For the second day in a row, JYP Entertainment has dropped a pre-release for one of its groups. This time it’s NMIXX, who are due to make a summer comeback next week. Roller Coaster is one of two new tracks, and jettisons their “mixx pop” sound in favor of subdued dance music that’s much more in line with groups like NewJeans and tripleS.
It took awhile, but I’ve come around to NMIXX’s last comeback Love Me Like This. Upon its release, the preceding nursery rhyme assault of Young, Dumb, Stupid knocked me for such a loop that I wasn’t able to enjoy anything NMIXX-related for awhile! Thankfully, Roller Coaster won’t have the same neutralizing effect.
I’m not sure if you’d call this “chill house” or simply house music with elements of garage. For me, it feels like a dance track with its fangs blunted to a dull nub. It’s like a big club thumper played through tinny speakers. It’s incredibly muted.
This is a matter of personal preference, and obviously this NewJeans-esque sound is super popular at the moment. Within this framework, Roller Coaster does a nice job delivering its pop hooks. Its chorus is strong and well-suited to the groups’ vocals. I predict its melodies will endure longer than the underlying production. Maybe the always-reliable Areia Creations will give us a pumped-up remix?
| Hooks | 9 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 8.25 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
could be one of their best tracks if not for the weird arrangement
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I just don’t like coypcats; it’s the law of diminishing returns. NewJeans are something special; some acts may try to tap into their sound, but the magic just isn’t there. Not even close. The tragedy is JYP *has* a patented, original, and wildly popular sound already, and label loyalty stretching back generations (in K-pop years). Why not build on that? Why not continue to evolve within that continuum? They’ve lost the plot.
The only NMIXX songs that sounded natural to me are the OST-type tunes like Cool (Your Rainbow) and Lily & Sullyoon’s The Moment. JYP shouldn’t fight it, just channel them in that direction.
Maybe I’m too harsh and will end up liking this new one, it’s just how I felt today, listening to Roller Coaster a couple of times…
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Disagree. I actually only have 2 of their songs on my playlist and this is one of them. It’s a NewJeans feel for sure but they’ve done a great job at it. Not every release, let alone a pre-release has to be super crazy experimental.
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“newjeans are something special” they’re really not
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Was literally about to say this. Im so tired of everyone thinking newjeans is something that has never been seen before. Literally everything on this earth at this current age has been inspired by something else of a previous era and thats okay.
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Maybe do some research before throwing around words like “copycat” ?
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no. newjeans are not special you’re just delusional
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I read ‘subdued’, ‘blunted’, ‘muted’ and at this point that is almost enough for me to not even play the song.
I was kind of positively surprised when I played it anyway. The beat is dull and blunt, but it does have momentum. It’s actually quite nice.
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Its literally a typical GG house b-side. Beats and chord progressions are so predictable that in a sense its really boring. But yeah, who will say no to good momentum? Prob a good radio song.
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I like this! starting with Love Me Like This, JYP is finally giving them material worthy of their talents
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it’s cute, i was sort of hoping they’d try to mixx pop things up again but considering this is the second song from them that i liked at first listen since tank, i’ll take it! just.. didn’t expect the second chorus to come out of nowhere
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JYP attempting to emulate NewJeans two days in a row with two different girl groups is definitely a choice. Unfortunately, just like Itzy’s pre-release, this feels way too generic.
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Why make comments like these, when they’re so obviously not on point?
This sounds much more like “traditional” k-pop house than New Jeans.
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Key word is “attempting”. Considering that neither of these groups have ever done something in this vein before (At least not for a MV track), it isn’t unreasonable to assume that a recent hit song with the same tone and energy as these would have been a major influence. Especially considering that JYP’s entire approach to NMIXX’s discography so far has just been repackaging worn out industry trends. This song definitely does not sound like NewJeans, but it was made because of them.
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JYP are responding to the same cultural trends that HYBE, SM and YG are.
Repacking worn out industry trend is a pretty bold claim when Nmixx is the only 4th group from the major companies to do a vocal centric title track.
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I swear NewJeans has spawned that boss baby tweet in record numbers
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At least it’s not trop house!
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I can see where both this song and Itzy’s latest are New Jean’s influenced. But the vocals (there are few groups who can top NMixx’s vocals)) on this song and the lyrics on Itzy’s “Bet on Me” I believe set them apart. I really have enjoyed this song and BoM more than NJ’s songs, except for “Cookie” and it’s “problematic” message. That one is the s**t!
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I understand when people said NMIXX pursue ‘NewJeans-ish’ aesthetic with this one.
Yet music-wise, this kind of cool, soulful House + KPop reminds me way back to GWSN or even 4Walls-era f (x).
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Yea im not hearing the NewJeans sound everyone keeps referencing. Kpop groups have been doing house b-sides like this for nearly a decade atp.
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Boy, if you told me last year that NMIXX will be releasing quality songs a year into their career, I wouldn’t believe it.
I have a huge bias towards house music so this is right up my alley. It is nice to see them sing in their comfortable ranges; their vocals shine best when they are utilized like that. I also liked how there’s barely any sing-talk stuff going on unlike their past releases.
Definitely looking forward to their title track to see if it lives up to what we were shown in the highlight medley.
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It’s quite good. Not as strong as cool your rainbow, but I like it about as much as Young Dumb Stupid.
Still can’t believe Nick gave “Love me like this” such a low rating though…
One of my top releases for 2023 along with The Feeling/Eunoia/Chrome Hearts.
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On one hand I’m happy because I finally like a song by them. I hate not liking almost anything a group has done. I really like this one though. Its cute, its summery, its fun. I like it. On the other hand I’m curious what NMIXX fans think of it because its very different from their usual more abrasive sound. It almost sounds more like a Kep1er b side than an NMIXX song.
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That ‘So incredible’ really got me hooked. I do get the NewJeans comparison but NewJeans did not invent this sound, as some people make it look. JYP has done this sound long before NewJeans debuted, so have others. NewJeans currently has taken this sound as their sonic base but in my opinion that should not have to prevent others from using this style (in this case I don’t mean Nick because I know he did not claim this).
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Had low expectations after reading the review, but was pleasantly surprised after giving the song a listen! I normally don’t like subdued music, but this does it for me. Really looking forward to their full release now, if the B-Side is this good!
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Everyone saying it’s NewJeans sound but I’m getting 2015-2016 kpop dance-house era like f(x).
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This song give me a string 2nd gen bside vibe !
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I’m hearing fx a lot more than new jeans in this. it’s a decent song
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There’s definitely a Newjeans feel to this pre-release but I would say less so musically – I feel their use of synth is heavier and they have more ‘random’ sound effects incorporated into their instrumental – and more so with the general vibe of the MV & its choices – the filming style, the casual vibe, the choreography being more oriented to them dancing with & towards each other all fits NJ’s aesthetic.
I feel unsure about nmixx completely seeming to eschew their signature of abrupt musical shifts because I admittedly like this better – a LOT better – but that was a unique quirk the group had. Even so, this was great and I hope I like the actual TT just as much.
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It’s more fx, Red Velvet and Billlie than NewJeans. A more comprehensive comment later.
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So, I love this.
The production is very at ease with this one. Cubic bass hits the right spots, e-piano is very clear, summery vibes on check, vocal production and direction is also good, toplines and chords are a bit atypical but still catchy.
Justin Reinstein always managed to keep his GG songs light and precise. I don’t know how he arranged and mixed them, but the final result does wonders.
About the NewJeans thing: I didn’t feel the Newjeans vibe — I didn’t find the Tiktok bites and repetitive hooks here. Instead, imagine if Umpah Umpah and EUNOIA had a child, Roller Coaster would be it.
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If Umpah Umpah and EUNOIA had a child, I would adopt it!
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I will nth that I am not hearing NewJeans in here, more like leftover Twice circa 2016 with the vocal turned up to 11 on the tinny dial and the demo instrumental left on.
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As many have said, I like the fact that I can enjoy this song on first listen. Its catchy, it’s fun, it’s summery, it’s inoffensive, I’m happy. I’ll also say that while I would love to hear the mixx concept with genres and sounds I enjoy, they didn’t completely abandon thier experimental essence. The structure is quite unusual, I almost want to mark it out on paper because I can’t make sense of all the choruses. Overall, solid 8.5
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What is this new jeans stereotype, were they the first to start y2k music ? Nmixx are awesome on their own , why must another group be involved.
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this song just gives me the fuzzies, it’s like my favs from GWSN but vocals on steroids 😀 JYP needs to keep leaning into their vocal strength because that’s truly the freshest thing nmixx brings to the industry !! it’s been awhile since we’ve had such a vocally strong group,, I can’t wait to watch them grow. SIDE NOTE: they are great live performers ❤
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