charts."