CIX Goes “Numb” in First Comeback
Just four months after their debut, CIX has returned to the music scene with their second mini-album Chapter 2. Hello, Strange Place and title track “Numb.” As one of the more successful debuts of the year, with nearly ten million views on the debut music video to date, there were certainly high expectations for the group’s first comeback. With debut title “Movie Star” employing the catchy EDM and mysterious vibe, what did “Numb” have in store for us?
The Title: “Numb”
The opening of the song is a bit misleading, as it feels like it’s steering the upcoming melody into a distorted and potentially even disturbing direction. However once the beat drops, we’re hit with a refreshing pop rhythm that is much lighter than the opening. It’s very catchy and layered with different genre influences building up to another drop at the chorus, a heavy staccato EDM beat that is a bit unexpected, but still somehow works. Although the shifts in melody may seem somewhat incoherent at first, they become catchier and more cohesive. What really makes this song particularly spectacular isn’t the musical composition, but the meaningful lyrics and how they tie into the visual concept.
Remember that unsettling, distorted introduction? That music is accompanied by the visual opening of a dark, messy room and cracked, run-down buildings. These images transition into those featuring the members in uniform crowding a classroom, though the darker images begin to take over as the lyrics match the mood. They sing of modern life and youth, and of the suffocating silence they face due to oppressive standards which only suppress individuality. The different shots throughout the video and the choreography are very powerful, but coupling this with the lyrics makes “Numb” a fierce, passionate track with an extremely important message behind it.
The Album
One thing that stood out during CIX’s debut was the quality of the B-sides on their first album. We never really expect B-sides for a new group to be on par with the title, but that was not true in this case, so we were excited to dive deep into their newest mini-album.
Right out of the gate, CIX hits us with hip-hop heavy “Black Out,” showcasing Byounggon’s deep rapping timbre. Fans of rap bangers are going to be all over this track, and it successfully starts the album out on a powerful note. After “Numb” comes “Rewind,” another heavily hip-hop-influenced song. It’s equally misleading at first, and it drops harder than expected. Yes, this track is even more intense than “Black Out,” though there is a bit of respite at the bridge before the chorus. Fourth on the list is “Bystander,” a lighter rap melody that provides a bit of a rest from the previously intense tracks that came one after another. Even with the brighter feel, the melody maintains a strong hip-hop base with a mix of modern pop elements and a heavier focus on vocals. Rounding out the album is “Maybe I,” a smooth R&B track that has very strong Zion.T vibes. The slower tempo is a great exit to the album. The group’s vocals fit the R&B sound particularly well.
I didn’t know it would be possible, but I enjoyed this album even more than the first, and I find all of the songs worth a listen. With most rookie groups, there are at least one or two songs that I don’t particularly fancy, but that’s not the case with CIX. I don’t think it would be fair to say CIX isn’t getting the attention they deserve for their talent, but part of me does feel that they’re a bit overlooked on the rookie stage in comparison to other acts from bigger companies.
Though it might not seem so on the surface, CIX definitely has something special going on.