On the 29th May CIX made their comeback with their brand new EP, “OK” Episode 2: I’m OK. It is a EP that takes the listener on a journey surrounding the painful feeling of love. This brand new EP focuses on the journey of youth and the emotional elements of youth. We got to ask CIX all about their brand new EP and the story depicted in the tracks. Read on to find out what they had to say. The title track on CIX’s new release is called “Save Me, Kill Me” and features a music video that depicts the story behind the track very well. The music video is like one of those K-Drama’s that have you hooked for the entire series and the whole episode. You keep coming back for more. It really captures the essence of telling a story of going the painful side of love. It is a track that will most likely hit home with a lot of listeners. CIX are a group that hope listeners can find solace in their music and it can be a safe place for their listeners to use their music to help them through the hard times. In which it is a beautiful thing for artists to hope their listeners can find that safe place in their music.
The title of your new EP, “OK” Episode 2: I’m OK, suggests a continuation from your previous release. How does this new album build upon or even differ to the themes and concepts explored in the first “OK” series?
BAE JINYOUNG: Our previous album [‘OK’ Episode 1: OK Not] expressed a mature self through emotions such as pain, aspiration, patience, and emptiness derived from the feeling of love. This album [‘OK’ Episode 2: I’m OK] includes the stories of all eras of youth, including pain, hope, praise, and wandering.
YONGHEE: Unlike the previous music video, we made the “Save Me, Kill Me” music video in a dramatized form without choreography for the viewers to really focus and be immersed in the expression of sorrow.
The Story Film released during your debut was inspired by Dante’s The Divine Comedy. How does this new EP further develop the “universe of CIX” and its connection to the dramatic storyline?
SEUNGHUN: [‘OK’ Episode 2: I’m OK] is an album that tells the story of the members who have reached heaven through purgatory. It sings about the most precarious but the most beautiful period, or youth, which can be seen in our story films.
BX: We focused on capturing the contents of our universe in each item that appears in the video. Since it is connected to the previously released story film, it would be great if you pay attention to the title of the story film and focus on each of the five people’s stories.
The title track of your EP is called “Save Me, Kill Me.” Could you tell us more about the inspiration behind this song and how it reflects the album’s overall theme?
HYUNSUK: Rather than drawing inspiration from something, we were able to create a good song naturally by thinking about the music that fits our universe and story. We thought the painful feeling of love was also one of the stories that young people go through, so we wanted to really express desperate and sorrowful love through “Save Me, Kill Me.”
The lyrics of “Save Me, Kill Me” depict a sorrowful heart with infernal pain after experiencing a moment of brilliant love. Can you elaborate on the emotions and messages you aim to convey through this track?
BX: We wanted to express the painful heart of the main character after the brilliant love of youth has ended in a beautiful way. We wanted to show a richer and more diverse message containing the endless desire to find the existence that we desperately wish for by harmonizing music, lyrics, and performance.
How would you describe the musical direction and sound of this new EP? Are there any specific elements or genres that you explored or experimented with in this release?
YONGHEE: For this album, we wanted to present diverse music through all four songs, each with a different sound. The title song “Save Me, Kill Me” is a medium-tempo, future bass-style song with a refreshing and warm spatial sound.
BAE JINYOUNG: Also, for the first track, “Back to Life” which is an atmospheric ballad, it seems that our voices stand out with only the piano and strings in the melody.
What was the creative process like for “OK” Episode 2: I’m OK? Did you face any challenges or surprises during the production of this album?
SEUNGHUN: I think it was difficult to capture emotions when filming the story film. After much work, I was finally able to focus on a specific emotion, and I filmed a scene with the feeling of “I’m lonely, but I hope my friend YONGHEE will wake up.”.
HYUNSUK: The tour and the preparation of the album took place at the same time. We were preparing for a comeback whenever we were in Korea during the tour, so the preparation schedule was a little tight. However, as many staff and company members helped us, we could prepare for our comeback much easier.
Are there any particular tracks in this EP that hold special meaning or stand out to you personally? If so, could you share some insights about those songs and what makes them significant?
SEUNGHUN: The song that feels particularly special is “Curtain Call.” When I listen to this song, the moments we walked through for four years pass by like a film. There are many memories from being together with the members for four years, and this is a song that reminds me of both difficult and happy moments.
BX: I will also choose “Curtain Call.” Every time I listen to this song, I am also overwhelmed by various emotions. The melody and atmosphere of this song seem to have the power to immerse the listener in the lyrics.
As a group, how do you hope your fans will perceive and interpret the messages and stories conveyed through this new EP? What do you want them to take away from listening to the album?
BX: This album is about the happiest, yet tragic period of life which is youth. We hope our album can give strength to many young people.
YONGHEE: Since we are talking about various pains, we strongly hope FIX to comfort and overcome their pain through our music. We want to always be by FIX’s side, cheering on and giving them strength.
With the release of “OK” Episode 2: I’m OK, what are your plans and expectations for the future? Are there any specific goals or milestones that you hope to achieve with this new release?
BAE JINYOUNG: Our biggest goal is for all of our CIX members, our managers, and staff to be healthy and complete the promotion without any hardships. We have more various activities planned in the future, so we ask for your continued interest and love.
YONGHEE: We hope our universe becomes clear and our music becomes more enjoyable. Our goal is to make our music closer to the public. CIX will continue to grow steadily in the future.
Finally, what would you like to say to any fans who may be reading CelebMix and of course CelebMix readers in general?
BAE JINYOUNG: Dear CelebMix readers, we hope you are always happy and healthy. We ask for a lot of support and love for our recently released album, and we hope you look forward to our future. Dear FIX, thank you always for your strong support for this promotion. We love you!
HYUNSUK: We are deeply grateful for the interest in the recently released song “Save Me, Kill Me.” It was nice to show our universe through the music video and story films and tell our story to readers and fans through such a good opportunity. We hope you continue to spend days full of good things and happy days. We love you!
We are loving CIX’s new release so far. We can not wait to see what is next from CIX, they definitely have powerful messages they want to express through their music. In addition to the fact they are making music that is relatable.
Have you listened to this new release from CIX? Let us know on Twitter @CelebMix