On May 12, K-pop quintet CIX (short for “Complete in X”) stopped in New York for their 0 to 1 Tour. The tour started with two shows in Seoul before heading to North America.
This marked the 3rd time the group had toured the States. It has been a year since their <Save Me, Kill Me> Tour and they are eager to meet their fans (known as FIX) again.
Situated in Washington Heights was United Palace, a beautifully designed theater with a grand interior. Fans could not resist taking photos with the décor before heading to their assigned seats. Many were heard talking among themselves about which songs they were looking forward to hearing.
The lights dimmed as a VCR of binary numbers flashed on the LED display along with the CIX logo. Members BX, Seunghun, Yonghee, Bae Jinyoung, and Hyunsuk made their dramatic entrances as silhouettes in blue backlight. They dived right into “Move My Body” which, as the title suggests, immediately got the crowd dancing along. Next up was “Change Me,” a song that ignited screams with BX’s rap verse.
The group took a quick break to introduce themselves as every member received abundant love. They expressed their excitement to be back in New York especially since it was the start of the North American leg of the tour. After mustering their energy, they proceeded with their next tracks “BAD DREAM” and “Save me, Kill me.”
It goes to show that the members enjoy what they do and it’s thanks to FIX’s support. “Thank you for making our youthful times so meaningful for us,” Yonghee wholeheartedly shared. While on the topic of youth, Seunghun asked the crowd their ages. Responses ranged from those in their early 20s to young kids. There was even a baby in attendance much to everyone’s delight.
Like previous CIX tours, each member prepared cover stages to showcase their charms. First up was maknae Hyunsuk, performing LANY’s “ILYSB” while perched on a stool under a spotlight. Next was BX who delivered a charismatic performance of Marteen’s “Left to Right.” Yonghee wowed the crowd with his angelic vocals in “Angel Baby” by Troye Sivan while Bae Jinyoung got everyone singing along with the hit “Seven” by Jungkook. Lastly, Seunghun flaunted his soulful high notes in “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys.
After their solo stages, the members discussed the reasoning behind their song choices. Yonghee in particular cheekily commented, “I chose the song ‘Angel Baby’ because there are so many angel babies in New York!” Seunghun revealed that he was originally going to cover Michael Jackson’s “Love Never Felt So Good” and then proceeded to sing a snippet of it in acapella style. Judging from all the screams, the fans enjoyed how all the members brought their flavor to those performances.
CIX regrouped for a medley segment consisting of the songs “Switch It Up,” “LOST,” “Imagine,” and “WAVE” as they smiled and waved to the audience. After a VCR break, the members returned for their debut track “Movie Star” with an added dance break as a bonus. For their latest single “Lovers or Enemies” CIX took on a futuristic concept, and getting a chance to hear it live for the first time was a refreshing experience with its catchy melodies.
“458” was notably the most difficult song for them to perform due to its intense choreography but hearing all the passionate cheers from FIX gave them all the energy they needed. During their ment, the members thanked everyone for attending and said they would be back next year with better performances. Since it was Mother’s Day, Seunghun cutely greeted all the moms in the audience.
Turning things down a notch, a staff brought out mic stands for their slower-paced songs “Drown in Luv” and “My name is shadow.” It was nearing the show’s end, but not until the members returned on stage dressed in tour merch for the encore. Closing off with “Color,” they showed their gratitude as they held onto a signed “Welcome back to NYC” flag and fan-made banners while throwing hand hearts to the crowd.
The energy in that venue was filled with lighthearted vibes from start to finish. Be sure to visit CIX in a city near you to experience that in person!
Quotations have been edited for clarity and conciseness.
Photos and words by Angela Leung
