NMIXX
bring all of their stylish pop swagger to bear on their full-length debut, 2025's
Blue Valentine
. The album, which follows the group's trilogy of chart-topping EPs,
Fe3O4: Break
,
Fe3O4: Stick Out
, and
Fe3O4: Forward
, finds the six-member K-pop girl group maximizing their hooky, ear-grabbing chops. While multi-group pop bands are a K-pop staple,
members
Lily
Haewon
Sullyoon
Bae
Jiwoo
Kyujin
are particularly adept at distinguishing themselves within each song. This is especially true on the title track, a buoyantly romantic number that fuses a bubbly '80s-does-'50s pop melody onto an infectious dance beat; a vibe that evokes the happy/sad butterflies-in-the-stomach romance of classic teen films like Pretty in Pink. As with that song, much of the album showcases the group's bold production choices, as on "Phoenix," where the tempo morphs from a slow burn cloud of vocal harmonies to a frenetic, electro-tinged club groove. Equally potent vibes follow, as on the '90s hip-hop-meets-grunge anthem "SPINNIN' ON IT," the
Nine Inch Nails
-esque industrial-pop of "Reality Hurts," and the swoony alt-rock power ballad "ADORE U." With
have crafted an engaging debut that's full of pop hooks and unexpected sonic delights. ~ Matt Collar