Not My Snack.

Last week, C9 Entertainment announced that CIX’s contracts officially ended on April 30. It was heartbreaking news for FIX, including me. From my point of view, CIX was the one and only K-pop boy group inspired by classic literature, and they kept this concept alive for seven years.

After I started analyzing their universe, I wrote five chapters to share my interpretation in simple words. This time, I want to wrap up all my thoughts and say a proper goodbye.

There’s no need to say again that CIX was inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy. What matters most is how CIX played with this concept and showed different sides of it throughout their career. This can be seen not only in their title tracks, but also in their B-sides.

One of those songs is “Bystander” from HELLO Chapter 2: Hello, Strange Place—the beginning of atonement, the one who watches. Another is “Upstander” from GO Chapter 1: GO Together—the completion of redemption, the one who chooses to save.

Both songs first appeared in 2019 and came full circle in 2025 with their final record. In a way, it also feels like a symbol of the end of this journey.

This time, I want to talk about another one of my favorite artists — BOBBY of iKON. 

Everyone is familiar with his career in iKON — there’s no denying that. However, this time I want to focus on his solo works and share some of my observations.

BOBBY started his solo career with the album Love and Fall in 2017. After watching his MTV interview, I learned that the title track “Runaway” was about the pressure and hesitation he was experiencing in his life. This was the first time I realized that he was not only expressing intense imagination through his music, but also sharing a more fragile side of himself.

In my opinion, this album carries a youthful and vibrant vibe, but you can already hear his talent for creating music.

Oh, by the way, the doll that appears in the music video is actually BOBBY’s favorite doll in real life. It means a lot to him.

After three years, BOBBY released his second solo album, Lucky Man, in 2021. This is also my favorite album of his. In my view, this album brings a different direction. If you look at the credits, you’ll notice that The Proof, a producer outside YG, was involved in the production. The title track “U MAD” shows a strong and aggressive vibe, but what I really want to focus on are the B-sides.

If “Runaway” was about pressure and hesitation, “RaiNinG” and “Let iT Go” expressed a stronger sense of helplessness. BOBBY also talked about this period of songwriting on the program I.M on the Beat. 

Here is one of my favorite lines from “RaiNinG”:

‘나이 많은 아저씨의 가장 간절한 게 청춘 난 그 청춘을 가지고 뭣도 아무것도 못해’ “Older men want youth the most, but even though I have it, I haven’t done anything with it.”

From here, I want to move on to his next album, Sir. Robert, released before he entered the military. If Lucky Man represents the first clear statement of his solo identity, Sir. Robert feels like his masterpiece.

Here is one of my favorite lines that connects back to “RaNinG,” from “20s 30s”: ‘그림자에게 사과해 내 그림자가 돼서 편히 쉬게 방의 빛을 없애고... 알고 싶지 않아 커튼 뒤의 일어나는 일이’ “I apologize to my shadow, turning off the light in my room so it can rest. I don’t want to know what’s happening behind the curtain.”

Below is the clip from the program I.M on the Beat, where BOBBY talked about his songwriting during that period.

[아이엠온더비트] EP.4 iKON 바비 | f, 무중력, BORN HATER, 연결고리#힙합 [4K HDR]

Another small detail I noticed appears in the lyrics. A line from “help me out or kill me not” overlaps with “DeViL”: “I did it again 난 만취해 기분이 지금 째지네.”

It might be a small coincidence, but it also reflects how certain emotions keep returning in his writing.

Above all, what matters the most to me is not only his performance as an idol, but also his remarkable talent as a songwriter. That is why he is an artist I truly respect.

After a long long trip, we finally arrived in Paradiso (Heaven) in 2025. “니가 궁금해” is the title song from their 8th EP ALBUM GO Chapter 1:GO Together. At the same time, it means their trip ends, and the new chapter starts.

Basically, you can see a lot of symbols in the music video. From now on, I’ll show you two storylines. One is based on Dante’s Divine Comedy, and the other comes from their story films.

First, you can see each member with an item that represents their story from the films.

Hyunsuk played with a Rubik's cube during his suffering time. BX used fire to show his apology for ignoring the bullying. Seunghun has new earphones, and the most important part is Yonghee throwing his patient gown away. It means they have finished their redemption.

Second, at the end of the video you can see them going to the ladder to heaven, and the seraphim from the lyrics are flying. Both of them are symbols from the Paradiso.

In my point of view, the Paradise references feel much softer this time.

There still little details, like the custom license plate and the Italian sentence on the windshield, don’t directly quote The Divine Comedy the way Jungle does, but they still hint at a “heaven roadtrip” mood.

Personally, there’s a little pity in this concept. They try too hard to show the whole CIX Universe with heaven but Paradiso easily makes people imagine religion. Except for members’ sexy bodyshape, the custom could be better.

In summary, it took them six years to reach “heaven” and taste light and love—but the real question is whether they’re truly redeemed, or just comforting themselves with the idea of salvation?

I am still looking forward to CIX in 2026.

Thank you for watching and joining me to dive into the CIX Universe. See you next time! xoxo

Here comes my favorite part—Purgatory.

Obviously, the title of this song, “Save me, Kill me,” means the atonement trip has started.

Before we talk about the concept, another title song from 2019 you need to know is “Numb.”

The Korean title of Numb is “순수의 시대,” which means “the age of innocence.”

They talk about how teenagers feel in high school—maybe helpless, anxious, etc., and the most important thing: being ignored by their parents.

If you’re interested in the background, you can check the story films on CIX’s official YouTube channel.

Back to “Save me, Kill me,” this song talks about the trauma that comes after being ignored, hurt, and making mistakes—just like the seven deadly sins in Purgatory.

Most importantly, it’s the help and understanding from their friends that gets them through the pain.

Personally, compared to the intense and fiery vibe in 458, you can feel a sense of redemption in Save me, Kill me. They’re not just shouting out their feelings — they’re also reaching out for help. Just like the lyrics: “Just save my love or kill this heart, just save my heart or end it all.”

Besides, the lyrics are really beautiful. I hope you’ll enjoy it, too.

To be continued…

Before we climb the mountain, we must first arrive at its foot.

In Dante’s Divine Comedy, souls don’t enter Purgatorio right away. They first pass through Antipurgatorio. Here, they wait. Reflect. Regret. Only then can they begin the climb.

In the CIX Universe, that oceanic crossing happens in Wave. But it’s in 458 that the boys finally arrive. They stop running. The mist clears. The mountain rises.

And there — at the very end of 458 — they stand together before two towering figures, cloaked in black, motionless like ancient gatekeepers. This isn't redemption. Not yet. But it’s no longer chaos either.

This is the threshold. The place between being lost… and beginning to heal.

On the other hand, 458 is my favorite title song in the CIX Universe.

We both know that if you want to pour Divine Comedy muse into the concept, you need to make some adjustments.

The 458 is the most famous car in the Ferrari series. They use this concept to express love and speed. Sounds commercial, right? But I totally agree with it. If you want to catch someone's eyes in the entertainment industry, clichés never go wrong.

BTW, their costumes and makeup are my favorite, too!

To be continued…

Last time, we talked about Inferno (Hell) through the lens of Jungle.

Maybe some FIX would expect the next step to be Purgatorio — and it is, but not quite yet. Before we reach the Purgatorio, there's something we need to cross: The ocean.

Yes, Wave is coming.

In Dante’s Divine Comedy, Purgatorio is a high mountain surrounded by the ocean. To reach it, the soul must first cross that vast sea. You can clearly see that reflected in Wave — the entire concept is built around a voyage. By the end of the MV, the five members finally overcome the crashing waves and catch sight of a distant mountain.

That is Purgatorio.

And it’s not just the visuals — even the wording on their costumes says: “Che l’uom s’innalza a l’alte soglie nostro segnando…” It closely mirrors a line from the opening of Purgatorio, marking their transition from chaos to reflection.

To be continued…

To FIX and other K-pop fans — let’s dive into the CIX Universe!

When CIX released their 8th EP ALBUM GO Chapter 1:GO Together, it meant one thing —heaven is coming.

Many FIX already know that CIX Universe is inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy, but not everyone understands the deeper reason behind it.

If you go back and revisit their albums and music videos, you’ll start to notice how much thought and care C9 Entertainment and their creative team have poured into the story.

So without further ado, let me show you how the CIX Universe works.

What I’m about to share is based on my personal interpretation — combining official content, music videos, and the emotional layers I’ve felt as a listener.

CIX universe follows the same structure as Dante’s Divine Comedy, which is divided into three parts:

🔥 Inferno (Hell)

🌫️ Purgatorio (Purgatory)

🌤️ Paradiso (Heaven)

Personally, I see Jungle as the embodiment of Inferno.

In the music video, the five boys each make a different mistake — and each ends up trapped in their own version of hell.

You can see Jinyoung running through a dense forest, which reminds me of how Inferno in The Divine Comedy also begins: lost in a dark, tangled wood.

By the way, Jungle literally opens with a line from Inferno: “Nel mezzo del cammin di nostra vita mi ritrovai per una selva oscura…”

To be continued…