This past week, a new K-pop unit CxM with members S.Coups and Mingyu from the group SEVENTEEN released an extended play on Monday, Sept. 29, containing six tracks. The group is remarkably familiar with unit releases, with the members Hoshi and Woozi releasing their own small album earlier this year and many other members also releasing unit albums together.
The EP is titled “Hype Vibes” and kicks off with “Fiesta,” a hip hop track with a nice flute added on to the instrumental. This song has separate verses from both members and has a nice chorus that brings it all together. It is an incredibly fun track and was a perfect way to kick off the EP. You can see the members shine all throughout.
Next on the EP is the title track “5, 4, 3 (Pretty woman)” which features artist Lay Bankz, a popular American hip hop musician. The song has a run time of almost 3 minutes, which sounds short, but when listening to the track, it’s the perfect length. The song gains inspiration from “Oh, Pretty Woman” by Roy Orbison, but with a funk hip hop twist.
This track also includes a music video with choreography, so if you would like to watch, it is available on YouTube. Lay Banks was perfect for this track; her vibe and charisma matched the members nicely and you can tell that she genuinely loved being a part of the project.
Next up is “Worth it,” another hip-hop-centered track that has a great instrumental; it has similarities to some Chris Brown instrumentals to give listeners an idea of the sound.
It again features both members, Mingyu and S.coups. The track is very energetic and has choreography that the members have performed on many Korean music shows throughout the week. It’s a personal favorite amongst fans, with it being one of the most-streamed on the entire EP.
Up next is “For You.” It has a summer vibe to it; it would have been perfect as a mid-July release to fit the aesthetic, but the track still has a good vibe to it even in the October season.
It is not confirmed, but it is interpreted that the song may be about the friendship between both: “You’re my favorite homie, never leave me lonely, I’ll save the last seat for you.” These lyrics are repeated throughout the song and are sung by both members during the chorus; it’s such a smooth track and is another favorite amongst fans.
To take a turn, the EP winds down with its next song, “Young again,” which is completely different from previous tracks on the EP and has the member’s vocals highlighted in the entire song.
It has a slow and has a sort of sad tone to it, the members talk about growing up and how fast time goes by, “Even as the seasons come and go. The moment right now will not come back.”
To end this EP, “Earth” is another heavy vocal track. It’s a clear EDM-inspired song; the instrumental is electric and sharp, and it almost has a video game vibe to it. It’s a wonderful way to wrap up this EP, taking a completely different direction compared to the rest of the EP, which was unexpected but an enjoyable listen nonetheless.
Overall, the EP was a great first release, the production was enjoyable, and you can tell the members were heavily a part of this project. It’s shown as their first EP, so fans expect more music from the unit next year.
