The K-pop girl group keeps listeners on their toes

Three years into their career as a K-pop girl group, NMIXX released their first full-length album. Known for their self-described “mixxpop” genre—e.g. songs that fuse together at least two different genres—NMIXX have always prided themselves on keeping listeners on their toes. On Blue Valentine, members LILY, HAEWON, SULLYOON, BAE, JIWOO and KYUJIN get things started with a tempo-shifting title track about trying to breathe new life into a love turning cold. The pop-rock song slows and speeds when you least expect it, evoking the starts and stalls of a cherished relationship.

Love is a frequent subject on Blue Valentine, and often seen through this broader lens of stubborn yet optimistic realism. From the synth-sparkling melancholy of “Blue Valentine” to the clumsy, rock-infused affections of “ADORE U” to the delicate vocals vowing commitment on “Shape of Love”, Blue Valentine resists painting the complexity of love with just one colour—or genre. Korean Australian member LILY wrote lyrics for “Reality Hurts”, an English-language EDM dance track about resilience in the face of modern malaise, while HAEWON contributed lyrics for “PODIUM” and “Crush on You”. The album ends with two versions of NMIXX’s 2022 debut track “O.O”. On “Baila” and “Superhero”, the songs are reimagined more wholly through a single music genre: baile funk and pop rock, respectively.