Here are my credentials (again): 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.)

(Read Part 1 Here)

EP #3: Fe304; Stick Out

Single See That? follows NMIXX’s trend of creating singles with so much promise and then not following through. There was so much I liked: the vocalized, chanty opening, the first verse’s odd energy, the Latin Pop elements, and especially the bridge. But then the chorus is so disappointing, taking all the good it started with and turning it into an anti-drop with no personality. Songs like this that are so close to being great but ruin it with their own shortcomings drive me crazy. Ugh.

From the EP, my hidden gem was the synthpop-driven Red Light Sign, But We Go, though I still have my gripes with its sing-talk-heavy post-chorus. I also enjoyed the fast-paced hook of Beat Beat and the rock-ballad sound of Moving On. This is definitely their best release so far, and I’m cautiously optimistic.

EP #4: Fe304; Forward

Know About Me bops along with a light, synthy sound that often feels seconds away from floating away, which is honestly quite a good fit for NMIXX’s vocals. The pre-chorus is a good build-up too. And then the chorus defeats all of the goodwill the rest of the song built up, with an anti-drop that’s so non-melodic that I started gritting my teeth. And it’s even more frustrating because the rest of the chorus (really, the rest of the song) is just fine, meaning that they included it for absolutely no reason. I definitely liked this song more than a lot of their past work, but to be honest, that’s not saying much. Also, it may be just me having a friend who’s way too into Astrophysics, but this music video feels a lot like it’s just taking bits and pieces of Interstellar and reconfiguring them with no context.

From the EP, I enjoyed the mashup between melancholy piano and fast-paced percussion in High Horse and the all-too-short acapella sections of Ocean.

Single #4: Spinnin’ On It

Spinnin’ On It is a return to NMIXX’s love of pre-releases, this time with the added chaos of, as my twitter feed has been putting it, “Toxic Yuri” I did think they were exaggerating, but then I watched the music video, which somehow manages to make cracking eggs, a birthday cake fight, and squishing marshmallows some of the queerest imagery I’ve seen in a kpop video this year.

Anyway, I digress; onto the song itself. You might be surprised to hear me say that I really liked it from the first listen. Honestly, I kept waiting for it to turn into something I was going to hate, but it never did. There’s no disappointing anti-drop chorus, no strange last-minute switch-ups in terms of genre, and no sacrificing of vocals to make something sound “unique”. The song is strange-sounding, sure; it wouldn’t be NMIXX if it wasn’t, but mostly, it words. It became the first song of theirs since Run For Roses that I’ve added to one of my kpop playlists. Nice job, girls; you proved me wrong.

Album #1: Blue Valentine

Will the NSWERs kill me if I say that Blue Valentine is perhaps NMIXX’s most “normal” song? It starts by floating along with an honestly lovely sound that I wasn’t expecting. And even more surprisingly, the way the song starts to shift and speed up in the middle actually…works? I know. I know. I’ll get the fainting couch. But seriously, the whole song feels wrong and it’s supposed to, melding well with the music video’s complicated storyline that follows in the footsteps of Spinnin’ On It’s, finally anchoring their sound with a solid reason. And the chorus is just great, finally as sprawling as I’ve always wanted their hooks to be. Is it still a little clunky in places? For sure. But it’s far and away so much more advanced than what they started with.

With Blue Valentine also comes NMIXX’s first full album, an exciting prospect for basically any group. I often find myself much more a fan of LPs than EPs, and this was definitely no exception. There was a lot I really liked from it, from the vogue-worthy Phoenix to the gorgeously ethereal vocals of Game Face to the great build of Podium, and I can’t believe I’m finding myself in the position of not knowing what to choose as a hidden gem. Of course it’s not all sunshine and rainbows, and there’s still issues, chiefly the weird quasi-Latin Pop of Rico, which feels more like they threw some Spanish in a blender with a shrug. But overall, this is a really good album, and I’m hoping it’s a marker of good to come.

There’s also the really interesting choice to put the two songs that were combined to form the infamous O.O years ago, one called “Baila” and one called “Superhero”, similarly to SHINee’s Sherlock, which is a combination of a song called “Clue” and one called “Note.” But unlike with Sherlock, where the combination became iconic, this decision ruined two perfectly fine songs, and I sincerely wish that they were just released that way on their own. The out of nowhere choices of O.O make so much more sense to me now. I felt like a lightbulb was exploding over my head, and I’d honestly recommend anyone who’s heard O.O to listen to these.

(To read my review on O.O for some context, click here)

Verdict: TL;DR

I’m glad I did this. Like I said, I didn’t know a lot about NMIXX when I started this deep dive, but I’m happy I learned more. I watched their Question Parade and a little backstage content and had some good laughs, but I also began to appreciate their skills so much more. Lily especially has some of the strongest vocals I’ve seen from the 5th gen, and I wish she got to use them more. None of my criticism of NMIXX has to do with the members, who I wish all the best, especially because I know that they get so much hate for something that they have no control over, which I don’t want to add to.

My Top 5 songs were Run For Roses, Spinnin’ On It, Blue Valentine, Party O’Clock, and Phoenix, with Break The Wall as a hidden gem. The first time I reviewed NMIXX, I gave them a 6.5 out of 10, which is the lowest rating I’ve ever given a group. My opinion’s now softened a little (seriously; what was Anna of 2024’s problem that day), and I’ll give them a 7.25. But I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I still feel a bit guilty about that.

Like I said when discussing Dice, I understand that NMIXX were trying to craft a signature sound, which is a must for any group in such a pressure cooker of an industry. But there’s a difference between being experimental and just being bad, and unfortunately too many of their songs cross that line for me. There’s good parts in a lot of their songs, much of which is due to their great voices and stage presence, but that’s only more frustrating, because there’s so much potential that isn’t being used. I want these talented young women to have better material. But I can only judge them on what’s already there, and the quality, for the most part, just isn’t.

I’m really hoping that, with Blue Valentine, NMIXX have finally found a sound that will stay, and that this is the beginning for a new era in their sound that gets at their obvious talents and sense of showmanship. And maybe, just maybe, there’s another reviewer out there they could prove wrong.

Next time, we’re back with the last part of the Seventeen Deep Dive! Tschüss!