NMIXX Win Sound of the Year, Then Drop a 6-Track EP With Member Duos

NMIXX are heading into the final stretch of 2026 with their sixth EP, Strange Muse, dropping October 19, and this time, the six-member group is doing something they've never done before: splitting into member duos for three original subunit tracks.

JYP Entertainment confirmed the release on the 21st, along with the full six-track structure. Lead single Birthday Wish anchors the project, while the remaining space is given over to three pairings: Lily and Haewon, Sullyoon and Bae, and Jiwoo and Kyujin. It marks the first time NMIXX has included subunit material on any of their albums since debuting in 2022, and all six members participated in the songwriting process.

A dreamy shift in sound

JYP is billing Strange Muse as a record built around dreamy ambience, a noticeable tonal pivot from the group's fifth EP, Heavy Serenade, which leaned into a denser, more dramatic sound. That EP's title track peaked at No. 5 on Melon's Top 100 and earned the group two music show wins, giving them real momentum to carry into this comeback.

The five-month gap between releases feels intentional rather than rushed. The subunit concept alone suggests a more considered approach to the album's structure, and hearing each member pair get their own dedicated sonic space should tell fans a lot about where individual voices are landing right now.

Awards and an encore tour

The timing of the announcement adds an extra layer. Just two days before JYP revealed the EP details, NMIXX took home three trophies at the 2026 The Fact Music Awards on the 19th, including Sound of the Year, the ceremony's top prize. It's a strong position to be announcing new music from.

After Strange Muse lands, the group will bring their "Episode 1: Zero Frontier" world tour back home for an encore run at Inspire Arena in Incheon from November 27 to 29. The original tour stretched across 17 cities worldwide starting in November 2025, making the three-night Incheon stand a homecoming cap to a genuinely global run.