VIXX is praised as a “concept idol group” for the edgy ideas presented in all their albums. Their fourth mini-album ‘Shangri-La’, the band’s interpretation of “Oriental fantasy”, was released on May 15th.
The original title in Korean (Do Won Kyung) means “the peach blossom land” –an ethereal utopia isolated from the outside world just like Shangri-La. VIXX presents the image of Shangri-La with their music, visual design, performance and music video, creating a picturesque atmosphere of beauty and mystery.
VIXX’s concept photos have been used as elements in an Oriental painting. In celebration of the band’s 5th anniversary, the album is designed based on the concept of anniversary. The members’ birth flowers and birthstones have been incorporated into the album design to create an Oriental look, taking the whole album to another level. Members can be seen dressed in suits with an Oriental twist, revealing surreal and flamboyant visual effects.
Following ‘Fantasy’ and ‘The Closer’, title track ‘Shangri-La’ is the another collaboration between VIXX and Devine-Channel, a much sought after production team both at home and abroad. In addition, the band reunited with internationally renowned choreographers Keone & Mari, who previously presented a unique and powerful choreography in ‘Fantasy’. This time choreographer Yu Jung Wan was invited to join the team; by incorporating fans into the dance, a strong Oriental atmosphere has been successfully created.
Ready to embody the concept of Oriental fantasy, VIXX worked with their dream team again and created exciting sparks together, making the album a highly anticipated release. Costumes with Oriental elements and poetic Korean lyrics have created a dreamy and mysterious image. In the teaser trailer of their latest music video, a fantastical world view has been revealed, making it even more anticipated.
A combination of title track and other sophisticatedly-arranged songs, the tracklist includes collaborations with many top-selling Korean and international artists. ‘INTO THE VOID’ is a future bass song filled with darkness, a style which only VIXX can perfectly interpret. ‘Black Out’ is an upbeat deep house song accented with heavy bass, highlighting the fashionable side of VIXX. RAVI is involved in the music and lyric writing of ‘1,2,3,4,5’, an R&B song with rich emotion. ‘To Us’ is a synth modern rock song featuring ballad-style lyrics.
To celebrate its 5th anniversary, VIXX revealed an epic return plan including an album release, a concert and an exhibition. The ‘VIXX LIVE FANTASIA DAYDREAM’ concert was held in Jamsil Indoor Stadium from May 12th to the 14th. Another show will be played on June 11th at Busan KBS Hall. As a witness of the band’s major events in the past 5 years, exhibition ‘VIXX 0524’ will kick off at Ara Art Centre on May 24th, the band’s debut anniversary, and end on June 4th.
Contributor: Grace Foronda