CIX stands for “Complete In X” (I have no idea what that means either), and is a part of the 4th generation of k-pop, having debuted in 2019. They debuted with five members: Seunghan, Yonghee, Hyunsuk, BX, and Bae Jinyoung (who left in 2024).

Here are my credentials: None. Absolutely none. I’ve heard one song by CIX, and not even the whole thing. But I heard that they were having a comeback, and decided it would be a good chance to get to know them. So let’s get started!

EP #1: Hello Stranger

Movie Star was their debut, almost five years ago now, and like I said I went into it really not knowing what to expect. The first thing that struck me was that it was very of its time, between the spoken-world “sultry” intro, the breathy vocals, and the pull-back before the chorus. But, besides that intro, I liked it! Despite being rookies, CIX have a lot of charisma, and the hook, though deceptively understated, is quite catchy. With just a few changes, I could see it being a standout.

From the 1st EP, Hello Stranger, I enjoyed the laid-back delivery and ethereal sound of Imagine.

EP #2: Hello, Strange Place

Numb, though it has a similarly understated sound and aloof delivery to Movie Star, is more focused on lost childhood and how to return to the days of innocence. Unfortunately, while it has a good message and good lyrics, it also has an anti-drop at the beginning of its chorus, which just undercuts its solid build-up. It’s a difficult song to become invested in, because once you feel like you’ve figured out where it’s going,  it changes abruptly and disorientates the listener. Overall, it’s disappointing.

From the EP, Hello, Strange Place, I enjoyed the groove and unique lyrics of Bystander, my first hidden gem.

EP #3: Hello, Strange Time

Jungle leans further into the angst and lore of the band than either of the two singles before, and has this unnerving feeling throughout, only added to by the lack of much instrumentation and the focus on the members’ higher ranges. I appreciate the vision behind this one, as it feels like the issues I have—the anti-drop and lack of a defining moment—are intentional song choices and not due to laziness. So, I’ll just say that this one’s not for me.

From the EP, Hello, Strange Time, I enjoyed the smooth sound of Switch It Up, by my hidden gem was the dance-floor ready Rebel.

EP #4: Hello, Strange Dream

Cinema, as I’m sure anyone who knows CIX has guessed, is the only song I’d heard of theirs before this review. It was their first breakthrough hit, and it’s easy to see why. Unlike their other songs, it follows a more classic k-pop template. It’s lighter, sunnier, and has this irresistible groove that pulses underneath it. But the best part is undeniably the chorus. I can’t really point to why it hits in a different way to their others, when it’s not an over-the-top moment either, but perhaps here it just feels like it fits. Also, the music video is delightful with all its golden age Hollywood references.

From the EP, Hello, Strange Dream, I enjoyed the lovely vocals in Stairway To Heaven and the rebellious, rock-tinged Young.

Album #1: Be OK

Wave, as befits its mid-August release date, feels tailor-made for summer, between the bright colors, tropical-inspired beats, and a light piano. Finally one of their titles has a chorus that just soars, and it’s all the better for it. And that bridge / outro is good too, elevating the feeling. I have no idea what the point of the last few moments of the music video were, though; probably something lore related? If anyone does, please let me know.

From the album, Be OK, I enjoyed the ultra-smooth delivery of Genie In A Bottle, the ethereal qualities of Confession, and the lovely message of Here For You. My hidden gem was Off My Mind, with its surf-rock elements and a-capella sections, and honestly, I think it should’ve been the title.

EP #5: OK Not

458 has one hell of an opening, with one of the members dangling from the ceiling wrapped in chains. It has a solid build up, I’ll give it that, but then it completely abandons that with an NCT 127 style anti-drop that is so focused on appearing cool that it forgets to actually be it. And of course, we have the classic hip-thrusting at the screen, joy of all joys. I think it’s pretty clear that this one’s not at all for me, so let’s move in.

From the EP, OK Not, my hidden gem was Nothing Without You, which caught me off guard in the best way with its catchy call-and-response hook and powerful vocals. I wish they’d used this sound for one of their titles, because it really worked here.

EP #6: I’m OK

Before I discuss Save Me, Kill Me, let me put a disclaimer. I don’t usually spoil things but I will say: there is a suicide attempt in the first ten seconds of the music video. It’s not graphic, but there’s a lot of scenes set in a hospital showing blood and most of the video is centered around flashbacks of intense bullying. It was difficult to get through it, even as someone who hasn’t experienced something like this. It’s dark, I’m warning you, and should definitely come with a trigger warning. So, with that out of the way, on to the song itself. It toes the line between angry and despondent excellently, and manages to become anthemic in its later moments, albeit in the most heartbreaking way. It’s honestly quite affecting, and almost brought me to tears combined with the video. As a piece goes, it’s fantastic, but it’s very hard to watch.

From the EP, I’m OK, I enjoyed the vocals in quietly anthemic Curtain Call.

Single #1: Lovers or Enemies

Lovers Or Enemies has a spacey electro sound, minimalistic in the verses and barely present at all in the chorus, and feels like a more mature version of their earliest singles. It still has a couple kinks that could use smoothing out here and there, like the rap being a bit out of place, but overall, it’s much stronger, and it gives me hope for them in the future.

EP #7: Thunder Fever

Thunder starts out differently from every CIX song so far, bringing a synthy sound to the forefront. I was cautiously optimistic from the pre-choruses’ great build-up, but was still bracing myself for an anti-drop, truth be told. But I was really pleasantly surprised by how full and sprawling the chorus was, and how much I liked the song in general! I think it hangs together quite well, and even the rap verse didn’t feel too out of place. I kind of can’t believe that this is the same group from Jungle, but I’m happy to say that this won me over, and was actually the thing that brought up their rating for me.

From the EP, I enjoyed the touches of funk in synthy Bad Moves, my hidden gem. I also liked Lovers Or Enemies more as a b-side than as a single. It’s quite a strong group of songs all together.

EP #8: GO Together

My first thought when I saw the thumbnail of Wonder You is: “oh, we’re doing gay sailors?” And, in my defense, the members are dancing with their shirts completely unbuttoned, with sailor hats on, so, sue me. (Was it really necessary to have them slowly take off their shirts while staring at the camera? No. Did I laugh anyway? Yes.) But, onto more serious commentary: while I liked the music video’s cleverness and found the beat catchy, I thought that the song was a little disappointing in terms of sound, especially because on the album it comes after what’s my favorite b-side. It’s a perfectly good song, don’t get me wrong, but it feels restrained in a way that I think does its best ideas a disservice. My favorite parts were undeniably where the vocals had time to shine, like the succession of high notes in the bridge and final chorus, and I wish the rest of the song was as good as those parts.

From the EP, I enjoyed the rushing synths of SOS, the aforementioned side that I really enjoyed. I personally think it would have made a stronger single.

Verdict: TL;DR

I’m glad I did this. I knew practically nothing about CIX before this deep dive, and  I’ve definitely learned more. I began to appreciate their talents in singing and dancing, and I watched a couple interviews and funny videos; their appearances on PopKorn and answering stan tweets were personal favorites.

My Top 5 songs were Save Me Kill Me, Nothing Without You, Cinema, Wave, and Bad Moves, with Bystander as an honorable mention. CIX gets an 7.75 out of 10 from me. A lot of their titles aren’t for me, to be honest: they either utilize tropes that get under my skin or they just don’t stand out enough from the k-pop landscape to warrant being that memorable. On the whole, their work tends towards forgettable. They’ve made some great songs, don’t get me wrong, but those feel more like outliers than a consistent pattern. That being said, they’re very talented, and I hope that they can prove me wrong in the future.

Next time, we’re onto a girl group. Tschüss!