Over three years since their debut, NMIXX have finally released their first full album. And with twelve tracks, JYP Entertainment isn’t skimping on the occasion. Pre-release Spinnin’ On It built hype earlier this month and now Blue Valentine is here to remind us just how strange the group’s music can be.
“Mixxpop” isn’t something that’s referenced that often anymore, but it still plays a big part in many NMIXX songs. Blue Valentine sounds like a few different tracks fused together and they switch at unexpected points. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard a song that becomes so languid and tricky during its pre-chorus. Measurable tempo becomes an afterthought as Blue Valentine slows to a crawl before building back up. I want to applaud the pure adventurous nature of this move, but there’s a reason we don’t hear it often. It stalls momentum in a way that blunts both the preceding verse and the chorus that follows.
Speaking of choruses, Blue Valentine surges with a great hook at its centerpiece. I wish this refrain had been part of a different song because it lacks the support it needs from the segments surrounding it. I don’t know that NMIXX need to be going down a pop/rock route, but I can easily imagine the song that Blue Valentine‘s chorus suggests and I think I’d enjoy it more than what we have here. Still, this is an interesting experiment in contrast that will likely grow more addictive the longer my ear grows accustomed to it. As usual, the girls sound absolutely wonderful and the effusive finale leaves listeners on an undeniable high note.
| Hooks | 9 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 8 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
This stunned me in the best way possible.
It’s their best title track HANDS DOWN.
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The only good part of the song (I would even call it great) is the first part of the chorus. Everything else underwhelms and falls flat.
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Wowza!!! I’m very impressed by this comeback 😱😱 As for Blue Valentine, the song feels beautifully wistful and I enjoy it a hell of a lot more than I thought I would lmao
The album is also pretty solid, especially Reality Hurts. Damn what a song… And while I thought Spinnin on it was a bit weird at first, listening again made me realise it’s pretty sick. The songs remind me of what first got me hooked on K-pop, through a modernised ‘Nmixx-ian’ lens. While not every song is for me, IMO it’s very well done and impressive in what’s felt like a relatively bleak year for K-pop
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this is by far the best “mixxpop” title track they’ve had. I hope JYP continues to let these girls sing
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Incredible hook and I don’t mind the tempo changes either, think this might become my favourite from them!
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Another tragedy of good song ruined by JYP forcing it into MIXXPOP genre. This is certainly NMIXX best title track to date and quite ear-friendly even to casual listeners.
The intro is attractive and the melodic chorus is beautiful. However, the sudden tempo drop in verse during pre-chorus part just killed the song vibe/momentum and confused the listener. Luckily the chorus pick up the tempo quickly and manage to salvage the song before it become unlistenable.
The buried treasure song in the album is Phoenix where they tap into pop rock genre, it is really my style.
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OK well wow. Yanno how I always go on about how some song needed to be slower or faster, tweaking the speed on the youtube setting.
That. Challenge accepted, here, right now. Its one song but they tweak the speed slower then faster then slower then faster. It actually IS the same song. They are just playing around with our expectations about what does speed and volume and intensity make a song sound like, packed into 3 minutes.
Clever af. Yes from me, somewhere in the 9’s.
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I love when a more experimental song messes around with the verses but keeps a great chorus – this is what I loved about aespa’s Yeppi Yeppi too (and I believe you said the same thing in your review of it)!
Really like this one and am excited to listen to the album later
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Holy cats where do I start? I won’t bury the lead, I think this song is a masterpiece.
First of all, the emotion is so well conveyed in every part of the song: structure, lyrics, melody, tempo, form… it is all crafted to punctuate the message. And what a beautiful and heartbreaking message! A love that glows brightly, but then cools on one end, with a bittersweet story about the happiness and pure joy of the moments remembered juxtaposed against an acceptance of the reality that it can’t and won’t last. The verses convey this passage of time through memory and nostalgia through the instrumentals, and THEN takes another whackadoo turn slowing down so it can speed up (articulating when the memories are making your heart beat faster) until it explodes in a nostalgic feeling chorus of pure bliss. Then you get this suckerpunch at the end to follow Lily’s joyous “I’m falling over and over and over…” only to bring the song back to a devastating “it’s getting colder and colder and colder”… god that hit so hard I felt like I was going to tear up.
I don’t usually bring up the MV either, but it really helped cement even on the first listen the story of the song, and the choreo fits really well and is really cute too.
I have no notes as of now. I love this song. 10,10,10,10 = 10
Brief Update for Spinnin On It: It did only get better with time. New rating: 9,9,10,10 = 9.5
I’ll have to review the other songs in the album later, but I’ll be back to post that when I’ve had a chance to listen and grok them all.
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Phoenix:
This beat hits so hard. I love how intense this is. 8,10,8,10 = 9
Reality Hurts:
I feel like this goes hand in hand with Phoenix, it is good song placement in the album. Not quite as strong, but has slightly stronger vocal hooks while Phoenix has stronger instrumental. 9, 9, 8, 10 = 9
Rico:
I love the melodic base. Being a one word chorus does limit the dynamics of the chorus vocally. Apart from that, I love the crazy directions this song goes, I would say this may be the most Nmixx-iest of all the tracks? 8,10,7,10 = 8.75
Game Face:
What a breath of happy fresh air after the last 3 tracks! Just when you need a breath this adorable hook comes to save you. Ahhhh-AYE! I’m sure this song will be hit or miss, but I love that vocal. It may get stale after a while as it is a more gimmicky hook. Ultimately 10, 9, 8, 10 = 9.25
Podium:
Not sure how I feel about the chipmunky parts, but the percussion hits hard and that’s fun. The buildup in this song is fantastic! 9, 8, 7, 10 = 8.5
Crush on You:
Maybe my least favorite of the ten new tracks. It’s solid, and still contains the electro-futuristic pops here and there (which is really interesting considering this album takes place as they are out in space at the moment lore-wise). I love Sullyoon in the bridge. 8,8,8,10 = 8.5
Adore U:
This track surprised me the most (aside from Blue Valentine). Nmixx should do more rock ballads. 8,9,9,10 = 9
Shape of Love:
I love this chorus so much. Perfect fit for Sullyoon’s voice, and oh my her and Lily in the bridge! The verses could be a little more interesting, but that’s me being picky. 9, 8, 9, 10 = 9
O.O pt1 Baila:
They rerecorded everyone…. Interesting! They’ve grown a lot in small ways. Was really strange not hearing Jinni SHOOG, haha. The new parts are very interesting (even if I alrdy knew them from concerts). 8, 8, 8, 10 = 8.5
O.O pt2 Superhero:
The live band version from their 3rd anniversary is just sooo good, it’s hard for me to appreciate this version now! I think while pt 1 had enough dynamics to be its own thing, this song could’ve used an additional engaging segment to take it to the next level. The repeated guitar gets a little old here. I love the silly energy of the song, but it reaches peak for PEW PEW PEW ;p. A fitting, triumphant way to end their first full length album. 9, 7, 8, 10 = 8.5
I loved this album. I wish more kpop took the kind of risks they do (and like the industry used to do!). Album Score 10, 9, 9, 10 = 9.5 (this is not an average of scores, it also takes cohesiveness, overall listening experience, track composition and what not into account which are all excellent)
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Pleasantly surprised by this. It’s only the second NMixx song I’ve ever liked (Love is Lonely is the other one). I don’t mind the switch ups and I think they actually keep your attention in check. I love the chorus, it definitely carries the song. I’d say 8.5
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best nmixx title track by a long shot. I’m amazed about how they can pull the rock genre so well while keeping the things that make them unique.
8.75/10 (8, 9, 9, 9) for me
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I think this song hits a sweet spot between the mixxpop approach that used to be so in our faces earlier in their discography with a much more listener-friendly song. Like one of the comments says, they’re mostly playing with the track’s speed but it doesn’t feel like it’s different sections of different songs put together.
The chorus is definitely a highlight, and I really appreciate NMIXX for committing and giving us an actual chorus with a robust melody and banging production.
This group started winning me over since Dash and now I’m completely sold on them. I’m coming out as an NMIXX fan, don’t even know what their fandom name is but I wanna be a part of it!!
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I can give you the NSWER to that… (sorry about the pun)
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I’m… genuinely amazed. I can’t describe it with any word other than beautiful. It’s been so long since I’ve FELT something from a k-pop song. The visuals in the music video go back and forth between dazzling and boring me, but that doesn’t even matter. Compared to the emotions the vocals –and the LYRICISM, I’ve missed that in k-pop as well…– evoke in me, I hardly have time to focus on the images and lights flashing on the screen because my brain is hardwired into soaking in every drop of the music. I hope they make more songs like this.
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Less relevant but I want Haewon to beat me up with that baseball bat she has in the first scene.
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love the song. Probably the best first impression I’ve had of any of their songs. I also love the video, but there’s one scenario where the ladies are dancing under a giant skeleton and the video producers could’ve done a better job blending them into the scene
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I love seeing the evolution of the “mixxpop” sound NMIXX has since debut. This is my most favorite title track from them yet.
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Without those little hurky jerky tempo changes this would just be another pretty song. Those bits give it a bit of texture, just enough oddness to make it interesting.
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this is a nice song but feels too lowkey to be a title imo, i really enjoyed dash and know about me so i miss a little bit of that bombast and pizzazz in this
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Very disappointed by this song and the whole album. Expergo and the first Fe304 album were peak K-pop for me. I was really thinking Nmixx will deliver the best K-pop album of all time, so I’m kinda sad. I was already unimpressed by Spinnin On It, but this takes it to a whole new level. O.O, Dice, Love me like this, Roller Coaster, Sonar, Run for Roses… so many fantastic song. They should have stuck with that sound, rather going in the direction that the previous album already pointed at. Still can’t believe my favourite k-pop album (the most cohesive and entertaining IMO) is Fromis_9, a band I don’t even like that much LOL.
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Which Fromis album is it?
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it needed a Paxxword re-release.
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Unlock My World, it’s the only full album they have.
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hope this is a similar situation for you like dash, because I hard disagree. this song is SO GOOD.
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I have a feeling it will be, though not to the same extent. I already like it more in context of the (very strong) album.
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Pretty good, though Spinning on it is the better song.
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