Interview: NMIXX Talks New EP 'Strange Muse', First Unit Songs, and 'Birthday Wish' For the Future

NMIXX is back with their new EP, "Strange Muse!" This release marks the conclusion of the MIXXTOPIA storyline that NMIXX has been building since debut, while also pointing toward the group’s next chapter.

The members took a more active creative role in the project, contributing lyrics to several of the songs on the EP. The EP also includes the group's first unit tracks highlighting different musical colors within the group.

I had the opportunity to chat with the members, Haewon, Lily, Sullyoon, Bae, Jiwoo, and Kyujin, all about the album, their creative process, and the future of the group. Find out what they had to say below!

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Let’s talk about your new album, "Strange Muse"! This album is marking the end of an era for NMIXX and signaling the start of the next chapter for the group. Can you talk a bit about that?

Haewon: Strange Muse concludes the Mixtopia storyline beautifully, and this time we have become each other's muses to create a more beautiful world. So, I would say, overall, it's a very amazing album. 

The title track, "Birthday Wish", has a very different sort of sound than anything NMIXX has done before. What were the influences behind that song?

Lily: We were very influenced by lots of different genres, like Afro or Bombatone or even Future House. So you can kind of get those influences through this song.  But then also it has a lot of emotionally driven paths and rhythms in the song. The lyrics are also very romantic, and they have a lot of emotional parts. There’s the narration parts where you can hear the emotion. It’s in English, so our English-speaking fans will  get touched by those lyrics too. So yeah, lots of influences.

The album features the group’s first unit songs. How did you choose who the units would be and how do you think the songs reflect each member in the unit’s different musical colors?

Kyujin: Actually, the units were based on our age order, but I believe they really show our chemistry well. Jiwoo and I, we've been together since our trainee days, and we have practiced together for a long time. For this album, we really get to show our chemistry and teamwork. I think it's an amazing song which shows our vocal tone well, and I'm very happy that we get to release it. 

I know all of the members also have credits on writing your unit songs. Can you talk a bit about the process of how these songs came together?

Bae: Sullyoon and I, we were together for a long time since our trainee days as well, and I think our colors mesh well together. Sullyoon, the lyricist, and I, the 3 of us, had a lot of meetings where we worked on the lyrics. The direction of the song is about being confident and bold, no matter what people say. To really fit that message, Sullyoon and I pitched a lot of our ideas.

Was there anything particularly challenging or unexpected about creating these unit songs, or did you discover something new about yourselves or your fellow members through the process?

Jiwoo: I discovered a new side of Kyujin, which is that she's very talented at writing lyrics. 

Kyujin: The writing lyrics was actually a hard part of this for me, but Jiwoo really shared her story that she wants to capture in the song, so I thought that was very cool of her. 

Sullyoon: Bae actually took part in writing the lyrics for the previous album, so I knew she was good to begin with. But this time, when we worked with the lyricist, I found out she was very good at coming up with and matching the rhyming. So I think she's very gifted in that part. 

If any of you had to choose a different member to do a unit song with, who would you choose and what kind of genre would it be?

Lily: I would choose Bae. The reason why is because we have similar music tastes, we are pop girlies.  We have similar pop girly music tastes. So I think we could really agree on a really great song, if we did it together. I think we'd have similar taste in that regard. We haven't really gotten the chance to do just the 2 of us before, not often at least. So I would love to do just the two of us, like a duet. 

Bae: I want to choose Lily too, because I feel like the process would be really fun. We tend to recommend songs to each other a lot and Lily knows my taste very well. We also have similar preferences. Once we sang “Give It Up” together and I learned a lot from her through that.  I feel like I can learn from every single member.  So I would love to do a unit with everyone. 

Lily: I mean, it would have been very awkward if you chose someone else after I chose you. [Laughs]

For each of you, is there a particular lyric or musical moment on the album that feels especially meaningful to you or that you think best captures this era of NMIXX?

Haewon: So my favorite part goes “best of me, which resembles you”, and I think that is very ideal because it reminds me of our loving NSWER. If I resemble NSWER, that would be the best of me. So then I think this message also really fits the album's message, which is about inspiring each other. 

If each of you could describe this album or era in one word, what would it be?

Bae: I choose “harmony” because all of us have very diverse colors and charms, but when we are together, it really harmonizes and meshes well.  I feel like this chapter is our best harmony yet, but when we come back for our next album, that harmony will be even better. 

Kyujin: It's two words, but I choose “beautiful line” because this line symbolizes the end of a chapter, but it's also the line for a new beginning. 

Sullyoon: I choose the word “wish” because first of all, our title track is called “Birthday Wish” and through this era, I hope all our wishes come true.

Lily: I choose “Broadway” because I think this album is just as dramatic as a musical. 

Looking at where NMIXX is today, how do you think this album represents your growth as artists and the direction you want to take as a group?

Haewon: We all participated in the album and put in a lot of our thoughts. So I think that makes it meaningful and we will continue to show you our sincerity. 

Kyujin: We showed a wide spectrum of genres as well as our first unit songs. Through this album, we want to show that and NMIXX has endless growth and potential. In the future, through MIXXPOP, we want to show our diverse attempts and bold musical colors. 

For first time listeners or new fans, what’s something that you hope people take away from this album or learn about NMIXX when they listen to it?

Sullyoon: This album is about congratulating the birth of a new muse, and I want to tell everyone that we are all special muses who can inspire each other.  Since we have various genres and charms captured in this album, we hope everyone, including new listeners, can feel that. 

Lastly, now that you have been debuted for almost 5 years, how do you think NMIXX has grown or changed as a group and what are some things you’re still hoping to accomplish together?

Haewon: We practiced and got to debut after watching many of our senior artists. Now that we are in our 5th year,  I feel like we are able to inspire junior artists and aspiring singers as well, so we're happy about our growth up to this point. 

Lily: One of the things I hope we never lose is our bond with each other, because over the last five years, we have created a really, really special bond that I'm sure NSWERS can see as well. Not just with members ourselves, but our staff and obviously our fans the most.  I really hope that we never lose that. I believe we never will. I hope we continue to grow as idols and as humans and as artists.

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About NMIXX

Formed under JYP Entertainment, NMIXX is a six-member girl group known for their unique “MIXX POP” sound — a genre-defying style that fuses contrasting elements within a single track. Through powerful performances, conceptual storytelling, and musical experimentation, NMIXX continues to establish themselves as one of the most distinctive and innovative acts of their generation.