[FEATURE] The Other Side of VIXX: Top Ten B Sides

What makes a great VIXX B-side track? The VIXX sound has been chic, sharp, moody, and sophisticatedly urbane. When it hasn’t, it has been either ballads which showcased their harmonies and excellent vocals, or the rare sugar pop they have sometimes dipped their toes in. VIXX has a recognisable musical sound characterised by synth-y instrumentals, catchy and surprising melodies packaged in intense and charismatic delivery. They also enjoy expressing lyrical intimacy about romance, love, and lust.

VIXX has explored a full range of music genres in their musical wheelhouse – from EDM to pop and from trap to urban house – which makes it hard to pin down their musical sound. It is easier to get a grasp of their musical multitudes and stellar performances with their title tracks – but what about their B-side tracks?

Here is a list of 10 VIXX songs that make up the alternative musical landscape for those new to VIXX. These songs have a place in Starlights’ hearts for several reasons: they are iconic and meaningful to Starlights and VIXX because they represent some connection between them, or they represent a musical side to VIXX that we don’t always get to see, that is different from their usual smooth intensity – the rock side, the grandiose side and the funky side.

*For the purpose of this article, we have only included tracks by VIXX as a whole. Solo, collaborative and sub-unit tracks as well as tracks intended for the Japanese and Chinese markets have not been included.

CHAOS

With its electronic waterfall intro and pounding rock guitar verses, ‘Chaos’ gives a quick foray into themes that have become a VIXX trademark: helplessly, desperately falling in love or lust with someone to the point of being completely under their control. ‘Chaos’ has a youthful, driving dynamism so prevalent in the early albums. Its energy is straightforward and possesses little of the smirking, mature musings over desire that would come with later songs of the same nature.

Love Letter

If the VIXX and Starlights story had a soundtrack, this would be the song that plays in the still, quiet moment when two people turn to each other for friendship and comfort. With a simple piano accompaniment and vocal arrangement, it is a touching tribute to the bond between artist and fan. ‘Love Letter’ promises loyalty and sincerity.

Whilst all the group sings, including Ravi, the two main vocals shine and bring emotional expression that only seasoned vocal performers can. With Leo’s high and bright vocal tone turning plaintive and emotional, and Ken’s buttery warm huskiness melting into a honeyed auditory sensation, the experience is tender and sensitive. As it is almost always sung during their series of LIVE FANTASIA concerts, it makes for a very gratifying live ‘Love Letter’ experience for Starlights.

Secret Night

Thrash guitar? Carnivalesque musical themes? From VIXX whose genteel musical arrangements convey the hallmarks of their sound? ’Secret Night’ employs all of that and more. It plays with half time measures and lyrics that leave little to the imagination what the title means.

Completely written and composed by rapper Ravi, it is brash, in your face and a delicious headbanger of a song. The sweet drop into its chorus keeps it from going over the edge into a pure rock metal song.

Whilst Ravi had already been writing his own song and rap lyrics for most of their songs prior to this, it is the first fully composed song on their first full album Voodoo Doll, and it certainly reflects his style, dynamism and romantic (or not so romantic) preoccupations!

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kH4Br3s5c08[/embedyt]

Spider

With a haunting note harkening back to an older VIXX era of high concept goth gore, ‘Spider’ quickly turns into an electric guitar funk rock-fest while still keeping within the bounds of dance music.

Using all the vocal guns in their armoury, beginning with the raspy, under-utilised and multi-tonal Hongbin, laying on the thick and progressive harmonies and using both solo and group vocal trills and flourishes almost like a part of the instrumentation, ‘Spider’ recounts the almost obsessive aspect of desire, where the lover is so enthralling that the seduction is like poison under his skin.

‘Spider’ is written by Simon Janlov who also co-wrote their single ’Dynamite’ from the Zelos mini album and ’Black Out’ from the Shangri La mini album. And it goes hard. When VIXX performed a rock version during their LIVE FANTASIA – ELYSIUM Concert Tour, it showcased the power of their live vocals and choreography to perfection.

Hot Enough

Erik Lidbom is a staple composer for VIXX, having penned nine songs for them, including tracks for the Japanese market and fan favourites throughout the discography. None is more iconic of his sexy sophisticated sound than ‘Hot Enough’. The second single to the watershed single ‘Chained Up’, it was the first staged B-side that made blatant reference to the desirous act and the sensuality of attraction.

“Baby hot enough, Swallow all of me/ Like a black hole I will lose all of me/ Melt me in all your ways, melt me now”

“Chained Up” was a real departure in the official VIXX comeback tracks narrative, which up till then contained some attachment to the wholesomeness of true love, infatuation, and perhaps the emotional or psychological desire for another. This track and ‘Hot Enough’ set fire to many a Starlight heart unused to it, and set the tone for a more mature VIXX journey to come – even though by then, very many of the VIXX albums contained such songs.

Musically, there were few other tracks that sounded like it – not until perhaps ‘My Valentine’, on their last full album, Eau De Vixx. Its mellow, seductive plucked guitar instrumentals layered over with sampled bell riffs and an ever-so-slight delay on the processed drum sample, were like sensitive notes hovering over a funky, sexy, dry bassline. OOF.

The Butterfly Effect

Also written by Erik Lidbom along with K-pop composer/hitmaker Andreas Oberg, ‘The Butterfly Effect’ is a lush, old school R&B ballad that stays on the edgy side of saccharine by employing an enchanting melody that dips in and out of changing keys, little trap trills and a slow ’90s R&B rhythm – and burgeons into an aural painting that is almost cinematic and grandiose.

The vocals have been arranged beautifully – like the way N and Hyuk, who have similar timbres, bring such a different expression to their lines. N’s honeyed, warm tone is complemented by Hyuk’s youthful, clear and silvery sound. When the main vocals take over, Ken and Leo’s voices soar over the song – in contrast to Hongbin’s autumnal huskiness and Ravi’s whisperings and gentle melodic rapping.

Built like a classic, the lyrics, along with the song, swell and soar and push and pull – it is a sensuous exploration of falling in love and into the senses.

Black Out

Oh boy. Before we knew it, we witnessed this escalation.

“I want to put candy in your mouth… What we will also do tonight/ Freak out/ I want to see a different you from yesterday.”

Not only were the boys now comfortable just straight up talking dirty, they were apparently actively participating in repetitive acts of pleasure. If there were any fans left who still held on to the deluded belief that their idols lived a chaste and sheltered life, they were soon gone, and their flights of fantasy with them. Starlights had no choice but to face that reality – behold the evidence of original corruption!

Taking its cue from the electronic snaps counting in a throbbing synth-y bassline, the choreography was Michael Jackson-esque, and, like the song, was electrifying and starkly upfront about its intentions – including a deep, leggy and masculine equivalent of a slut drop, as well as moans and growls from erstwhile rapper, Ravi.

Trigger

Since it is impossible to put every song on the Eau De Vixx album on this list, I shall have to be content with a select few. It is already difficult to have to choose between the songs, but a surprise favourite has to be ‘Trigger’.

When it was first performed live, the dreamy mid-tempo, electro-euro-EDM vibes, coupled with the sexy and sharp choreography was a hit, particularly with it’s gun-cocking action and fatal shots to the heart. Its atmospheric, floaty and throbbing soundscape give it an ethereal, pulsating synth pop vibe that is reminiscent of early ’90s club dance and house music.

Co-written by VIXX’s youngest member Hyuk along with Royal Dive (who has written for GOT7, Wanna One and JJ Project) and Jeff Lewis (EXO, Monsta X and Jeong Sewoon), ‘Trigger’ is an exciting layer in the Eau De Vixx track listing, featuring Hyuk’s own fresh and unique vocals alongside the mains’ falsettos and the lower registers of N and Hongbin. Ravi’s driving rap pushes the urgency, making this track a must in the VIXX B-side canon.

Odd Sense

The opening notes are like a siren call or a beeping alarm, loud in their synth-y glory, which then disappear into a light guitar instrumental as Leo begins to sing in an unusually low and whispery register. The words are sensual, animal, and denote a hunger whetted by the senses and a primal instinct. The siren sound returns after Ravi’s rap and builds until the chorus, an unsettled, persistent story of passions burning up – and with a stunning key change coupled with an escalating vocal rise between Ken and Leo, this song never lets up! Surprisingly, the choreography is sedate and gentlemanly, and the tension between the song’s build up and the choreography’s restraint creates a remarkable dynamic.

Written by Albi Albertsson, who co-wrote some of VIXX’s landmark hits such as ‘On and On’ (the song which arguably put them on the K-pop map), ‘Maze’, ‘B.O.D.Y.’ and ‘Chained Up’, this song opened for VIXX’s last full concert tour as six, before N and Leo left for the military. ‘Odd Sense’, along with tracks such as ‘Silence’, ‘Escape’ and ‘Circle’ could well have been the official comeback single. On a clumsy side note, the whole album Eau De Vixx is what a music lover could call “All Killer, No Filler”.

Milky Way

There are a plethora of songs that VIXX have written specifically in tribute to their fans (Starlights), including the latest beauties, ‘Walking’, ‘Navy & Shining Gold’ and concert ending song staples, ‘Heaven’, ‘Love Come True’ and ‘Thank You For My Love’. ‘Milky Way’ was chosen as VIXX recorded a music video with fans as the audience, who all kept their recordings private until the video was released – and, it has the funkiest soul vibes of the VIXX track listing.

Written by R&B and Soul composer Justin Reinstein, Hyuk and Ravi contributed the lyrics which set up the Starlight fandom as the ones who shine bright so that they may walk the Milky Way together. The song was released as a year-end special after the year-long VIXX 2016 Conception Ker compilation album. ‘Milky Way’ was fresh, bouncy, and felt like a true gift.