What NMIXX's Three Debut Unit Tracks Add to a Comeback Already Charting at #5

NMIXX's new title track "Birthday Wish" ("긴 소원") entered the Melon Top 100 at #34 at 7 p.m. on the day of its release, the highest first appearance of any of the group's songs on that chart. By midnight on the 20th, it had climbed to #5.

The sixth mini album, Strange Muse, came out on the 19th at 6 p.m. KST, with six tracks in total: the title song, "Kerosene" and "RudE TaLK", plus three unit songs. Those unit tracks are a first for the group since debut: "Sing to the Moon" ("너는 달") by Lily and Haewon, "Hot 'n Unbothered" by Sullyoon and Bae, and "WHIP" ("휙") by Jiwoo and Kyujin.

A song built around a wish

According to JYP Entertainment, "Birthday Wish" is a pop track that blends moombahton, Afro and future house elements. It frames the members making wishes with their whole hearts for one another after finally meeting. The album as a whole is described as a story about becoming each other's "muse" in Mixtopia, the group's world of colorful, shining individuals.

Lily said her first impression of the song was that it felt hopeful yet distinctive. She singled out the chorus and the spoken narration that appears between sections as especially moving, and noted that the many high notes meant she paid close attention to her vocal placement while recording. Haewon hoped listeners would feel the same swell of emotion at the preciousness of meeting each other.

A birthday-themed countdown

Ahead of release, the group held a countdown livestream on its official social channels starting at 4:10 p.m. on the 19th. The theme matched the title: the members had to recover a missing celebration cake by playing games that tested their telepathy and quick reflexes, and the six-way chemistry was the main draw.

They also took on fans' dilemmas about birthday gifts, recommending presents for each story. "We prepared hard hoping this would be an album that feels like a gift, and before we knew it autumn had arrived," the members said, promising to take care of NSWER's fall again.

The unit songs got their own spotlight. Lily and Haewon described "Sing to the Moon" as a song that can be heard in different ways and asked fans to listen with their own interpretations. Sullyoon and Bae stressed the atmosphere their pairing creates on "Hot 'n Unbothered." Jiwoo and Kyujin, who took part in making "WHIP," said the recording had some difficult stretches, which made them put in more effort and left them especially attached to the song.

After unboxing the album and talking through the title track, "Kerosene" and "RudE TaLK", the members recovered the cake, lit the candles and made a wish of their own: that this era would fulfill the wishes of both NMIXX and NSWER.

With members contributing to the album's songwriting and the unit tracks showing off individual tones, Strange Muse leans on vocal range as much as concept. A start like #34 to #5 in a few hours is a promising one, and the next few days on the charts will show how well it holds.