CIX debuted earlier this year under C9 Entertainment with the extended play ‘HELLO Chapter 1: Hello, Stranger’. Today, they are back with a new release and they did not disappoint.
CIX immediately came out with a strong concept, great vocals and stunning music videos. Some of the members were already known in the music industry for their great skills, and their newest release ‘Hello Chapter 2: Hello, Strange Place’ just proves how talented they are.
This EP kicks off with ‘BLACK OUT’, a powerful track that transitions from heavy hip-hop tunes to electronic ones. Both the vocal and rap line definitely showed off their skills. I feel that BX and Hyunsuk’s rapping was the highlight of the song. It is extremely well blended and makes this track unique and one of my favorite ones of this release.
‘Numb’ follows ‘BLACK OUT’ and it is also the title track for this EP. This song has an up-beat pop style with electronic and some hip-hop vibes. When I first listened to this song I felt quite uneasy because of the beat and flow throughout the track, but once I read the lyrics I understood why it was planned that way. ‘Numb’ touches sensitive subjects and the rhythm in it compliments that. Check out the video.
Something that I really liked about this release is that most of the tracks are hip-hop influenced, the drop beats go hard, and you can appreciate how talented the rap line is without outshining the vocal line. ‘REWIND’ is the third track of this EP, and it is the perfect example of this. The sound mixing in this song was my favourite part. I felt like a story was being told, but it left an open ending that blended very well with the beginning of the fourth track ‘BYSTANDER’. This track has such an old school vibe, I loved it!
‘MAYBE I’ is the last song of ‘Hello Chapter 2: Hello, Strange Place’. It’s a complete change of the mood the entire EP was in. This ballad is soft and the vocal line did an outstanding job delivering the lyrics. The song flows beautifully and it’s also one of my favorites.
CIX’s newest release has a completely different style from their previous one. These rookies are incredibly talented and this EP was an absolute surprise. The storyline they are building through their clips and MV touches very sensitive subjects but, I can see they’re trying to bring awareness about issues and problems that the youth faces nowadays. Take a look at the edited clip here:
(DISCLAIMER: The clip references suicide, bullying, among other sensitive subjects)
Here’s the album:
