K-pop dance challenges, in which idols film themselves with other artists while performing the choreography to each other’s songs, have become a trend in recent years, following the rise of TikTok.

So when boy group VIXX recently made its first comeback in four years, the members could not help but feel worried over the new culture that has taken over the music scene.

“Since [the] challenge culture is something that occurred while we were not promoting, I think everyone is worried that they might not be able to adjust to the times,” member Ken told ABS-CBN News.

“Of course, we’re going to take responsibility and work hard, but we should be careful not to mess up other artists’ choreography,” he said.

Last November, the group — which also consists of N, Leo and Hyuk — put out the extended play (EP) “Continuum.” This entailed a round of promotional activities, including music show appearances where most dance challenges are often filmed.

“I think so many things have changed,” Leo said when asked to compare promotional activities now and prior to the group’s hiatus. “Starting with the dance challenge, the type of content has changed so much that we were flustered.”

But the longtime idols (minus N, who did not participate in the comeback) were not one to back down from the challenge of adapting to the times. A visit to the group’s Instagram account showed videos of the trio dancing with other idols such as Red Velvet’s Irene, Dreamcatcher’s Jiu and Sua, and ZEROBASEONE’s Gunwook.

“Since it’s our first time to experience challenges and new content, we’re going to participate in it with an open mind and learning attitude,” Hyuk said.

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“I think we should take this activity as an opportunity to learn how to do the challenge with people who are well aware of the current trends,” Hyuk added.

VIXX’s members are elated to be back as a unit and reunite with fans called Starlights. During their time away, the boys fulfilled their mandatory military service and took on solo projects in music and acting.

“It’s been four years, but I’m so happy to be back as VIXX. I’ve missed VIXX and Starlights so much, and I really wanted to show you how much we’ve grown,” Hyuk said.

With “continuity” as its theme, “Continuum” conveys the members’ personal and musical growth, which they believe contributes to the team’s overall growth.

The five-track EP is fronted by the R&B-based “Amnesia,” which tells the story of the VIXX members losing their memories but quickly reclaiming them after being drawn to each other.

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The members admitted that they felt pressured over the album, given that “Continuum” was their first comeback in years, but overcame it by making an effort to relax and have fun.

“Since it’s a song that tells the story of VIXX who are instinctively led to each other after forgetting their memories, we were able to look back on our precious memories and values, and think a lot about how we can continue VIXX's journey,” Leo said.

‘Concept-dols’

Debuting in 2012 under Jellyfish Entertainment, VIXX went on to earn the reputation of being “concept-dols”: their music and performances are built around unique themes or stories, such as voodoo dolls in “Voodoo Doll,” the fantasy of time in “Eternity,” and a slave-and-master relationship in “Chained Up.”

Hyuk said the moniker “means a lot to us because so many people loved VIXX.” His bandmates, meanwhile, pointed out that a lot of K-pop groups nowadays have also placed emphasis on concepts.

“In the past, we used to be called a ‘concept idol’ meaning ‘VIXX can pull off any concept.’ Now, we want to be known as the ‘concept idol’ meaning ‘VIXX can pull off any concept in the style of VIXX,’” Ken said.

But which between the music or concept comes first in putting together an album? “This time, we decided on the concept from the beginning, selected songs that fit well, and then reorganized the concept based on the songs after the songs were modified to capture the theme and message,” Hyuk said.

Ken believes the VIXX members and Starlights are the driving forces that have kept the group together after all these years. “There were so many happy moments with the members, and it was because of Starlights that enabled us to have those happy moments,” he said.

“We were able to gather again with the desire to see them (fans) soon. While preparing for this album, I was able to overcome the difficult moments by thinking about VIXX and Starlights,” Ken added.

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