EAU DE VIXX – VIXX


Korean pop boy band VIXX was created by Jellyfish Entertainment in 2012 as part of the MyDOL reality show. The members of the dance- and R&B-influenced group, participants on the televised survival program, were chosen by fans, who also decided their name, which stands for “Voice, Visual, Value in Excelsis.” The sextet is comprised of N (Cha Hak-yeon), Leo (Jung Taek-woon), Ken (Lee Jae-hwan), Ravi (Kim Won-sik), Hyuk (Han Sang-hyuk), and Hongbin Lee. After their formation, they issued their debut single “Super Hero,” followed by their debut EP, Hyde, in May 2013. Later that year, their first album arrived. Voodoo topped the Korean charts and entered the Taiwanese and U.S. markets in the Top Five. To promote the effort, VIXX embarked on an international tour, performing in Asia, Europe, and North America. In 2014, they made their Japanese debut with the Darkest Angels compilation. That year, they also issued their second EP, Error. By 2015, the group made a push into the Chinese-language market with the release of “Destiny Love,” a stand-alone single used to promote the Boys’ Record EP, released on Avex Taiwan. Later, rapper Ravi and singer Leo created a “sub-unit” called VIXX LR, releasing the Beautiful Liar EP. VIXX’s official sophomore album, Chained Up, closed out their busy year. The release topped both the Korean and Taiwanese charts and climbed to number three on the Billboard World Albums chart. In early 2016, the push into the Japanese market was secured with their first album of original Japanese material, Depend on Me, which topped the Oricon Daily chart and peaked at number four on its weekly tally. The rest of their year was focused on the Vixx 2016 Conception Project, which revolved around the theme of Greek mythology. Three EPs — Zelos, Hades, and Kratos — were issued separately and collected at the end of the year on the 2016 Conception Ker trilogy compilation. Their fourth EP, Shangri-La, arrived in 2017 and celebrated the group’s five-year anniversary. In addition to placement in the Asian charts, Shangri-La entered the Top 15 of the Billboard World Albums and Heatseekers charts. ~ Neil Z. Yeung