NMIXX were formed by JYP in 2022, and are most known for a controversial genre they began called “Mixxpop”. They have six members: Lily, Sullyoon, Bae, Kyujin, Jiwoo, and Haewon; member Jinni left the group in late 2022.

Here are my credentials: NMIXX are a group that I admittedly don’t know very much about. I’ve heard of them, of course; there’s been enough ranting and raving about Mixxpop in my k-pop forums to last a lifetime. But I don’t know much besides that, and I thought that this deep dive would  be a nice break from my two three-parters. So let’s get into it!

(Update, 10-13-25: this is a re-do of my original, single-part review of NMIXX, reflecting my changed opinions and the fact that hopefully, I’m a much better reviewer now.)

Single #1: Ad Mare

Though I’d heard parts of it before, I was honestly excited to see O.O. in its full….well, not glory, but maybe beautiful disaster. I don’t want to repeat the words that have already been said ad nauseum, so I’ll say that there are good parts to it: the build-up in the pre-chorus, the beat (though not the words) in the chorus, and the energetic electric guitar of the…2nd…verse?? I think that’s what it is.

But the whole issue with it is that none of those good parts get a chance to shine or even breathe. Everything is thrown into a blender, shaken for good measure, and then driven in a race car that smashes through a wall at ninety miles an hour, and my brain cannot keep up. It’s actually quite similar to Billlie’s Gingamingayo, although at least that song’s chorus is good on its own. I don’t hate it, though, I’ll give it that.

I preferred the b-side Tank, which had some solid energy and a consistent beat, but it also has the lines “I’m so freaky frisky frisky”, so really, there’s no winning here.

Single #2: Entwurf

Dice has a strong opening, as though the curtain is being dropped before a show. The rest of the song doesn’t quite live up to it, but it’s a lot more cohesive than O.O. was (at least at first). My favorite part is the chorus, actually, which has a strong hook that I wish had a stronger song to go with it. Though I understand that they’re trying to build a signature sound, the way they go about it is honestly painful to listen to.

The b-side from this single, Your Rainbow, leans further into the vaudeville showmanship that Dice hinted at, with a confident, smooth sound that I really wish had made its way into a title track. I also wanted it to have more of a pay-off in its chorus, but overall, I liked it.

Single #3: Young, Dumb, Stupid

Young, Dumb, Stupid is a pre-release for NMIXX’s first EP, and most of it is quite strong, being a good pop track with some solid energy brought by all of the members. But then, completely opposite from O.O., it makes the frankly bewildering choice to sample a nursery rhyme for its hook, which is a chanty, aegyo-filled earworm. Maybe it’s my own bias talking, but its specific cadence is incredibly dissonant and kind of creepy. But the worst part is that now it’s stuck in my head and I cannot stress enough how much I do not want it there.

EP #1: Expergo

Love Me Like This is the actual single from Expergo, and has a percussive, dancy beat underlying most of it, which had me cautiously optimistic. The build up is great…and then we have the anti-drop of anti-drops, which is frankly just dull. I don’t know how it’s possible, because NMIXX have so much charisma, and it often elevates their songs. But here, it’s mind-numbing, and now it’s also stuck in my head. I admit it, I had to turn off the song before the end, which I try to make it a rule not to do, but the chorus was killing me.

From the EP, Expergo, I enjoyed the easygoing poppiness of Paxxword, and the whistling hook and acoustic guitar in My Gosh (my hidden gem).

Single #4: Roller Coaster

Naming your k-pop song Roller Coaster already pits it against stiff competition, Chung Ha and Woo!ah!’s especially, but apparently NMIXX is up to the challenge. The song itself is quite New Jeans in execution, between the schoolgirl outfits, the very minimalistic synth sound, and the washed-out color palette. Thankfully, it doesn’t have an anti-drop, but it doesn’t really do anything interesting in its place, either, just kind of meandering around with no clear direction. It’s not a bad song at all, and it’s definitely growing on me the more I listen to it, but it just doesn’t grab me.

Single #5: A Midsummer NMIXX’s Dream

Party O’Clock is similar to Roller Coaster in both genre and structure. The verses, bridge and the ad-libs in the chorus had me wincing, I admit it; that kind of scratchy, “cute” chanting always gets on my nerves. The rest of the song I enjoyed, though, especially the chorus. It feels fleshed out and it’s catchy but not in an irritating or over-the-top way. I could do without the post-choruses, though all things considered, that’s not too bad for a critique.

Single #6: Soñar

Soñar, unfortunately, continues on with the “cute” chanting. I like it when it moves into a more powerful kind of chant in the pre-choruses, the kind that an audience could follow at a concert, but it doesn’t do that enough for me. The verses are mostly fine, besides that, though I’m not a big fan of the rapping, but the chorus, again, takes that away, with a soulless anti-drop that I just…hate. I’m sorry; normally, I’m kinder and try to find the good in every song, but I’ve just got nothing.

EP #2: Fe304; Break

Dash is the single from the second EP. I tried to keep an open mind, but by the time the hook came through in the first few moments, I knew this wasn’t going to end well. I won’t bore you with the specifics, because I’m sure that the world doesn’t need more complaining from me, but this song is functionally very similar to Soñar: decent verses, good pre-chorus, and then a nothing anti-drop where it desperately needed a payoff.

From the EP, Fe304: Break, I enjoyed the light electro beat of Passionfruit and the great energy of Break The Wall, but my hidden gem was Run For Roses. Operating on a percussive Latin-pop-inspired beat with a strong guitar and even a fiddle, it does what so many of their tracks fail to, truly delivering on its drama and leaning into it wholeheartedly. It isn’t perfect, but with a few tweaks, it could be a great template for a title. I mean it when I say that I really like this song.

If you don’t know, I’m a trained singer, and in the time since my original review, I’ve actually learned to sing Run For Roses. I still use it as a warm-up when I haven’t sung in a while, both because of its range and because of its switch-ups. It’s a bit like a sampling platter of types of vocal control, so, all my kudos to the NMIXX girls for singing this regularly; it’s no joke. (And, also, if anyone would be interested in a post about the kpop songs I’ve learned to sing, let me know!)

Next time, we’re onto Part 2. Tschüss!