Nine months after the release of their mini-album 'REBORN,' PIXY -- comprised of Dia, Lola, Dajeong, Sua, and Rinji,unveiled the second installment in their 'Dark City' series: their fourth mini-album, titled 'CHOSEN KARMA.' Notably, it also marks the first album to feature Rinji, the newest member who joined the group during their first European tour in October 2022.

In their 'CHOSEN KARMA' album, PIXY explores the meaning of fate: the predetermined fate and the special fate and brings down the inevitable set fate to the evil of 'Dark City' and proves that PIXY is a special group with a distinct fate.

Drawing from these concepts, 'CHOSEN KARMA' showcases mischievous approaches. Despite this, the record portrays the incredible synergy within PIXY, showcasing their seamless collaboration. In addition, the listeners can enjoy five songs that showcase the members' colorful and intense characters.

The EP's title track, "KARMA," is a unique blend of two tracks: "Hide & Seek," which tells the story of tracking the evil like playing tag, and "Flip a Coin," a story of tossing a coin of fate at the evil, creating the intriguing harmony and cinematic development.

In addition to the captivating main song, 'CHOSEN KARMA' also features four other songs, serving as the B-sides: the funky-sounding track "Hide & Seek," the charming song "Flip a coin," "KARMA," the title track that tells a new story through a combination of previous two songs, “Falling” that showcases the true color of PIXY, and to conclude the album, there is the catchy track "Whisper."

The members of PIXY discussed 'CHOSEN KARMA,' creating their own song choreography, touring, and more in an exclusive interview with allkpop.

PIXY shout-out to allkpop readers:

You can check out our interview with PIXY on their 3rd mini-album 'REBORN' here.

allkpop: Congratulations on your comeback with 'CHOSEN KARMA'! It's been 9 months since your last comeback with 'Reborn.' First of all, how did you find the preparations for this comeback, especially with the changes?

Sua: We felt particularly special about this album because it’s been too long. And this is our first album with Rinji. We worked extra hard for this.

Rinji: I prepared for this comeback with a fluttering mind since it’s my first official album promotion activity, but I was also nervous because the preparation process was new to me and I didn’t get the hang of it instantly. But I was happy that I got to finish strong along with the help from my members.

allkpop: 'REBORN' was the first episode of the 'Dark City' series, now, your newest album 'CHOSEN KARMA' marks the second part. Could you please tell us the connection between the two albums? Is there something we should look forward to seeing in the 'Dark City' series?

Dajeong: Originally, PIXY’s universe followed the Fairy Forest Trilogy, but because we couldn’t find all of our wings, our wishes weren’t fulfilled. The trilogy has ended, and we were reborn as villains on 'REBORN.' The first episode of the 'Dark City' was released, and so on this album 'CHOSEN KARMA,' we become reincarnated villains who start punishing evil and decide its fate, delivering judgment to fight evil forces and spread positive influence. And that’s what this album is about.

allkpop: Is there any meaning behind the album 'CHOSEN KARMA'? I heard that in 'CHOSEN KARMA,' there are two meanings of the set fate and the special fate chosen in the album title. Also, there is a track from the album called "Flip a coin." We know a coin has two sides. Could you please elaborate more on the meaning of the track or the album in general?

Dia: As DAJEONG said, this story begins with us starting to punish evil forces. Ultimately, we decided their fate, but we are creating those fates simultaneously. So from the lyrics and the concept of the album, you can see that we carve our own path, and make our own fate, which is the main point of the album. On this album, you can see our original dark and powerful concept. We tried to show something new and trendy, so if you check out our MV or our album art, you will notice that we used new props and sets. So I believe we showed new sides of PIXY.

allkpop: Among all the tracks from the album, which one is your personal favorite, and why?

Lola: When I first received the song guide version, "Whisper" was my favorite track. It was still my favorite after recording, but recently I’ve fallen in love with "Falling." So currently, I think I prefer "Falling" over "Whisper."

Dia: Personally, I think "KARMA" fits me very well. But the song I like the most is "Whisper" because it’s a song that I can listen to freely, and our loveliness is portrayed very well in that song. While listening to the song, I feel like the audience will fall in love with us. Singing that song is also a lot of fun, and it makes me happy, so "Whisper" is my favorite.

Dajeong: My favorite song is "Falling" because it has enchanting and mysterious vibes and melodies. That was really what made me love the song.

Sua: My favorite song is "Whisper" because that song has a magical power that makes you happy, anytime and anywhere. So I highly recommend you to listen to "Whisper"~

allkpop: The quality of the music video is top-notch! Everything is on point including your outfits. Are there any behind-the-scenes moments you could share with us while filming the music video?

Lola: In my solo part, there is a scene where I open up a trunk and find a marionette. In that scene, I had to pretend to cut the string. I had to pretend, but... the scissors were too sharp

Dajeong: Did you really cut it?

Lola: I didn’t do it! The scissors were too sharp... The string was cut down... But the director cheered me up. He said it’s ok~ And I was like, "I’m so sorry T.T"

Rinji: I remember when I was shooting for my lip-sync scene, I could see my breath because it was so cold. It was funny that every member tried so hard to breathe less for a better picture.

allkpop: PIXY is known for releasing dark pop-sounding tracks, something new and fresh for girl groups in the K-Pop industry; the "not usual" concept. There's like this 'PIXY genre' that you own and it really suits you well. And we think it can be seen through the series which is titled 'Dark City.' But if given the opportunity to try other types of musical genres, which one would you be willing to do for PIXY?

Sua: I really want to try something that’s very passionate and powerful. And that whoever listens to it can gain energy. When you listen to PIXY’s music, you might notice that it’s dark but energetic, but I think it would be nice to try something bright and energetic next time. 

allkpop: You said in our last interview that you started to find your own colors as artists. How has your journey been these past few months? What would you say improved or developed among yourselves for this comeback since your last album was released last year?

Dia: I’ve said that I think I found my color as an artist, and since then, we toured Europe and had multiple concerts with our WINXY outside Korea. And I felt like our true color has been perfected with WINXY, so I think we found the meaning of being together. On our last album, until last year, we didn’t have many opportunities to interact with WINXY face-to-face. And recently, after we’ve actually performed in front of them, we felt their support and had a lot more fun. We realized how happy we are to be with our WINXY, so we’ve become mature in many aspects and we are hopeful that we can develop ourselves further. I think we can get better in the coming days.

allkpop: You also said that when PIXY practices as a group, you take less time to dance in sync - which is impressive! You also mentioned that the members normally contribute to the choreography. How about this time around? Were you also able to share ideas for the music choreography, and how was the experience learning and practicing it?

Dia: Our choreography until now was very difficult and complex. It was a bit difficult for female dancers to perform with so many things to keep in mind. And since our concepts have continuously developed, we tried to show something more trendy and hip. Our choreography has become simpler and more concise. We didn’t have a hard time putting it together this time, but there were moves that required some personal development from us so we had to practice and study a lot of vibes and feelings. And while doing so, we could see ourselves improving a lot, the moves are more simple and concise, but to portray that we developed our skills, we tried to show that as much as possible. We are very proud of the result, and I believe we will continue to get better.

allkpop: As mentioned before, the members normally contribute to the music choreography. How about writing or producing songs for the group in the future? Is that something the members are keeping an eye on or are interested in doing so?

Sua: We haven’t participated in the songwriting process so far, but individually, we’ve been studying very hard. Someday, we might write our own music. And we will try to make that happen. We are working on it!

allkpop: PIXY finally embarked on a tour! You performed in some cities in Europe last year and in the US last May. How was your experience going on tour? How's the feeling of being able to step on stages in cities around Europe and America?

Dajeong: Well, I remember having to communicate through SNS only with our WINXY. And being able to actually meet our WINXY and talk to them was such an amazing moment. From now on, wherever our WINXY are, we would like to visit them as much as possible.

allkpop: Do you have any rituals the group is doing before performing on stage?

Dia: There is a chant that we do, with our hands put together. There’s something our CEO says all the time. Let me show you.

PIXY: Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! With ease~

Dia: It means to relax and go easy with it.

allkpop: Since you have visited Europe and US already, there are fans in Asia who are also waiting for you! Is there any chance for them to meet you as well in person? Do you plan on adding more stops?

Sua: That’s something we’ve also been waiting for for so long. We really wish to visit all of Asia, meet our WINXY, and have fun! I really hope that day comes! Please wait for us~

Rinji: I feel extremely thankful. I want to thank everyone who came all the way just to see us perform and I feel grateful to be given this opportunity. I often think to myself that I should improve myself and show our performance to more people!

allkpop: Your schedule has been quite tight these past few months. How do you usually unwind and spend your free time?

Dia: Recently, we didn’t really have a break because we’ve been busy with the comeback while also preparing for the global tour. We didn’t have much break time, but when we do have some free time, we often get it at the same time, so we might spend the time alone, or if we are at the house together, we would have some small talks and relieve our stress. So I think we’re alike in that regard, also timewise, and I think that’s also one of our strengths.

Rinji: I normally spend my free time listening to my favorite music, taking a walk, and enjoying the view outside. I even started writing a diary a few months ago! I usually write down not just my daily events, but I also write about what I thought about that day and how I can develop more! It really helps me a lot.

allkpop: Do you have anything else to say to everyone who is reading this interview?

PIXY: Hello our WINXY readers~ we had an interview about 'CHOSEN KARMA' today! Did you enjoy our story? We will continue to try and show better performances for our WINXY! Please show your love and support! We love you~ RINJI loves you too~.

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