Today’s album review is for NMIXX’s first mini-album, expérgo. This was released back in March of this year, and features six tracks in total including the title track Love Me Like This and the pre-release single Young, Dumb, Stupid. expérgo is the first of two releases for NMIXX this year so far, with the second being their more recent comeback with the singles Roller Coaster and Party O’Clock.

For whatever reason, expérgo is the group’s first mini-album. It proves that the group has potential, as it successfuly shows the group’s capabilities of a vaireity of different sounds and tyles that we have not heard from the group yet due to the lack of side tracks in their discography. The side tracks out-rank the pre-release and title track (though I might reconsider the latter’s rating in the future). Hopefully, their next comeback after the more recent Party O’Clock sees the group with another mini-album or a studio album. But for now, here are my thoughts on expérgo.

1. Young, Dumb Stupid – Click here to read the full review for Young, Dumb, Stupid. (7/10)

2. Love Me Like This (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Love Me Like This. (8/10)

3. PAXXWORD – PAXXWORD is a nicely pleasant and upbeat track. I really enjoyed the balance of everything in the track, from the variety in the group’s vocal range and harmonies heard in the song, to the easy-going and gratifyingly textured instrumentation, to PAXXWORD’s very catchy hooks. All of this made for a great listen and is a strong addition to the mini-album. (10/10)   

4. Just Did It – Just Did It sparks some interest from me thanks to its intriguing instrumentation. At first, the song felt familiar for NMIXX, given there are number of changes and turns within the background. But unlike their past attempts at the MIXX pop trend, the changes in Just Did It somehow feel consistent and keeps you on your feet. I put this to their vocals/rapping, which bought a steady element to the song, serving as an unchanging anchor. This doesn’t mean the members were boring or dry in anyway, as I could sense a slightly attitude and confident tone behind their vocals which complements the song’s lyrics quite well. (8.5/10)   

5. My Gosh – We turn to a softer sound on the mini-album through My Gosh. This R&B track just comes together so well. The acoustic guitar and inviting synths just feel so comforting, while the members sound stunning. The “My Gosh, My Gosh, My Gosh” hook in the song was so damn catchy, and the melodies were flowy. While one of the earlier upbeat songs did appeal a lot to me, I just cannot help enjoy and love My Gosh even more. (10/10)

6. HOME – HOME has this nostalgic melody to it, which I really enjoy. Elsewhere in the track, HOME features bold instrumentation (Exhibit A: the pounding beat that kicks of the song and heard throughout the track), bold vocals (Exhibit B: the vocal work in the choruses) and bold rapping (Exhibit C: the rapping in the verses). It is quite interesting, as you don’t usually hear this level of boldness in the final track on the album. But I am all for it! (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.8/10