Around this time last year, NMIXX scored the biggest hit of their career. The mammoth Blue Valentine and its accompanying album seemed to point toward a period of chart dominance for the group. This spring’s Heavy Serenade has stuck around the charts as well, but never felt nearly as buzzy as its predecessor. Now, the group has returned with another mini album and a title track that ties a few current trends to NMIXX’s own unique appeal.
Birthday Wish (긴 소원) is their latest venture into “mixxpop,” melding various genres into one song. At one point, it’s a bit of a rock track. The next, we’re on the dancefloor. Then, we have moombahton influences tying it all together. K-pop has always been adept at blending genres in this way, but usually requires great focus in the songwriting to pull it all together. Despite its big chorus acting as an anchor, Birthday Wish feels like a few disparate elements tied loosely together.
My favorite of these moments is the song’s intro, which returns later in the song. I like the stabbing guitar that frames this segment and the girls’ voices sound great. In contrast, the anthemic chorus often veers too close to shouting for my taste and quickly develops a thinness I don’t often associate with NMIXX. I assume further listens will smooth out some of Birthday Wish‘s more jarring moments, but on day one I’m not bowled over by many of its highlights.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 7 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 7.75 |
Grade: C+
Idk why but there’s something about this song that feels so… compressed, like it sounds like they put the song through those compressor tools cause the file was too big. It sounds a little muddled to my ears but maybe it’s me. Maybe with a clearer arrangement this would have been a Blue Valentine-esque standout.
Rating’s the same.
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Yes I noticed it too, it’s kinda grating.
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First time I’ve ever been really disappointed by an Nmixx song 😦
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For me, Nmixx is very hit or miss, with them having a little bit more misses than hits.
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The opening sense of build-up was quite nice before transitioning into an Afrobeats and Drum & Bass fusion. The chorus tries its best to bring high energy, but it unfortunately falls a bit flat. The production holds back slightly, and the second verse loses a bit of momentum. I could see what they couldv’e done with a blend of tracks between tracks like Red Velvet’s “Happiness” and “You Better Know”—but there is a lack of a steady, satisfying rise. The opening motif returns briefly near the end, though it would have been lovely had it stayed around longer. It’s certainly not a bad effort, but it could have been elevated much further with a bit more direction.
2. Kerosene
This one carries a vibe similar to “Reality Hurts,” though the chorus feels a bit too brief and lacking in punch. That underlying Drum & Bass influence unfortunately threatens to disrupt the flow of these tracks. Additionally, the vocal harmonies toward the end felt a bit polarizing, as they didn’t quite blend seamlessly with the backing production.
3. RudE TaLK
I feel like this had the potential to be a really wonderful title track that feels unique to NMIXX! The song starts soft and sweet before transitioning into an electro feel for the chorus, and I love how that electro element then blends with soft strings during the second verse. Even though the chorus leans into sing-talk, the beat swerves and adapts nicely. It feels a little too short and underdeveloped to fully serve as a main single, but it remains a very enjoyable listen!
4. Sing to the Moon
Clocking in at 4 minutes, this is the longest song on the EP, though it takes the form of a traditional ballad. There isn’t too much to break down here—it is performed very nicely with a sweet vocal delivery, though the production remains fairly simple throughout.
5. Hot n’ Unbothered
More Afrobeats in 2026?! It feels like a trend we just can’t seem to escape lately! That said, the track keeps things relatively low-drama, relying on simple strings that really should have been more grand and dramatic to contrast with the minimalist beat. The final 20 seconds try to give the song a boost, but fall a bit short—it almost sounds like a small, discarded snippet of an outro that was tacked on at the end.
6. Whip
Having the chorus consist almost entirely of repeating “I gotta whip + whip” is unfortunately quite aggravating to the ear. The unexpected interpolation reminiscent of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly also felt a bit odd in this context. Sadly, this ends up being my least favorite track on the project.
Final Thoughts
Overall, this is a decent EP, though it lacked the strong resolve that this current era deserved. We really needed bigger, more expansive, and open tracks so that this project could enjoy strong longevity as we approach the end of the year. While I appreciate the effort and hard work the girls put into every release, they have yet to top the high standard set by “Blue Valentine.”
As always, I am holding onto faith that brighter, even more inspired music lies ahead on their journey!
Overall Album Rating: High 7(7.88)
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I guess NMIXX has know chosen their identity to be anthemic and uplifting.
This is a good song, though slightly generic, and I like it. But I don’t think it has great replay value, and I can easily see myself getting bored of it.
I have to agree it kinda feels thin in the chorus and because it feels compressed, it comes to me as tinny.
My personal favourite is how lyrics change during the two refrain (I’m using GENIUS) from “어쩌면 너는 (Maybe you’re)” into “기억해 너는 (Remember you’re)” and how the final chorus has a subtle lyric change.
But like Heavy Serenade, the post-chorus seems very anti-climactic and kinda messes up the song a bit. Maybe the producers are trying too hard to recreate Blue Valentine’s post-chorus?
Anyway my rating is the same.
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*now
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I can see them excelling at being uplifting but their songs just need a tad bit more focus.
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Well…I like it better than Heavy Serenade! I think they’ve still lost the plot though. They need to dial the artiness back to Blue Valentine or better yet Fe3O4: FORWARD levels. It’s too much of a mishmash and the chorus is kinda weird. Something like Spinning On It, or hell even O.O present better and more entertaining visions. 7
On the mini I like Rude Talk and Hot ‘n Bothered.
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this was beautiful. i highkey cried a little (no bias at all, obviously LOL) i think i enjoyed this as a title track more than heavy serenade and same with the ep as well, but this definitely, both as an album and title track, does not reach the heights that blue valentine made me feel, which, again, is a pretty high bar to meet. 8.5 from me!
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I really love it. I really love NMIXX when they’re at their most mixxpop-iest and while this I feel like this doesn’t hit that spot like how “Blue Valentine”, “Dash”, or “O.O” did (I feel like the song flows too seamlessly), it feels like them applying that mixxpop flair to the anthemic sound that they’re leaning into and idk I like it a lot.
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I liked the acapella medley with the backing choir more
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Birthday Wish: 9,6,8,9 = 8
The song has great energy in places and one heck of an earworm. As I’ve noticed and already read elsewhere, the chorus sounds some sort of compressed, or mixed strangely, and unfortunately takes away some of the punch. The instrumental for the chorus is also a little weak. You don’t need to steal the thunder from the vocals, but something like an orchestral strings section rather than the distorted/compressed filler chords would have added more to the grandness of the chorus and punched it up with greater drama. The last chorus where they let Lily pop-off brings back some “Break the Wall” vibes in the best ways, though. I am digging the choreography, especially for the last chorus, so I’m excited to see the whole thing, and thinking the vocals will only improve for the live performances. By all accounts, with this kind of catchy chorus this song should be a knockout punch, so this is a bummer. The verses are fantastic, but they breeze by so quickly and you need to build a longing for a chorus of this kind. There’s an effort later in the song during the bridge that attempts this, there’s a softer melody that is nice but then after the spoken words feel a little much, or something about the transition back to the song just seems off.
However, I had to eat my words a little bit for crescendo, and Nmixx songs are best savored over time as a lot of care is typically put into the production, so we’ll see how I feel after some time with it.
Kerosene: 7,9,8,10 = 8.5
With the sub-unit songs (sans Whip) and a TT going for more mainstream appeal, I feel Kerosene and Rude Talk were tailored to the “Mixx” vibe to appease the stans. The production feels a lot like “IDESERVEIT” or “SLINGSHOT”.
Rude Talk: 9,9,9,10 = 9.25
I think this is the real treasure of this album. You have some of the strings I was longing for in Birthday Wish and such good flow between the harder and sweeter sections. Plus you have deeper tone Sullyoon, which is a personal favorite of mine.
Sing to the Moon: 7,8,7,8 = 7.5
It’s a pure keys and vocals ballad. It’s beautiful, the vocalists (Lily and Haewon) are superb, especially when Haewon uses her airy voice. I would’ve liked something more adventurous for them, with more harmonies and crowd-stopping moments, but this is sweet and adorable, so not going for what I wanted, but I’m happy to have it.
Hot ‘n Unbothered: 8,8,7,8 = 7.75
We’ve heard this kind of song before, but Sullyoon and Bae do a great job with it. I’m sure people are losing their minds during the breathy “hot, hot, hot” sections if they bias either of these girls. It’s a good match for their skills and works well in it’s b-side sub-unit slot.
Whip: 9,9,9,10 = 9.25
The best sub-unit track by far. I don’t always like the “repeat catchphrase” choruses, but Nmixx tends to do theirs with style, and it is no different here. Standouts are the whippy (see what I did) “Whoa-ee-oa-ee-ah” parts and Jiwoo’s rap to start verse 2. This one needs a performance video immediately. At 2 minutes you’d think I have a problem with length, but this is actually solid, it comes in and commands your attention and leaves you breathless wanting more.
Strange Muse Album: 8,8,7,9 = 8
2025 is NMixx’s greatest year. Fe304 Forward and Blue Valentine are their best albums to date, in my opinion, and they’ve both reached masterpiece status for me, along with Fe304 Break. 2026 is difficult if only by comparison. I like their new music, but 2025 was peak. Altogether I would rank their albums as such:
Blue Valentine
Forward
Break
Expergo
Ad Mare
Heavy Serenade
Stick Out
Entwurf
Midsummer
Strange Muse
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Woah! It’s cool to see that you put a lot of effort in your comments!
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As did you! I always appreciate when someone writes enough to interact with. Unfortunately, Nmixx is about the only group I have time to comment so detailed on lately, but that’s what you do for your faves!
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For anyone interested, I enjoyed the TT a lot more after taking the time to digest the lyrics, especially in relation to the fictional lore of the group. Bear in mind this is just me armchair speculating and interpreting, so I may be way off base, but this is how I understand it all:
Lore Background:
Since their O.O debut, Nmixx was existing in a darker world known as FIELD, and the change-up part of O.O was them first becoming aware of a utopia known as Mixxtopia. Bright colors, beautiful song, blooming and growth, etc. They spend a whole Fe304 trilogy journeying there after defeating Monopole, the villain of their prior EPs that was complicating matters. With the start of the Blue Valentine trilogy, we have the girls finding Mixxtopia, but at a cost. Only Sullyoon and Kyujin remember the countless times over different timelines and dimensions it took to get there, all attempts having failed until NMixx’s most recent trilogy that ends here with Strange Muse.
Lyrical Thoughts:
This works as either a romantic or plutonic love song about 1) recognizing and loving someone through the pieces of yourself they helped shape over time and 2) discovering yourself through the ways they were also changed because of you.
We have two important POVs. Kyujin/Sullyoon and then the rest of Nmixx.
For Sully/Kyu: They are the ones that retained their memory. In the bridge, Sullyoon sings “You’ll have the best of me, don’t forget this, I will make an endless wish for you.” Kyujin says “To long nights and forgotten places I’d lose my way a thousand times to find you”. They share their enduring dedication and love to the members.
For the rest of Nmixx: They meet Sullyoon/Kyujin and are instantly drawn to them, knowing them even before knowing their names by the way they were impacted by them (that they forgot) and they themselves were changed over the countless attempts to get to utopia with each other. (reference chorus line, “You’re in the best of me, now I can see”).
For both: they have a greater appreciation for each other and understand more about themselves when they “first meet” when their own best qualities are mirrored on one another. They celebrate this “first meeting”, calling it “Our Birthday”, a symbol of their connection and endurance over time.
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I really like it! Especially considering it’s the end of the trilogy, it got me really emotional lol
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I’ve followed the lore enough that, even though the spoken word part of birthday wish didn’t work for me musically, I think that part is really powerful from a narrative perspective and really stirs up some of my emotions.
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It feels to me like a fan service hype song for playing half-way through a concert, less sung more ad libbed over as they wander the stage waving at the audience who wave back.
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Nailed it. Make it a 1-2 punch with Funky Glitter Christmas. Live band version would solve all the hiccups the song has too.
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I don’t know why a lot of people don’t like this. I think they used the many genres to their advantage and filled the gaps where a song like this could become a boring fan service song. Kyujin had a really great rap part. However it’s true that their mixing and mastering department has not been very good this year, and it’s especially apparent in their b-sides and high notes. I even listened to superstar to see the difference, and it’s true- to fix this I think they should remove all the layered voices in the chorus and only keep the harmonies, and use the remaining harmonies to only support the main vocal instead of the voice-stacking acting as chanting/crowd/texture.
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Honestly the song hook was pretty weak for me as it did not pull at my ear or anything. The chorus was anthemic yes but it did little to evoke any strong emotion (agreed its a little close to shouting) unlike Blue Valentine. The verses were held strong thanks to their immaculate vocals no question about that. The last 30 sec outro was very good yet it feels like a dessert that comes too late to be enjoyed.
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On first listen I like the song, I just don’t like when it is interrupted by random spoken interludes and the most out of place rap section I have heard in quite a while. They overcooked this one idk
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I wish the verse (especially the pre chorus)were longer than the chorus The chorus especially the post chorus put me a bit off and also the rap in the second verse I wish they cut off the The 2 post chourus and put in as only a intro and the verse a bit longer I feel like it dint really utalize the long minutes in the song
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I find the songwriting lazy, it sounds too similar to Crescendo. I feel since Blue Valentine NMIXX are stuck in Western pop style chorus. I don’t hate it but it’s a bit basic for such a creative band. The EP is not great either.
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Birthday Wish and Crescendo were composed by the same team, which is probably why they sound so similar. I feel like they should switch creative teams for their future projects.
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Was coming here to write a similar comment. In fairness to nmixx they’re the only ones doing this sound, and they can truly sing and I appreciate the ways they try to show that. But yes, it basically feels like the same song as the Crescendo.
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Agree on the messiness part and that the chorus feels shouted. This is not their best title track by far but I’m placing my bets that it will sound better once they perform it live. Usually they do small tweaks (lily specially) so they are able to perform the song live and we get new arrangements during awards show seasons. All in I’m happy for nmixx success ＼(^o^)／
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It feels like an anniversary fan song, which isn’t bad but isn’t something I’d return to. I agree with another commenter saying that it probably would’ve worked better if it was more like Red Velvet’s You Better Know, which just feels like fireworks throughout without sounding too monotone or overdone. I love that song so much… I think just the instrumental choices in this song, or maybe the way it was treated in the mix, feels the slightly bit tacky, like a first draft. Sometimes instrumentals just have that vibe for me where maybe some more reworking, some extra feedback from a listener, would help push it in the right direction. I think it’s a complete oversight to make compressed-sounding music in this day.
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Maybe I’m biased towards NMIXX but this works for me? It is not as cool as the Heavy Serenade singles and definitely not as exciting as the rollout for Blue Valentine, but it’s okay. I hear the criticism around the chorus, though. It feels very compressed and has a shouty effect. I’m not sure if that was the intentionality behind the whole, but I guess that’s the only thing I can be nitpicky about.
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It’s lovely… and that’s it.
The EP is decent all-around, but I think picking Birthday Wish for the title was a decent choice, lore and story notwithstanding.
Birthday Wish (8, 9, 8, 9; 8.5):
It’s a beautiful conclusion to the trilogy, but it feels like a weak imitation of Heavy Serenade, or more likely Crescendo. The spoken word bridge might be nice, but it throws the rhythm of an already clunky song off. This song would benefit with more drums in it. Also, as someone else also mentioned, the lyricism is… eh. I’ll take NMIXX’s hopeful yearning over other girl groups’ “I’m so hot, I’m so cool, I’m so rich” schtick any day, I just feel like a lot of their lyrics try way too hard to be poetic. Or maybe that’s just my two cents as someone whose first language isn’t English and feels a little baffled at some of the lyrics.
Kerosene (7, 8, 7, 9; 7.75):
I saw someone compare it to Slingshot, but honestly, besides that, it gives more Golden Recipe to me, imo. The “kerosene sene sene sene” is so grating and wears out quickly after the first verse, making the rest of the song tiring and irritable. The ending has some relieving harmonising, but even that is jarring compared to the rest of the track.
RudeE TaLK (8, 9, 9, 9; 8.75):
Starts out very prettily but the chorus throws me off. I think in an alternate universe this would have been the song they would have released as a title if it were not for their BV-HS-SM trilogy. The pre-chorus + post-chorus having an almost nursery-rhyme-like rhythm is far worse than the chorus, though. I kinda dig that “teeeest me” on the bridge there. This might be odd to say but I feel like this could work as a Misamo title track?
Sing to the Moon (Lily, Haewon) (straight 8; 8):
Gorgeous ballad; love the utilisation of their voices in harmony with each other. Nothing more to say about it as it’s basically an ordinary good ballad with nothing really special about it. Also, is it just me, or does Haewon’s voice sound a little stifled on the track?
Hot ‘n Unbothered (Sullyoon, Bae) (8, 8, 8, 9; 8.25):
It’s ridiculously catchy and definitely an earworm. I think that’s most of its strength, though, as it plays it safe on just about every other front. Reminds me of Know About Me a bit. Getting tired of Afrobeats… but apparently both Sullyoon and Bae have songwriting credits on this? Probably nothing more than a line or two knowing how many songwriters this had, but that’s still cool.
WHIP (Jiwoo, Kyujin) (7, 7, 7, 9; 7.5):
Not even the fun “whoa-a-a” sample can stop me from disliking this. Shockingly average; they should’ve given them a fun house/dance song to really round out the subunit songs.
Overall a very decent album and a great conclusion to the trilogy, even if the releases got weaker post-BV. Although maybe that’s just because the Blue Valentine album was so good, I find it hard to imagine anything in their discography can top it. Except, imo, Fe3O4 Break, which is as good as Blue Valentine. After them comes Forward.
1. Blue Valentine
2. Fe3O4: Break
3. Fe3O4: Forward
4. Heavy Serenade
5. expérgo
6. Fe3O4: Stick Out
7. Ad Mare
8. Strange Muse
9. Entwurf
10. A Midsummer NMIXX’s Dream
If singles count, MEXE and TIC TIC both fall somewhere between Stick Out & Ad Mare.
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