NMIXX Found All Types Of Love In Full-Length Album, ‘Blue Valentine’

It’s 10 p.m. at the JYP Entertainment offices in Seoul, South Korea. The K-pop group NMIXX is relaxed and gathered around in the conference room. This press interview, conducted over Zoom, is one of the last things they do before heading home to rest. The sextet – members Haewon, Lily, Sullyoon, Bae, Jiwoo, and Kyujin – is ready to chat about their first full-length album, Blue Valentine – out today!

Known for their experimental “MIXX POP” sound, NMIXX is ready to showcase their greatest strengths in their debut LP, comprising 12 high-energy tracks. Their title track, “Blue Valentine,” initially starts in an almost somber tone, then rhythmically shifts dynamically with an addictive chorus pushed by melancholic synth sounds and guitar riffs. The sweet, harmonized vocals enhance the song’s charm, capturing the emotional journey of reigniting the passion that has grown cold.

The rest of the album follows suit, with their signature genre-blending style. Futuristic modern pop song “Reality Hurts” – the first complete English song – blends EDM and Jersey Club with its cohesive rap groove and bold lyricism. Lily contributed to the lyrics to add depth to a person with a free-spirited attitude, navigating the harsh reality of surreal situations.

“Whenever I write lyrics, I always write them from my own perspective and about my own emotions,” Lily explains. “But, this time, what I found the most difficult when contributing to ‘Reality Hurts,’ is that it’s from the perspective of us as a whole [group]. I had to consider that. It’s not just my story, it’s everyone’s story – and that’s a first for me. It was hard getting into that mindset. But, in the end, it was a fun project and I’m happy with how it turned out.”

“SPINNIN’ ON IT’ puts alternative pop with catchy bass riffs and powerful drums. “Phoenix” fuses pop and São Paulo–style music. “RICO,” a pop track that blends Latin pop, EDM, and hip-hop, is sung in English, Korean, and Spanish. “ADORE YOU” has elements of hip-hop and hyperpop-style synths. “Game Face” features groovy hip-hop rhythms, complemented by contrasting moods. “Crush On You” is a pop track with jazzy vibes. “PODIUM” is an energetic pop track filled with an addictive reggaeton beat. Haewon contributed to both “Crush On You” and “PODIUM.”

Similar to Lily, Haewon found it challenging to write the lyrics from a perspective other than her own. She received feedback that it would be [tough] to resonate with their fans – NSWER. She reveals, “So it took me some time to finally get to that stage where the lyric moved away from being too personal to being more public and resonating with a lot more people.”

Two of the other tracks were previously performed versions of their debut lead single, “O.O,” at a fan concert. “O.O Part 1 (Baila)” is built on the Baile Funk genre with danceable flair. “O.O Part 2 (Superhero)” falls within the teenage pop-rock genre, featuring a superhero attitude.

“Our debut song, “O.O,” actually had a Part 1 and 2, but we separated it into one during a fan concert, and the fan reaction was really great,” says Kyujin. “We never officially released it as an official track before, so this time, we decided to add it to the album.”

Below, NMIXX talks more about the process behind “Blue Valentine,” why it was time for their full-length album, their journey over the past three years since their debut, and any plans to perform the album on a World Tour.

Laura Sirikul: What made now the right time to release a studio album?

Haewon: The full-length album was important. The timing was important. We had a story to share with the fans. It’s been three years now, and we’ve [established a strong] relationship with NSWER. Now is the time to build and release this story and relationship [through this album].

Sirikul: “Blue Valentine” is a blend of various pop genres, also known as MIXX Pop, including pop rock, pop jazz, pop fusion, Latin pop, and electronic pop. What were you looking forward to showcasing in this album?

Lily: Since it’s our first time with a [more extended] tracklist, we usually try to do a lot of different genres because of our MIXX POP. This time, we aimed to incorporate as much variety as possible into every song, while also showcasing the individual vocal charms of each member. This album is important to us. I hope that anyone listening can find at least one song that resonates with them.

Sirikul: What can you tell me about the concepts from this album? What story are you trying to say with this?

Bae: I wanted to share a bit of the story about Blue Valentine. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we lived in a world where love is always romantic, but that’s not the truth. The Blue Valentine conveys both extremes of falling in love – the hurtful and romantic side.

Sirikul: How would you say this album represents your journey you’ve all been on as a group?

Haewon: [The theme of] Love and Hate represents our growth journey. Just as the album represents the team, there are ups and downs. You go through a lot of things, but our love for the work, NSWER, and music led us to release [Blue Valentine]. We decided to share that narrative with multiple tracks.

Sirikul: What is your favorite song or lyric from the album that you feel closely connected to?

Bae: My favorite song is “SPINNIN’ ON IT,’ and there’s a Korean lyric that says “we will always be together forever.” It represents the fact that despite all the hurt and struggles we go through, we will always choose each other in the end. It’s a very warm lyric that stays with me for a long time.

Kyujin: My favorite song is “Shape of Love.” The lyrics go, “I don’t care about the shape of anything, I can take the love you.” That lyric represents that, despite what kind of shape, pain, or struggle love comes in, I’m willing to accept it. That is something that resonates very deeply with me, because in whatever form that love comes to me, I’m willing to accept love as it is.

Sullyoon: My favorite track is “Crush On You,” and the lyric goes: “I will let you hear or listen to anything that you want to.” It basically means I like you so much and I want to give you everything that you like or let you hear what you want to [listen to].

Jiwoo: “Blue Valentine” is [my favorite]. There’s a part in the song that says, “even if we spin and roll like a rollercoaster, it doesn’t really matter.” When I was recording it, I was able to translate that part with my own vibe. We also had a song called Roller Coaster. Everything is tied together.

Lily: When I helped write “Reality Hurts,” I channeled a lot of NMIXX as a whole. It was my mindset. I do feel very connected to it. I also feel connected to the lyrics in “Blue Valentine.” They were beautiful.

Haewon: Because I spent a lot of time and energy writing those songs, [“PODIUM” and “Crush On You”], those are the lyrics that resonated the most. There’s a lyric in PODIUM that says, “we’re born to be a squad.” That is very NMIXX.

Sirikul: You’re known for blending musical styles into your music, playing with many genres, especially in this album – trap, funk, teen pop, pop rock, Latin, lots of bass, etc. Is there one genre that you have yet to try that you want to?

Kyujin: I really like jazz. Even though we’ve been mixing a lot of genres, we haven’t [yet created a track that is purely hardcore jazz or something that is truly jazz-oriented]. That is something I would like to try, and when anyone listens to it, they will say, “This is OG jazz.”

Sirikul: Are there any plans to perform this album on an upcoming tour, possibly coming to the U.S. soon?

Bae: I really want to go! Wherever there’s NSWER, we would love to go and be there for them.

Sirikul: With just a few words, how would you describe or phrase this album, “Blue Valentine”?

Bae: Left no crumbs!

Lily: My phrase is “a realistic depiction of love in the modern age.” I say that because there are many facets to love. It’s like we say in “Shape of Love,” there are a lot of different shapes of love. Almost all the tracks are about love in some way or another, and [multiple] types of love. Love isn’t just one note. It can be anything to anyone.

Haewon: Journey to Love.

Sullywoon: Mine would be “what NMIXX is good at,” because the album has a variety of things, but it’s what we’ve been best at.

Kihyn: Love and Hate.

Bae: One word is “You.” I guess, three words: “It’s so YOU.” Because the album is about the exchange and connection of emotions, and that can’t stand alone. It needs the other counterpart. In that sense, describe or enable that kind of connection.

Jiwoo: I’ll use three words: “My favorite album!” Blue is my favorite color, and I put a lot of effort into creating that book. We even filmed the music video in a very special location. There are several special aspects to it.

NMIXX’s Blue Valentine is available now on all major streaming platforms. Physical copies can be purchased online and from various retail stores.

*Interview was edited for length and clarity.