#vice.disc

[viceprints]

Following their theme of the Seven Deadly Sins, Vice returns with their second studio album EGO on June 20th, 2015. Leading with the title track “Satisfy”, EGO is full of songs relating to one’s pride. 

AESTHETICS:

Purple theme this time around.

A lot of fake fur and animal prints (never real, Vice doesn’t support use of real fur).

They lowkey looked  like Dionysus cosplayers this era.

The eye makeup this era…. Wow. Vice wanted to look as regal as possible, so they got a lot of purple eyeshadow and bronzer. 

Generally very lush and expensive-looking.

THE MUSIC VIDEO:

This music video is more performance-based than acting-based, but there still was solo shots of the boys sitting on their thrones with different crowns and objects on them.

M.H. is the center for this era, but he had minimal props besides a large crown on the top of his head. The throne he sat on was clearly the biggest and most goddy. One of his scenes, he stood up on the throne, placing one foot on the backrest. Then he pushed the throne back, riding the throne down like a surfboard.

Geonwu was on a throne that was covered with silvery purple silk sheets. The crown on his head was really delicate and silver. The wind blowing around him made the sheets ripple. Despite the regal energy he was exuding, he still slouched in his chair. In one shot, he has the crown on his index finger, lazily twirling it around in a circle.

Woodie’s throne was upholstered with a deep red velvet, and the back of his throne was carved ‘gold’ made to look like decorative flames. In his shots, he was seen leaning forward, tapping his finger onto his clenched jaw. One of the most memorable shots for Woodam was when he took the scepter in his hand and swung at the throne in slow motion, breaking the back piece of the throne.

Cyth’s throne had green vines growing around it, growing thickly as the shots of him progress. His crown has green emerald jewels embellished on it. In his shots, he’s leaning back in his throne, trying to look disinterested, but his jaw is tight and his facial expression is hard when he raps.

Seokyu’s throne is surrounded by gold and money. His throne is made out of what looks like gold coins. His crown is almost as goddy as M.H’s. Resting on his thigh is a deep purple velvet pouch, inferred to have money inside. His hand is always resting in front of it in a protective way. 

Ji’s throne looks like it’s made out of hands, painted in a rosy gold color. Half way through his shots, the hands start to move (cgi) and touch his chest and legs. His crown has little gold hearts embellished onto it. When he starts rapping and leaning forward, the hands reach out and pull him back, not allowing him to leave the throne. 

Kane is holding a golden apple while he lounges lazily on the throne. Strewn around him on the floor are the rinds of other golden apples. His throne looks very plush and comfortable. His last solo shot is him taking a huge bite of the apple. In the sequence of the video, the bite scene comes right before Woodie smashes his throne. 

The group shots are them dancing in a grand hall. The thrones that they are seen sitting on are positioned in a semicircle behind them. Above them is a grand chandelier and there is purple drapery coming down from the ceiling and covering the walls. 

The last shot is of all of them sitting on their respected thrones.

ERA NOTES:

Although Vice is finally breaking into the mainstream, this album didn’t sell as well as ARDOR. 

However, the era was still successful! 

The Satisfy music video reached 10 million views in the first 24 hours. 

The album topped at #5 on Melon, #3 on Mnet, and #10 on Bugs.

Satisfy won 3 music show wins.

After album promotions ended, Seokyu walked during a runway show for Dior in Seoul which caused a lot of people to be like “woah who’s that” and eventually start keeping tabs on Vice.

M.H. and Geonwu returned as MCs for Music Bank and were hosts when Satisfy got it’s first win. 

In July, Vice After Dark hosted their label mates and first juniors, S.O.T to talk about their debut. 

Speaking of which, S.O.T had a few interactions with M.H. and Geonwu at Music Bank during their debut and it was really heartwarming. 

FANDOM BEHAVIORS:

The fanbase didn’t really grow or shrink during this era, despite EGO not being as successful as their previous album

Since Triptych stans were stepping onto the scene, Virtues tried to be really sweet to them but it ended up with them being like “yo these kids are mad annoying lmaooo poor tyh.” 

Virtues got mad that Artychs weren’t streaming with them and got upset when an Artych called Vice old. 

Basically this is when Artychs and Virtues start their rocky relationship. 

[viceprints]

VICE FIRST ALBUM - ARDOR [2014]

After the success of their previous release Sorcerer, Vice releases their first ever studio album: ARDOR, released on Feburary 14th, 2015. The album kicks off the horror-influenced group’s newest era: The 7 Deadly Sins. The album features their title track LOVE ME, as well as 6 other tracks that all relate to a shallow love.

AESTHETICS: 

Unlike the past eras, this one isn’t as story-based as the others. Each album more or less has it’s own ‘story’ that it focuses on. Even though all the albums connect in some way, there isn’t really a ‘big picture’ focus on this era.

This album, being focused on ‘lust’, obviously had a lot of millennium pink and lace and leather. Oh yeah. We’re getting kinky with it. 

The music video was full of velvet, bedroom eyes, and leather bondage under silk and lace shirts. 

THE MUSIC VIDEO:

The whole video and song is about wanting the lust and attention from someone or something, but not wanting any sort of emotional investment. Each boy displays different things they lust for. 

Kane’s scenes were taken at a long table filled with sugary desserts. Most of his close up shots were of him either sitting on the table alongside these red, white, and pink desserts. His killer shot was where he’s licking strawberry syrup off his finger. The fanbase lowkey lost it at that one. 

M.H’s scenes involved actors and actresses, all crowding around the throne M.H was sitting on. The actors and actresses were peppering M.H’s face with kisses, leaving lipstick prints onto his face. His killer shot was when he had a girl on his lap running her hands through his hair and kissing his face. Her fingers slid through his hair upward and made a crown out of her fingers and ‘placed’ it above his head.

Cyth’s scenes were short due to his few rap lines, but he was focusing very hard on the camera, his expression almost stern, but in away like he was trying to gather the viewers attention. The killing point was when the camera started focusing on the background dancers, but Cyth came over and made it look like he was cupping the viewer’s chin with his hand, snapping the attention back to him. 

Woodie’s scenes were in the bathtub. He was sitting in this clawfoot bathtub filled with a pale milky liquid and rose petals. He kept making seductive eyes with the camera while he sang, occasionally holding up a rose petal to contemplate while he sang. The killing part was when he fully submerged himself under the water, then came up flicking his wet hair back and smoothing it down with his hand.

Seokyu’s scenes were a shock to everyone, since Seokyu has a ‘good-boy’ image. He was in what looked like a strip club. He was standing where the pole was, just holding onto it as he followed the camera in a circle as it circulated around the platform he was standing on. Actors on the side were throwing rose gold money at Seokyu. The killing point was Seokyu leaning against the pole with his shirt open as he slid the fake money up his abs.

Geonwu’s scenes also involved actors. He was laying on what looked like a bed while the camera shot from above. Geonwu was lounging on silk sheets while other actors laid next to him, all roaming their hands over his chest while he laid back, focusing only on the camera. The killing point was when he finally focused his attention on one of the actresses and gave her a lazy seductive grin, pushing a piece of her hair out of the way. We will later find out that this actress is his future wife, Yikyung.

Ji’s scenes were very minimal, despite him being the center for this era. He was lounging in a kissing booth, rapping his parts while kicking his feet up onto the counter and winking at the camera. People were in line for the kissing booth, and when the video swung to a different angle, you could see that the line went on for miles. Everyone that passed the kissing booth got kisses blown at them. As they walked on, their expressions seemed a little dazed. 

ERA NOTES:

The “Love Me” music video reached 10 million views within the first twenty-four hours. 

The album ARDOR peaked at #1 on Melon, #1 on Mnet, and #3 on Bugs on release day.

“Love Me” was nominated for song of the year at MAMA 2014.

ARDOR made the Billboard 200 chart at #60 - This is the first time Vice has made a Billboard chart.

They gained 11 more fansites this era (4 for Ji, 3 for Seokyu, 2 for Kane, and 1 for M.H.) 

The fanbase in general grew a ton during this era. The boys also received a ton of recognition from the general public of Korea. 

Even though Sorcerer is easily Vice’s claim to fame, ARDOR cements Vice as a presence in the industry.

Vice After Dark (Kane and Ji’s podcast) returns after a short hiatus to prepare for their comeback and since their concept this time is all about lust, they spill the tea on how idols flirt and date.

[viceprints]

VICE 7TH MINI ALBUM - COVEN [2013]

Vice makes their biggest comeback yet with their 7th Mini Album and last “Coven” installment; Coven: Sorcerer. The third and final ritual begins. The last step is to act upon your reflections. They are now more powerful than ever before.

𝓣𝓡𝓐𝓒𝓚 𝓛𝓘𝓢𝓣

1. Sorcerer  2. Higher 3. K.O. 4. Black Out 5. Bring It

𝓟𝓛𝓞𝓣

The teaser shows a slow motion clip of the seven Vice boys walking down a hallway in their house in slow motion, all looking very serious. Each member has a colorful aura surrounding them. M.H is surrounded by dark purple, Geonwu has a grey blue glow to him, Woodie is glowing maroon, Cyth is surrounded by a forest green glow, Seokyu is glowing gold, Ji is emitting a dark pink color, and Kane has an orange glow. When they get closer to the camera, their auras become so bright that it’s blinding. The screen goes white, a snippet of Sorcerer starts playing. The release date is displayed. 

The video is focused on the final showdown between Vice and the evil spirit. Vice are clearly stronger than they were when they first started the series. All seven boys carry themselves in a more dignified and self-assured way. They make their way to a field where the spirit is waiting, dark energy curling up from the apparition like smoke. The scene keeps switching from the dance routine - taking place in the same field - and the battle between Vice and the spirit. The dark spirit breaks into 7 parts, each one taunting a Vice member. Throughout the fight, Vice relies on each other heavily to help defeat the seven spirits. A lot of action scenes are over-dramatized for entertainment purposes, but the special effects budget definitely was upped for this video, which may be why the video itself takes place in one location and only has two alternating scenes. 

Eventually, the spirits are all defeated when Vice links arms and makes a blasting motion, which parallels with the dance routine. Once the spirit is defeated, the filter on the video is changed to a brighter one, and the field looks greener. The twenty seconds of the video are purely dance-focused. 

𝓢𝓨𝓜𝓑𝓞𝓛𝓘𝓢𝓜 & 𝓓𝓘𝓢𝓒𝓤𝓢𝓢𝓘𝓞𝓝

This whole era has been a bit more light-hearted than Darkness Era, therefore the symbolism isn’t as deep. However, the members did offer some insight on the wrap up of this era: 

“This era may seem really similar to the first era, Darkness.” Minho, better known as M.H, shares. “It still follows the theme of self-discovery and self-love. I think the reason why we revisited this underlying theme is because progress is never linear. We get better, then get worse again, and then get better again. We want Virtues to know that whatever they are going through, don’t be discouraged. Keep trying your best.” 

“Relying on others is what got us through this plot line.” Seokyu reflects. “In the last era, the original members kind of worked separately and the fall out was sufficient, but it wasn’t as powerful as this one. I think this once again proves that Vice is stronger together.”

“You already have unlimited power within you.” Woodie insists. “The members just had to put a little bit of effort in. Once we did that, we had as much power as we needed to defeat our demons. If there’s one thing you take away from this era, it’s don’t doubt yourself and never give up.” 

𝓔𝓡𝓐 𝓝𝓞𝓣𝓔𝓢

They finally got their first win this era! Yes!!! Sorcerer gave Vice 5 Music Show wins!

Virtues like to think it’s because they spammed “Stream Sorcerer” under every single tweet, post, and youtube video. Virtues RAN twitter during Sorcerer era.

This album did so well that it got an all-kill on Melon unexpectedly. Literally no one saw this coming.

The boys went out to celebrate their first ever all-kill by taking themselves, some friends, and the company staff out for drinks in Hongdae. Geonwu gets a little too drunk and throws up in the streets, which is shown all over social media within the next 48 hours.

This video sort of gave Vice a little bit of a controversy, since a lot of people were criticizing Geonwu for drinking. It blew over pretty quickly once Geonwu made a public apology on VLive and stressed the importance of safe drinking (he really had to force those words out). 

This era Virtues stopped being a neutral fanbase and started to beef with other fanbases. Mostly ARMYs and EXO-Ls, despite EXO-Ls being friendly with Virtues up until then.

The official lightstick was released this era: The Poison Apple! (a green poison apple with a bite taken out of it surrounded by a clear plastic dome.) It was designed by Kane and fans treasure it because of that.

Vice also went on their first world tour this era! They visited America and got to see Minho’s city: Boston. 

Woodam also started hooking up with Saehyun, who you might remember as the Super Junior fan who saved them at the airport in 2011. Saehyun is now Vice’s professional photographer for their tour and while on tour... Woodam ends up sleeping with her on multiple occasions. 

[viceprints]

4th Mini Album - INCANTATION (2012)

The Vice boys make their 2012 return with INCANTATION, the start of their newest era that they call “Coven”. 

*Note: This is not supposed to be a mockery of the Wicca /pagan religion! In my mind, this more borders on the fantasy Harry-Potter-esque idea of warlocks. If anything comes off as offensive, please let me know! My intent is never to do harm! 

ＴＲΛＣＫ  ＬＩＳＴ:

1. MAGIC

2. Round and Round

3. Charm

4. Conjure

5. Under a Spell

ＰＬ♢Ｔ:

All the boys show up to the coven broken after having the demons leave their bodies. They are ready to remake themselves and rise up from who they were before.

The teaser starts with a shot of five pairs of boots limping down a cobblestone walkway, the ends of what appear to be long clocks swirling around their ankles. You can hear labored breathing, but no identities have been shown just yet. The next thing we see is a fist reach out from under a cloak, knocking on a wooden door. The door swings open, the shot captures the five Vice boys on the doorstep before the scene cuts, showing who opened the door. The two new members are revealed. The screen goes black, the instrumental of Magic plays in the background as the release date is revealed.

The music video is much more tame than previous works from Vice. The video starts off like the teaser, having the new boys take in the old members. They bring them through their house, which is decorated with glass cabinets filled with vials of strange liquids, ancient bound books, skulls, chrystals, and other witchy-like things. The whole video is the boys cleaning up and finding odd magical items throughout the Coven. In general, the video is very light hearted, even bordering humorous. The audience gets to see a different side of the boys. The title track is even more upbeat than normal. However, towards the end of the video, they accidentally release a trapped evil spirit after messing around with some spellbooks. The spirit flies out of the house and goes out into the world. Realizing that they are the ones that need to save the world from this spirit, they resort to the spell books to find a way to reverse the spell. The only thing they find is a three-part ritual that will make them strong enough to vanquish the evil spirit.

ＳＹＭＢ♢ＬＩＳＭ ＆ＤＩＳＣＵＳＳＩ♢Ｎ:

Just like the first trilogy, this era takes place in another house, however, this one is more inviting and well-maintained. The way plants and personal objects are displayed makes it seem like a more stable environment. This represents how the boys are finally feeling stable now that they have their first year of their career out of their way. Even though it was a rough start to debut (as portrayed through the five boys limping their way up to the house), they feel at ease now with their two new members and their career seems to be prospering. The renovation of the house can be seen as the boys wiggling their way into the kpop industry at last, finally making their spots as a respected group. However, despite the fun and laughs, they can’t ignore the spirit that was released. The spirit can represent a lot of things, and the true meaning of it varies from member to member.

❝To me, the spirit sort of reminds us of the duties we have as public figures. One wrong move and we can trigger a huge problem.❞ Seokyu, one of the newest members comments. ❝I think that applies especially for Ji and I. We are so new to this scene and we are very cautious about how our actions can be perceived by fans and media… [The spirit] is the fear of messing up.❞

Geonwu also adds in ❝The spirit to me represents our struggles from our first year of debut. We created an imprint on the general public that wasn’t exactly beneficial to our image. We’ve done some things back then that weren’t good. [The spirit] reminds us of what we need to do differently in order to be victorious. We still have our biggest opponent to conquer: our old selves.❞

[viceprints]

3rd Mini Album - DARKNESS: LIGHT (2011)

TRACKLIST:

Let Them In

Light

Beyond the Eyes

Fright

Possessed

PLOT:

The teaser shows flashes of what previously had happened through the eyes of the boys. Slowly at first, but then the images start flashing quicker and quicker. Suddenly they stop, and M.H is center screen, looking pale. His eyes are normal and he’s staring ahead at something. The camera pans to the right slowly, revealing that he is in front of a mirror. His reflection has black eyes. Suddenly, M.H’s stoic face is broken, as he furrows his brow and opens his jaw, letting out a silent, but clearly angry, scream.

The screen goes black, showing the title of the title song and the release date.

In the music video, the same house is back, but now people are allowed to tour the house. A tour guide leads a group of bored-looking tourists through each room of the house, explaining the supernatural experiences that happened here. No one seems to be amused. Including the demons, Vice and the two kids. It is clear that the other people cannot see the seven demons, as they are dancing around the tourists without any complaints. The demons look distraught, as if the presence of people in their home makes them anxious. The distraught that the demons feel gives the real Vice boys a chance to take back control over the demons. Half way through the video, they finally succeed by confronting the old photographs and items that previously belonged to them, tethering them back to a more conscious form. Now the boys only have one problem: the children. While Vice was cementing themselves as being again, the two boys have been attacking and murdering the tourists downstairs. Vice tries their hardest to save the children, but they flee from the house and run into the vast mansion gardens, never to be seen again.

SYMBOLISM: 

The house being used as a tourist trap represents how the boys felt like now that they’re debuted, people are most likely to see their flaws/demons. Everything about them is now on display for the public (the tourists) to see. They’re uninterested in the demons because they aren’t doing anything entertaining. Member Woodie stated in an interview that the tourists ❝represent the media in a way. They love hearing about the tragedies that happen to people, they love writing about it and then putting it out for the world to see. They don’t care about the people themselves though.❞

Again, the representation of the videos differs from person to person. Member Kane shares his thoughts on the role the tourists play:

❝I think the tourists could be our fans. They aren’t marveled or fixated on our demons. They care about us, of course, which is why they entered the house in the first place, but they are not for the fake sympathy that the tour guide pretends to have.❞

The reason why the demons are so distraught is probably due to the exposure that they are receiving. They wreaked their havoc, but now they are regretting ever drawing attention to their faults. The boys are able to exercise their demons by reflecting on their past and letting go of whatever plagued them to begin with.

The children running away represents that even though the boys have come to terms with their past, there are pieces of their own innocence that got away.

[viceprints]

Debut Mini Album- DARKNESS: INTO THE DARK (2011)

TRACK LIST:

Monster

Near

Demons

Lights Out

PLOT:

The boys open up the theme of this trilogy with the teaser video. The video itself has an ominous score playing while the five boys pose in what looks like a family picture. The video takes time to zoom in on each of the boys, who are all smiling. Suddenly, five seconds before the video ends, their eyes are edited to be all black. The title track name is flashed with their debut date (31.10.11)

In the music video, the concept is that the five boys are living in an ancient mansion, but they slowly start to realize that they are not the only things living in the house. At night, demons identical to them come out and plague them when they are alone, reminding them of all their past faults. In the end, the demons win, consuming and possessing the five boys. The music video was known for having jumpscares, as well as Cyth's infamous contortion scene.

The video itself got a lot of backlash for its portrayal of something so demonic. On a positive note, the choreography for the music video was praised, as the synchronization and sharpness of the movements really gave off a chilling effect - to many viewers, it did look like the boys were being controlled by something supernatural.

SYMBOLISM:

The house that the boys were living in represents them being trapped, even though surrounded by luxury. In life, the material things don’t exactly matter, especially when you're internally struggling. The demons taking the shape of themselves shows that you are your own worst enemy. The jumpscares show that even in moments where you think you are fine, your past demons will always find a way to crawl into your mind.

[viceprints]

2nd Mini Album - DARKNESS: WHO’S THERE? (2011)

TRACKLIST:

Where the Wild Things Are

Eyes on You

Flash

Nerve

Behind U

PLOT:

The teaser for the second mini album shows the same mansion the boys were living in previously, although this time it’s apparent time has passed. It pans into the inside, showing a happy family with young children moving in. One of the children, aged no older than maybe 10, wanders off to explore the house with a ball under their hand. Naturally, since the house is still old, the child stumbles on an uneven floorboard. The ball falls from their hands, rolling into the dark end of the corridor.

The child stands up slowly, staring down the dark hallway. Before they can move any closer, the ball is slowly rolled out from the darkness. The screen goes black, and Vice’s name is flashed, along with the title track name and debut date.

The music video for Eyes On You is about how Vice persuades the children - two boys - to do what they want, typically persuading them to do horrendous acts: all that which are preparing the children to commit the murder of their own parents. There are some humorous parts of the video, like when Geonwu and the little boy are playing tea party and they are both wearing very frilly costumes. Despite the scene, this scene can send chills down viewers spines, as they watch the boy practice slipping a substance into Geonwu’s drink. The boys watch along the sidelines with cold and unreadable expressions as the children hunt down rabbits in the back gardens, practice knife throwing, and other dangerous activities. The parents seem to be praising their children’s work, oblivious to the fact that they are practicing for their demise. The final scene of the music video shows the children actually succeeding. In the end, the two boys end up becoming demons, just like Vice.

The video was of course under fire for the horrific images, but with the plotline thickening, a swarm of Vice supporters started emerging. Besides the Geonwu scene, another popular scene was when Woodie was teaching the two boys how to shoot bow and arrows. The choreography was less sharp and more eerily fluid, which interpreters see as the demons gaining full control over their hosts and their bodies.

SYMBOLISM:

The children represent an innocent soul or being that has been tarnished by the boy’s inner demons. The members themselves have admitted that they have hurt loved ones due to their personal problems and have taken their pain out on others that didn’t deserve it. The parents represent the other person’s commitments in life. Having the children murder their parents represents Vice feeling like they’ve previously ruined people’s lives. In the 2014 vLive special, ‘‘Vice Tells All’, member M.H explains the controversial killing and what it means to him:

❝During my trainee days, I was very selfish. I didn’t care about other people at all. If I was having a bad day, everyone else had to have a bad day. I was a little bit of a life ruiner. [The killing of the parents] represents the time where we felt like we ruined everything for everyone.❞

Member Cyth took a different approach:

❝I think [the parents] can also represent society when it comes to mental illness. The children in the video were clearly sick, they were acting literally insane, but the parents only saw how well they were able to throw knives. They only saw how well they could skin a rabbit. Society glosses over people’s mental health all the time. They only see what they want to see.❞

[viceprints]

5TH MINI ALBUM: COVEN: HEX (2012)

HBH’s boygroup, Vice, makes an explosive comeback after the success of Coven: Incantation just months earlier. It’s time for the boys to start their first ritual. The first step to becoming stronger is to realize your potential.  

𝓣𝓡𝓐𝓒𝓚 𝓛𝓘𝓢𝓣

1. Evil Eye 2. Listen 3. Past v. Present 4. Destiny 5. Fate Intertwines Us

𝓟𝓛𝓞𝓣

The teaser starts us off right away with a zoomed in angle of someone flipping through an old, weathered spell book. The words on the paper seem to be glowing purple, and the words “PART ONE” shine the brightest. When the person flips the pages again, it lands on the words “KNOW THY SELF”. The next clip is just a simple silhouette of all the Vice boys, showing a snippet of their title song, Evil Eye, and choreography. After a few seconds, the release date is revealed. 

In the video for Evil Eye, the boys are in training to become better at controlling their magical abilities. Much like the previous video, this one has a more humorous and lighthearted tone. The viewers watch as each boy slowly builds up their powers by practicing dueling with one another, reading up in the Coven’s library, causing objects to float around them, and creating some interesting and highly dangerous looking potions. In between these scenes, the choreography is displayed much more than the previous video. The powerful, yet fluid dance moves are captivating and very catchy. The choreography to Evil Eye will go down as one of the best Vice choreographies in the group’s history.

By the end of the music video, it’s clear that the boys have unlocked their full power and are ready to continue to the next phase.

𝓢𝓨𝓜𝓑𝓞𝓛𝓘𝓢𝓜 & 𝓓𝓘𝓢𝓒𝓤𝓢𝓢𝓘𝓞𝓝

Since this video was much more relaxed and choreography focused, there isn’t much here to dissect. 

The boys mastering different magical skills is supposed to represent how each boy brings something unique and new to the group that helps Vice as a whole progress and develop.

“Even though we all are on the same team, we come from very different backgrounds and lifestyles. We also have different talents that we bring to the table. Without every member present, we wouldn’t be as strong as we are today.” Leader M.H. says confidently.

“This is Seokyu and I’s second comeback with Vice,” Newbie rapper Ji shares. “But I feel like together, the seven of us make Vice whole. Because I took an extra year to train, I was able to bring my talents to the table in a more complete form. Every Vice member is important and needed.”

𝓔𝓡𝓐 𝓝𝓞𝓣𝓔𝓢

Everyone was so sure that this would be the era that Vice got their first win. Alas. They did not. 

BUT this era opened up a lot of opportunities for Vice!

For example, this era was when Seokyu got his first modeling gig with Dior South Korea

And Ji and Kane received their own radio show called “Vice After Dark” where they discuss things that idols don’t really talk about (what the industry is like, how exhausting promotion season is, how idols date, etc.) They never drop names or hints about who they are talking about so they never get in trouble, but Vice After Dark definitely stirred up some drama in the community

Minho and Geonwu become MCs on Music Bank, where they start meeting a ton of idols and start turning into the well-connected idols they are today

Cyth gets into trouble with the company and knets after firing back on haters online after he posted pictures of his first ever tattoo - his mom’s birth date. The company tells him to start behaving or he’ll get lines cut from the next comeback.

Cyth is no longer allowed to use social media unsupervised. 

Their fanbase grew larger this era due to all the promotional activities that Vice was doing.