I’m going a bit out of order here – I posted about Stray Kids earlier this week, but there were a couple of groups like CIX that I should have covered first chronologically. This is because I originally planned to do a summary post and react to a bunch of August comebacks all at once. My second COVID-19 vaccine dose took me DOWN this week and made me fall even further behind, so I thought doing a round-up would save time… but even with a raging headache and difficulty concentrating, I still ended up writing more than I had initially planned. (And I really try to avoid long posts if possible since I know mine can get super lengthy.) So I decided to just revert back to my original reactions, even if they’re shorter and less detailed than usual. But to be clear, it’s not because I don’t have much to say about the groups or artists! It’s because I spent half my writing time staring blankly into space, and now I need to pick up the pace (^^””)
No matter how hard I try, I just can’t seem to move past the casual listener stage with CIX. It’s nothing personal, and it’s not anything they’re doing that needs improvement. I think they’re quite talented, and they definitely deserve more recognition than they currently have. It’s just the downside of being a multifan with a short attention span: I tend to jump quickly from release to release unless it’s something I really love. And unfortunately, it seems like I’ve gotten even pickier about what I like this year – which makes it harder for me to get into groups like CIX, whose music typically doesn’t match my tastes.
Objectively, I think “Wave” is a great track. It has a very inspiring and healing energy, with an uplifting chorus and sincere earnest vocals from the members. But unfortunately, it’s also the type of song that I like initially but only listen to once or twice before moving on. It kind of got lost in the shuffle of all the other August music for me, and I had a hard time remembering what it sounded like for a while. I feel a similar way about the choreography – it’s got some nice movements, but the whole thing feels a little one-note in comparison to other dances I’ve seen recently. It’s too bad, since CIX has definitely had performances that were successful at grabbing and holding my attention in the past.
But although I’m not feeling “Wave” as a song or a dance, I do think that the music video really shines. CIX’s videos always have strong production design and stellar effects, but their team really pulled all the stops out for “Wave.” While I would personally prefer the narrative to be a little clearer, I do like how the plot progresses from the members planning a boat trip (in some kind of bunker?) to actually going on it – and there are so many shots that are seriously stunning. The whole sequence of their voyage was super exciting to watch, and the CGI was very well-done. I also thought it was cool that the final scene made a connection to one of their previous music videos, and it makes me want to go back and look at all of their videos more closely.
MY OVERALL INTEREST LEVEL
(NOTE: My options for each category are “Love,” “Like,” “Neutral,” “Not My Style,” or “Dislike.” But I rarely dislike anything, so I’ll mostly be using the other four.)
| Category | My Opinion |
|---|---|
| Song | Neutral |
| Dance | Neutral |
| Music Video | Like |
“Wave” is a solid effort from CIX, but it unfortunately just doesn’t really grab this multifan’s attention when there’s so much else going on – which is why I marked a couple categories as “neutral.” I think it’s great their music is a little different from your standard 4th generation boy group fare, so I don’t necessarily want them to deviate that. However, I also believe comebacks like “Wave” need to be a *touch* more dynamic in parts to have a better chance of standing out from the crowd. Maybe it’s because I prefer music that’s a little more powerful in nature, but they don’t need to completely change their concept; I think they can shake things up just a little while still keeping their signature sound. In any case, CIX has done a great job as always. I’m sure they’ll continue to grow and improve, and I look forward to the day they release a song I really click with.
(“Knee Jerk Reaction” is a column I created to talk about comebacks or debuts when I don’t have a lot of time to write in-depth reviews. A knee jerk reaction is like an automatic response, so it’s a post about my initial thoughts on the song, the music video, and the performance if it’s available. Compared to my reviews, everything is more stream of consciousness and less analytical. And everything is 100% my own opinion!)
SOURCES: Featured image and music video belong to C9 Entertainment.
Katherine Does K-POP 