CIX Breaks Down Seventh Mini-Album ‘Thunder Fever’

CIX is back with its seventh mini-album, Thunder Fever—a mix of three new songs and a fresh version of two of its earlier releases—that retains the character of CIX, paying close attention to the emotional aspects of each song, the overall tone, and the small details important to convey its message.

The concept of Thunder Fever associates unexpected natural occurrences—a storm and a fever—with feelings of uncertainty, urgency, and anxiousness that come from severe emotional changes. The songs aptly define CIX. Group leader BX says, “It’s the perfect album to showcase our deeper music and performances.”

Centered on intense emotions and the emotional rush experienced in love, the tracks imply CIX’s feelings and appreciation for its beloved fans. In terms of the sound, it’s rich and immersive, meticulously made for a “fulfilling listening experience.”

From the electronic pop title track “Thunder” to the rocking beats of “My Everlasting Sun,” Thunder Fever “expresses not only the anxiety and desire but also a variety of other emotions that love brings,” explains BX. It underlines CIX’s propensity to create music that helps them connect with the listeners emotionally. More insights into the thoughts and the creative process of the album are in our exchange below:

How does the imagery of “storms” and “fever” relate to the emotions you wanted to convey in this album?

Seunghun: The confused state of the song’s protagonist due to experiencing intense and drastic emotional changes like a ‘storm’ was compared to a ‘fever.’ That change and stimulation often come from love; I believe FIX is that kind of love for us.

How do you feel that Thunder Fever reflects your artistic growth and how does it differ from your previous releases?

BX: Since this album is coming out after a year of preparation and renewal, I think it’s the perfect album to showcase our deeper music and performances. The fact that we can show you another side of CIX also reflects our growth.

Hyunsuk: I think our performance feels very refreshing and free, especially because this song is the most dynamic and energetic one we’ve ever performed. The eye-catching dance break in the song makes the stage more entertaining and enjoyable.

Can you share insights into the songwriting process? What drives the overall sound of Thunder Fever?

Yonghee: We put a lot of thought and time into understanding the meaning and message the lyrics convey. When recording, we made an effort to bring up the proper emotions that match the lyrics and vibes of each song. For our title track “Thunder,” an electro-pop song that captures the chaotic emotions and intense sensations that come with love, we tried to express it with a strong and sexy voice tone. For “My Everlasting Sun,” a song with a beautiful melody and lyrics, it was easier to sing emotionally by thinking about our fans while recording.

Hyunsuk: As for the sound, I think this album is full of strong bass. So, if you turn up the volume when listening, I believe you can enjoy the immersive, rich sounds for a fulfilling listening experience.

How do you hope the themes of Thunder Fever resonate with the listeners, especially considering the feelings of anxiety and desire that people often experience?

BX: This album expresses not only the anxiety and desire but also a variety of other emotions that love brings, which is shown through the songs, lyrics, and our concept. We hope our listeners resonate and find feelings they’ve experienced at some point in life and connect with them via our album.

The visuals accompanying the songs are crucial. How do the music videos reflect the concept of Thunder Fever?

Seunghun: As you can see in our music video, we included various elements like the weather changes and CG effects. We tried to express the concept of this album of ‘sudden emotions of falling in love’ through extreme weather and visual effects.

Yonghee: Also, our makeup, facial expressions, and choreographies express our album’s concept very well, so you should also take a close look at every scene.

Each member may interpret the themes of the album differently. How do you personally connect with the concept and its emotional depth?

BX: I focused on understanding and connecting with the concepts and emotions in this album. I often find it harder to stay focused when my interpretation doesn’t align with the album’s concept. I wanted the public to think, “CIX can pull off this concept well, too!” For that to happen, it was crucial for me to fully immerse myself in the concept, so I tried to solely focus on the album’s concept and emotions when preparing.

Seunghun: I think the emotions I feel are mostly through our fans. Since this album expresses various emotions about love, simply thinking about our fans allowed me to deeply empathize with the songs, lyrics, and emotions covered in the album.

Yonghee: We prepared for this album with the mindset of showing our fans intense love like “Thunder.” I think the album overall reflects my feelings and heart towards our fans.

Hyunsuk: Emotions about love are so diverse, and I feel like those emotions were expressed in each song in much detail and variety. I was able to connect with the song by matching the vibes and feelings that suit best.

With Thunder Fever marking a significant moment in your career, what are your hopes for the future as a group?

BX: As an artist, I want to continue to grow and improve by showing you new sides of ourselves. I also wish to participate more in producing music for our albums if possible. We plan to visit our fans not only in Korea but also overseas, so please stay tuned for more.

Yonghee: We hope to share joy with even more people through our music, and most importantly, we want to continue making happy memories with our FIXs for a long time.

Finally, what message do you want to convey to your fans with this album?

Seunghun: We want to convey our message to trust and have faith in the four of us. We promise to prove ourselves through our performances and explicitly showcase the distinct color of CIX!

Hyunsuk: I hope you all think, “This is it!” and be amazed as soon as you listen to our song. We’ve also prepared an incredible performance, so please look forward to that!