The most notable aspect of CIX’s Save Me, Kill Me is its music video, which brings back the “drama storyline” approach many older K-pop mvs used to favor. It’s angsty and over-the-top and grabs attention. Unfortunately, this drama needs a better soundtrack.
Save Me, Kill Me is a real slog. It’s like BTS’s I Need You without the melody or musical invention. The instrumental swells and surges and signposts all sorts of emotion, but the song dissipates as it goes. Without any real dynamics, it’s hard to distinguish one segment from the next. And, the vocal arrangement feels mushy and weirdly unexpressive. Whatever happened to vocal harmony?
More than anything, I don’t know when I’d play a song like Save Me, Kill Me. It’s too inert to offer emotional catharsis, yet too theatrical to act as mild background music. It’s certainly not a dance track, nor does it have a melody sticky enough to sing along to. I guess if I felt like moping around to a so-so song, this might do the trick.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 7 |
| Longevity | 7 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
Ooh, this definitely gives me 2010s BTS nostalgia. It’s a shame that it lacks powerful melodies, because I like the overall feeling of the song.
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I like it, the final section feels kind of fulfilling
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I really really like this. I appreciate the mellow vibe.
It’s 4am here and this song hits a spot. I have it on a loud volume through my headphones and the song sounds so good.
8.5/10 for me
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I definitely got BTS Spring Day vibes from this. I don’t know how I feel about this being realsed around spring/summer since I would live for them to put out something with a little more brightness.
For me, CIX hasn’t really done anything to top Movie Star. Thats will always be one of my favorite debuts. They have the vocals and I actually like BK’s rapping but I’m always left disappointed.
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this sounds like a more subdued spring day. its an 8/10 for me.
anyway worst song of 2023 has dropped
whoever told awkwafina she could sing needs to apologize for the world
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Amazing song, easily in the 8s for me.
Been hoping for a vocal-centric BG song for some time now.
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The video is horrible. I suppose they think they are being provocative.
The song sounds like a first draft of BTS “Spring Day”. I know said song is a favorite of the Army, but it doesn’t do much for me. For me, another “bogoshipda” sentimental song from kpop and kballads that I wouldn’t mind missing.
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The video is following the storyline of their lore, which I know only vaguely, but it was set up from the beginning. The characters are dealing with bullying, pressure, self-harm, suicide, guilt, etc. This is separate from their Divine Comedy storyline. Or maybe not. They’re in purgatory or hell.
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But… but… I just want a song I enjoy 😥
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Nah, you need a whole virtual world complete with books and plushies. Well I don’t think they have that yet. Plushies are just a dream.
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I don’t think the material is appropriate at a time when suicidal ideation is so high in teenagers these days. With a kid jumping from a building ledge in the opening shot, it leaves nothing to the imagination or to art. There are other ways to convey the meaning and emotion without being so literal.
It also makes the MV unwatchable more than once or twice. Who wants to watch a kid jumping off a building, dying and ghosting. and others getting the shit beat out of them?
I mean, I am done with the song.
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Agreed—as a teen with a long history of suicidal ideation, that opening shot was a LOT to see without a content warning, and even with a content warning, depicting a suicide to that extent is… not a great choice, especially when your main audience is young people who are often still at the beginning stages of learning emotional regulation. Very triggering, definitely sad to see suicide used as some kind of exciting prop with no actual consideration for people who have experience with it (aka, people who would be deeply triggered by this content).
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I wish the best for you, and also for better songs of hope and joy, and peace, love, and understanding.
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I am surprised there was no trigger warning like there was on Agust D’s mv. I’ve dealt with self-harm and suicidal ideation most of my life and tend to feel “seen” by this sort of content. I hope you get everything you need to move past those thoughts.
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I mean, this is a C9 group. Being needlessly edgy is sort of C9’s thing at this point.
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Didn’t they have another song kind of relating to that called Numb back in 2019? I think that one was related to school pressures or something…?
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Yes, I think this storyline began there, and covered school pressures, bullying, etc. It’s odd, because the story films (at least the ones I just revisited) have warnings or statements about the content and sometimes numbers to call for help. Given the mv is stringing parts of those films together, it’s a real oversight that they didn’t put a warning on the mv.
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I’m a huge fan, and this and the EP are disappointing. Usually when their title tracks don’t deliver, and this one doesn’t, they usually have some excellent b-sides to showcase their unique harmonies. They do not. Ugh.
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I actually quite like this song but I’ll have to see how it ages. There is something about Cix’s vocals that I really enjoy; they have an airy/whispy quality that I normally find overdone within kpop but for some reason I think it works to Cix’s advantage. The music video is well done but a little distracting in my opinion. My first time through the MV I hardly noticed the actual music, and I am not sure if that says more about the song or the MV.
Also, off topic but if you didn’t watch Shinee’s fan meeting they debuted a new song called “the feeling” (probably a new b side) and it is unsurprisingly great. It reminds me of Key’s “this life” a lot. They also announced upcoming concerts and “multiple comebacks,” so it seems like Shinee has big plans ahead. Personally I’m hoping for another Japanese album in addition to their korean one!
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The song works as an OST. “It’s certainly not a dance track, nor does it have a melody sticky enough to sing along to” is a good way to describe an OST.
It’s a good track, production-wise, but I don’t think it has enough staying power to be a hit. It can easily fizzle inbetween other boy group releases. The MV is great for an idol release.
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I was a Fix during their release of Numb and seeing this MV callback to the single really made my watch weird. Song’s pretty good but I think the MV took my attention the most.
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I’m not a Fix but I’m glad someone else mentioned Numb on here. I think that’s one of their best songs
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Agreed!!! I listened to it this week cause I was like “I don’t remember it but I remember the chorus being shit” IT ISN’T! I can’t believe I thought of so little of it for a while!
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I am biased toward CIX ever since I saw Jungle and realized they were telling the story of The Divine Comedy. It just thrills my little Lit Major heart so much. I really like the way this song hearkens back musically to Wave (or so it seems to me). I find the song quite moving. The lyrics are beautiful and poetic; their voices have that gorgeous airy quality; their storyline/concept is beautiful. So this is a win for me. I don’t like it as much as Jungle or 458, but this is a different stage of the journey.
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I rarely watch MVs or look up lyrics, but after reading this comment section I went back to watch/read them. The MV was a little over the place but the lyrics made me like the song more.
“Just save my love
Or kill this heart
I hope that my beating heart for you
Will be cut into pieces
You’re my curse
And dazzling trap
Only other pain can heal this pain”
If you have felt this way at least once in your life, there’s no way to dislike this song and the way CIX delivered the emotions. I don’t mean to sound dramatic (I understand why this may sound like a sappy, boring song to many), but to me it is a beautiful and relatable heartbreak song! It sounds very CIX and I like that!!
I agree it is a little subdued to be considered a title track. This album is mellow but by no means boring. It is very listenable! In my opinion, of course!!
The MV comes off as a Kdrama but I don’t think this sounds like an OST at all. I’d give it an 8/10✌🏻
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coming back here to say this song has grown on me immensely. that chorus is just everything and might be cix’s best yet
8 -> 8.75
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I’m here after quite a while of it’s release. I really really love this song. It makes you feel all the emotions. I can understand, it might be too much for a person who’s actually suicidal if you take it in that sense, but the fact that it shows the immense hurt that the people who loved him(character played by Yonghee) face is actually quite empowering in a way to those suicidal as well.
Often times, a person who doesn’t commit suicide (even though he is suicidal), doesn’t do it because he loves the people around him very much & these people are the only ones(the last straw) he’s trying his best to live for. I think this is what the intended message actually was. You take that last straw and live for them for that while & eventually you’d be glad you had these people by your side.
I’m surprised by some people in the replies cause they took it exactly the opposite to what it was intended to.
The song is pretty good to listen to, while it’s not the hypy sound every group these days are trying to do, it’s a breath of fresh air. The vocals are, as always, amazing.
I’d give it a solid 8.5 or 9. It was intended to create awareness, if you are being pessimistic about it & don’t want to see the actual message, that’s a You problem.
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