Tag: NMIXX

Also making their comeback this week is NMIXX with their first studio album, Blue Valentine, and the title track of the same name. It is their first comeback since Fe3O4: Forward from earlier this year, led by the single KNOW ABOUT ME. Following the promotions for Blue Valentine, the group will embark on their first world tour.

Blue Valentine begins beautifully, with stunning vocals and a soft instrumental piece that gently introduces us to the song. It is from the pre-chorus where Blue Valentine gets interesting. The music-box-like instrumental begins relatively slowly, even compared to the opening verse, before upping its tempo while the vocals remain the same during the opening verse. It feels out of sync, but it actually has a lovely charm. From there, the chorus fills Blue Valentine with a meaty chorus that is packed with a strong synth instrumental, powerful vocals, and a catchy melody that leads into the song’s addictive hook (i.e., “You’ll always be my blue-oo-oo-oo valentine”). The second verse’s instrumental leans almost into pop-rock territory, and the same pre-chorus recurs with rapping added to it. I found both to be a cool addition to the already intriguing nature of Blue Valentine. After the second chorus, the bridge pauses the song briefly, featuring only JIWOO’s vocals, which are again truly stunning. After the final chorus, we get an outro featuring a brief feature of LILY’s powerful vocals and a sudden switch up to soft and beautiful vocals from HAEWON, with the latter finishing Blue Valentine just like how it started. Blue Valentine successfully attempts something different, allowing NMIXX to reaffirm their place as a unique artist in the industry.

From what I understand from the lyrics, the song is about rekindling an old flame, comparing the passion of love from the initial relationship (red) to a colder, blue Valentine. The music video appears to show the members in both their initial and subsequent relationships with one another. Parts of the music video are dark (which represents their subsequent relationship with one another), while other parts are bright and summery (which I guess means the initial relationship). There is also a theme of time rewinding and fast-forwarding, which plays into the idea that the music video reflects upon both relationships. Some of the visual work of the video could have been done better, but I think it is a neat showing of the song.

The accompanying routine is lovely, but nothing really stood out to me. However, I appreciated the use of gracefulness to accentuate the choreography, which complemented the song well.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 8.3/10

NMIXX also returned during the week with their fourth mini-album and third instalment in their Fe3O4 series, Fe3O4: Forward. Leading the new mini-album is the title track, KNOW ABOUT ME. This is their most recent comeback since their Fe3O4: Stick Out and See That? era.

NMIXX goes subdued with KNOW ABOUT ME. While this isn’t anything new in KPOP, it is new territory for NMIXX, and they do a good job with it. The start brings KNOW ABOUT ME‘s hip-hop influence to the forefront and is quite aesthetic. The latter wears down as the song progresses, but this should not be seen as bad. Plus, its presence is still around and comes through at times. Instead, a more mature and sultry motif comes through as the song develops, especially during the choruses. Again, it is still very different from the NMIXX that we know of. The instrumental for KNOW ABOUT ME is minimalistic and chill trap-based. Those trap elements are actually relatively piercing and feel quite pronounced. But just as KNOW ABOUT ME teeters into neutral gear, NMIXX changes up the song with a heavy rap from JIWOO and KYUJIN and a punchy EDM bridge. And I like how this heaviness continues as KNOW ABOUT ME reverts back to the main chorus to close out the song. Vocally and rap-wise, NMIXX handles it all pretty well, and I enjoyed the ad-libs (though I wished they were more pronounced to have more impact). My only qualm about KNOW ABOUT ME is the abrupt ending. I have never been a fan of those and will never be from the looks of it.

JYP Entertainment really outdid themselves with this music video. The high-quality feel, the futuristic aesthetics, the complex post-production, and the members’ amazing styling made for a memorable video. The song is about the emotions one has whilst embarking on an adventure in an unfamiliar world (adapted from Soompi), so we see the members travelling in the video in a futuristic airport. While we see a lot of different and potentially unexplored territories in the video, the members’ final destination appears to be out of this world, with the ship emerging from the ocean and going upwards into space.

The lotus flower start has to be one of the most aesthetic beginnings to a choreography ever. The chorus really encapsulates that mature and sultry feel I mentioned earlier, while the dance break during the punchy EDM was intense and cool. Overall, NMIXX delivered a strong performance.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 10/10
Performance – 10/10
Overall Rating – 9/10

NMIXX returned with a new mini-album titled Fe3O4: Stick Out this past week, led by the single See That?. It follows the January release of Fe3O4: Break and DASH.

Even after a few days, See That? remains underwhelming. The new single takes a page from the hip-hop genre but lacks excitement or character. I blame the under-utilisation of their vocals. NMIXX’s vocals have been a significant asset of theirs and have brought me on board with the MIXX pop venture they debuted with. But the material their producers had given NMIXX to work with in See That? was just lacklustre and failed to provide See That? any additional energy. This is disappointing, especially since I enjoyed the hip-hop direction they were going with in See That?. That is something I don’t say often, but I genuinely thought the song’s instrumentation was quite good and that there was potential behind the beat. I believe some buoyancy and vibrancy from the members could have made See That? better and more alive. My favourite bit probably has to be the second verse’s addition of guitars that brought a rock and country twang hybrid sound to the song. This is where NMIXX sounded the best, there was a bit more vibrancy to the music, and I could hear the parallels between this sequence and their past songs. It was a pity that they reverted to the song’s chorus following this sequence, an extension of all that underwhelmingness. It wasn’t all bad news for the choruses, though. There was some interesting delivery in the repetition of some words, which was nice and gave me something to highlight in the song. The same can’t be said about the ending. The instrumental was a little too consistent (sans the second verse) for the length of the track, so a conclusion to See That? was not satisfying, nor did it feel like it was reached.

The music video shows the members taking on a grungier look than usual, fitting the song’s hip-hop vibe. The videos seem to be a lot darker, which matches up with the song’s tone. While I didn’t get what was happening, I liked the post-production. There were parts of it that looked cool, especially when the video zooms out. The same can be said about some of the sets. The lighting and blue colour scheme look slightly more vibrant when the song hits the second verse (i.e. when the song becomes slightly more vibrant). It was a clever way of infusing that into the visuals and not departing too far from the rest of the video. The ending of the video was eerie, and I applaud Sulyoon’s acting in this part of the video.

Despite not being the central part of the comeback, I must say that the choreography was really cool. It embodies the hip-hop vibe really well. I quite like the bounce to the routine. I also like the parts where it turned slightly cutesy and fun, giving it a bit of freshness and a different form of energy. But like in the music video, they didn’t depart too far from the hip-hop roots of the rest of the routine.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 7.7/10

Also making their comeback yesterday was NMIXX, who returned with their 2nd mini-album Fe3O4: Break. Featured on the mini-album is the title track DASH – the focus of this review. But in addition to DASH, the new mini-album also features the pre-release single Soñar (Breaker).

DASH is a very strong effort from NMIXX and is probably one of their best tracks yet! The song intros with DASH‘s catchy main hook (‘I wanna dash, I wanna run it‘), and this initially introduces us to a sassy and confident tone from the group. Also from the get-go, the hip-hop influence is definitely alive and helps gives DASH a nice bounce that I felt encapsulates a more urban style of hip-hop to the song. From there, we move into the verses, which features funky guitar that helps keeps that hip-hop influence alive and solid vocal works from the members. The pre-choruses brings an R&B colour to the song and serves as one of the strongest aspects of DASH. A particular mention has to be given to Bae, whose vocal tone here was just so enticing. We are then taken back to the chorus, where the catchy main hook continues to build on you, and the choruses within the song also features some strong vocals that wasn’t part of the main hook that opens up DASH. For the bridge, the group re-introduces the concept of MIXX pop with a change up that I am actually not troubled by. The change to grungier rock vibes but more vibrant vocals actually felt cleaner and not as jarring as NMIXX’s past MIXX pop tracks. Kyujin’s ending line ‘Um, I just want to continue my pace‘ is pretty iconic and stayed in my mind even after DASH wrapped. I quite liked their new song and the energy that they are showcasing in DASH. Very exciting.

The music video features three main settings – the prison, the street and the pastel clouds. Personally, I feel like there is a story that connects them altogether somehow. But I am clueless as to what that story is. But standalone, I liked the individual components of each part. And considering the song, the three settings work really well with the music that comes about during each respective part. I am also warming up to the styling. At first, I thought they looked a bit awkward with the headwear. But the more I watch the video, the less I am put off by them.

With the hip-hop influence coming from song, I was expecting some complex foot work. While the choreography doesn’t really feature that at all (I am a little disappointed by the omission), I feel like they did a really good job with making the choreography complex with the other half of their bodies. The small details and intricate moves that uses their arms and upper body actually makes this a cool routine and hard to look away.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.2/10

NMIXX is nominated for Most Underrated Artist and Love Me Like This is nominated for Most Underrated Song in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support NMIXX and your other favourite acts by clicking here to vote today.

Ahead of their upcoming comeback in over a month on 15 January 2024 with their next mini-album, Fe3O4: Break, NMIXX has unveiled the pre-release single Soñar (Breaker) today. This follows on from their 2023 comebacks – Love Me Like This and Party O’Clock.

Soñar (Breaker) briefly revisits the MIXX-pop genre that NMIXX debuted with in 2022 to mixed reviews and opinions. For the most part, the song has this dramatic energy that feels like an appropriate extension to their Latin hip-hop chorus. And it is these dramatic parts of the song that I like the most. The rhythmic and powerful drumming just feels very clean and brings out an adventurous vibe. Everyone contributing to the vocals in the pre-chorus was also a memorable moment in Soñar (Breaker). The Latin hip-hop chorus was a bit lacking and sub-standard for me. The instrumentation wasn’t as engaging as in the first verse, the hooks did not feel as punchy as it was (though I can see it growing on me) and there wasn’t a melody. Following the first chorus, we get that touch of MIXX-pop with Soñar (Breaker) transitioning to a dreamy R&B sequence which features a UK garage background, however I am not sure why it was even there, before we switch back to that dramatic energy that I already mentioned I liked. As for the bridge, the first half showcases some great vocals from the group, which we know they are capable of. But I am not keen on the second half of the bridge (which is also what Soñar (Breaker) ends on), which felt cringy to me. Overall, Soñar (Breaker) a mixed bag of a song, most of which I am not a fan of.

I am sure there is more to the video than what meets the eye. I am just not entirely sure what that more is. The music video starts off aesthetic, but it loses that appeal quite quickly. I am not a big fan of the styling. The blue and pink outfits looked really nice, but the grey and hoodies outfits just looked dull and boring. I am sure they were intended to be an edgy look. But in combination with the white background or the quarry-like background, it just looked tired and uneventful. As for the rest of the video, it focused primarily on choreography, which I will touch on in the next section.

The choreography itself looks good. I actually think NMIXX is inserting a bit of a cutesy side to the choreography, which somehow works. Normally, I would not be a fan. But I find it to be a unique aspect of this routine. But just like you would expect when you hear Soñar (Breaker), the intensity and edginess is still present in the routine and I appreciate that NMIXX doesn’t let go of that.

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 6.7/10

Making their comeback two weeks ago was NMIXX, with the single Party O’Clock and the group’s third single album A Midsummer NMIXX’s Dream. Again, apologies for how long it has taken me to write this review. Party O’Clock comes after the group’s earlier 2023 comeback with Love Me Like This (which you all know I really enjoyed). Also on A Midsummer NMIXX’s Dream is the pre-release single Roller Coaster, which I will return to review in the near-future.

To me, Party O’Clock is a solid pop dance track. Nothing more, nothing less. While it does sound like something positive to say about the track, that is all I can really positively say about the track. Party O’Clock was unfortunately pretty forgettable (hence why it has taken me two weeks to turn my mind to reviewing the track). As a bit of a teaser for my review of Roller Coaster in a future post, that song had some impact, whereas I don’t feel the same way about Party O’Clock. This song felt restricted, which prevents its from going anywhere or doing anything bold. For example, while I do like the fact that Party O’Clock gives the group opportunity to show off their vocals (which are charming), I was hoping that the members buildup their vocals with some tenacity or flair. The producers rely a lot on the sing-talk motif in the verses, but it sadly didn’t deliver much of a boost to the song. I also felt the chill beat instrumental was a bit linear and didn’t provide that opportunity to go that extra mile. That being said, there were some appreciable moments and elements in the song,. Melody-wise, I thought Party O’Clock had a comforting and inviting fun nature to it. Not entirely sure if that is the intention, but that was the vibe I got from the song. Also, I continuous appreciate the step away from the mash-up territory that the group debuted with. The closest we do get is the hip-hop switch up in the bridge, but that was not as jarring as previous switch-ups we have heard from the band. Overall, Party O’Clock was a decent track, but it felt held back at the same time, which was a pity as we all know what the group is capable of.

I am going to say the same thing about the music video. It was a bit of a bore and I don’t find much reason to come back to the video. There are a few different styles within the music video, most of which do work in harmony with one another. But there were two that I felt was clashing with one another, and made that mashup concept that the group is known for come to the forefront of my mind (which isn’t the case when I listen to the song). The first look that clashed was that urban look the members had going on at the start of the video (i.e., when one of the member step into chewing gum). It was the producers/directors way of addressing that hip-hop sequence in the bridge, which I do get. But I felt it was too different to the rest of the video, particularly the fairy-like styling in the forest that was more so the dominant style of the video. I wished more thought was put in to make everything look more harmonious. Apart from that however, the members do look good elsewhere in the video, which works well with the more fresh styling you expect from a Summer concept and embraces the group’s youthfulness.

The choreography is okay. It fits well with the song, but it has a very lackluster feeling which I don’t find engaging to rewatch. It seems like the instrumentation really confines it and doesn’t give NMIXX much of an opportunity to showcase their performance capabilities.

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 6/10
Performance – 6/10
Overall Rating – 6/10

A week after their Young, Dumb, Stupid pre-release, NMIXX has officially returned with their latest single, Love Me Like This, and their 1st mini-album, Expérgo. Both the new single and first mini-album follows the releases of O.O, DICE and Funky Glitter Christmas. It is also the first major comeback to not feature former member Jinni, who left the group following the release of Funky Glitter Christmas at the end of last year. NMIXX has since reformed into a six-member group.

It appears that the producers behind NMIXX have learnt what stability is. During the entire first listen I gave to Love Me Like This, I was bracing for that wild and unexpecting change in the instrumentation and sound. But we never got that. Instead, Love Me Like This stayed relatively consistent and cohesive throughout, which I really appreciated. Love Me Like This is described as an upbeat R&B pop track, however I got more of a hip-hop impression initially through the bouncy beat and delivery that Love Me Like This adopts in its verses. The vocals and rapping in the verses do give the song character, however their delivery during the verses could have been strength somehow to give more of a wow factor. The pre-choruses was a definite highlight for me, with the melody and vocals here giving such a nice pop to the song. Lily’s delivery of the first pre-chorus, in particular, is my favourite part in this entire song. Then, the song slips into a chanty refrain for the chorus. Here, I can feel more of the R&B coming through. And although, “Love me like this, Love me like that” does come off as repetitive, I find this super effective. Give me by the end of the review and I will probably have the chorus keyed into my head. I did want more body to the instrumentation for the chorus, as it just doesn’t carry on the momentum that the pre-chorus was pushing the song towards. The touch of rock that we get in the second half of the chorus was ideal and it really helped strength Love Me Like This further. The weakest point of the song for me was the bridge. It was a very neutral part of the song that didn’t get a much of a reaction out of me. Overall, every release that NMIXX has made since their debut has shown improvement, with Love Me Like This their best effort yet. Compared to their debut, I am actually excited to see what their next release is like based on this trajectory.

Like the bridge of the song, the music video doesn’t get much out of me. I just didn’t find much of a connection to the sets used. I did like the brief Wizard of Oz type of set for the one-liner about a tin heart and I felt the white choreography set had impact. But the hallway and bedroom were a bit of a miss for me. Aside of that, I thought their stylists did an awesome job of showing off an edgy, hip-hop vibe with some of the outfits. But I also liked the pop of colour that some of the outfits had, which is fitting for the group and their youthful charms.

Choreography for this comeback looks awesome. I liked the entire chorus routine, as it makes such a strong impression and helps raise the impact level of the chorus. It also relieves some of that repetitiveness that the lyrics and beat brings, as each move was different and prevented the over-emphasis of repetition.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 8.5/10
Overall Rating – 7.8/10

Just right after their fellow labelmates made their comeback at the end of last week, NMIXX is gearing up for their their second comeback. Ahead of the comeback which will occur in a week’s time, NMIXX has released Young, Dumb, Stupid as a pre-release single to get us all excited for the upcoming return of the group. This upcoming comeback also is their first release since the departure of Jinni, who exited the group back in December following the release of Funky Glitter Christmas.

Young, Dumb, Stupid is quite different from their previous tracks, which have attempted to mash up multiple different styles into one song. Instead, this pre-release offering keeps it relatively consistent, which I appreciated. But then again, this is just the pre-release – we just don’t know what is lurking around the corner just yet. Young, Dumb, Stupid is not bad, just a more standard affair, even in the realm of consistent songs. We had a strong opening with the rapping, before the song becomes more like your cutesy KPOP track. This is backed up by the chorus of the song, which samples the Brother John nursery rhyme, which ultimately gives the first half of the chorus and the rest of the song a very child-like exterior – miles away from the stronger and attitude-heavy driven title tracks NMIXX has put out previously. What I personally don’t like is how the lyrics of that very segment conforms to their usual messaging, yet fills at odds with the sound. It just isn’t a combination that works with me. The second half of the chorus attempts to unravel that child-like first half by giving us a meatier melody that doesn’t have the same connotations as the first half. I personally liked this half a lot more, especially when it came to Lily’s execution of it. But it was just so brief and didn’t have enough time to be digested before we are going back to the verse and bridge (which were okay). Haewon’s final sequence in the song was also a positive that I must commend on. Overall, I am not troubled by Young, Dumb, Stupid. It might be the fact that the song is a side track on the mini-album, and not the title track. Had it been the title track, I think this entire section would be written very differently with the common theme of disappointment. But that was not the case, and so guess we got to see what NMIXX and their producers have in store for us next week.

Pink and purple is the colour scheme of this music video. It seems a bit cliché, but I guess that is the typical colour scheme for feminine youth. Aside from that, the music video features a pair of glasses that some of the members don to discover a different world around them. I wished they kept with the concept, as it was there one second and gone the next. The post-production was pretty solid, with the visual effects giving this video a bit more substance than the members being cutesy, closeup and choreography shots.

Based on what I could see in the music video, the choreography looked good. Nothing stands out as an iconic move, but it felt fun, cute and lively, all of which works well with the song.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 7.3/10

NMIXX is nominated for Best New Female Group of 2022 in the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support NMIXX and your other favourite artists, songs and performances in the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED by clicking the link here to vote.

NMIXX is back with the first holiday-themed KPOP track of the season. There is definitely a few more confirmed holiday-themed releases coming out way, so definitely keep your eyes open for those. But the focus today is on NMIXX and their new single Funky Glitter Christmas. This comeback follows the likes of O.O (their debut single) and DICE (their first comeback single).

NMIXX definitely made a splash in the industry for their uniqueness in smashing different sounds and styles into one singular song each time. This time around, the group turns down the exact thing that drew attention to them, instead opting for a more ‘standard’ sounding track to close out the year. And I quite like it. Not only was Funky Glitter Christmas was cheerful, upbeat, wholesome and bubbly, it was also stable and enabled a focus on the group’s vocals. On the stable front, we did get a bit of familiar melodies and classical carols mashed into the song, which is similar to the approach that NMIXX and their producers have taken for their other tracks. But it isn’t exactly jarring and comes off as cohesive, hence it feels stable. As for the vocal front, we have heard potential from the members in their past promoted tracks, but Funky Glitter Christmas is my first time hear a substantial vocal piece from the group. And I am very impressed with the flair and prowess that the group brought to Funky Glitter Christmas. I was particularly impressed with the the way the song swung back from the Christmas carol slowdown of the bridge to the final chorus, especially when it came to Lily’s high note. The rapping, whilst quite good, felt like it could have been a little more naturally incorporated into the song. Also, I feel that Funky Glitter Christmas could have more funkiness. This would have really made Funky Glitter Christmas more enjoyable, stronger and stand out more. Overall, a great track for us to acclimate to the holiday season and the countdown to the new year.

The entire music video showed the members getting ready for a party, and ultimately ends with that party showing everyone having fun and enjoying their time. This music video is no serious video, just telling you (visually) to have fun and enjoy the final moments of 2022 in the best way possible. It intends to be lighthearted and send out a happy message. It works well with the song and seeing the members have fun left a smile on my face.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.3/10

Starting off the week is NMIXX, the latest rookies under JYP Entertainment. For those who missed their debut (it was very hard to miss, but just in case you did), NMIXX made their debut with O.O in February this year. Yesterday, they returned with their first comeback – the single album is titled Entwurf, while the title track for the comeback (and focus of this review) is titled DICE.

Given the likes of O.O and hearing that DICE would be of a similar formula, I think the bracing yourself for the likes of DICE would be an appropriate response. The mash up style that NMIXX is going to be known for at this rate begins from the very beginning, with a short-lived and unnecessary theatre-like beginning. I thought it was an opening for the music video, but it made its way into the actual song. Things started to look up ever so briefly for DICE, with the first verse and chorus being perfectly fine. The first verse, which brought a hip-hop tinge to the song, flowed well into the Latin inspired chorus. I found the two parts used similar deep tones, which might have been the common string. The rapping in the first verse was fine and dynamic. The delivery in the chorus, on the other hand, attempted to hype you up by being shouty and loud. While there was some charm to this, it disabled any attempt for a hook to form. Instead, I find DICE‘s chorus to be memorable thanks to the instrumentation. The second verse is where DICE starts to crumble for me and become erratic. At least, they were being explicit with their change with the ‘NMIXX Change Up‘ transition. We are initially treated to a different, intensified and darker rap verse. It had potential to be good on its own (Kyujin’s ‘Big Wave, Big Wave‘ line was quite memorable). But its presence in DICE just didn’t click for me. We then continue back to the Latin influence with an overly explosive set of vocals from Lily. Again, this was pretty good. It is the flick between the rap to the Latin influence that doesn’t sit well with me in this section. The second pre-chorus bypasses the chorus and goes into an instrumental break, which is a whole different style altogether. I am not surprised by this difference, but the synths (one of them reminds me of ITZY’s WANNABE) was a bit sparse and weak. Something tighter, more intense and exhilarating would have served DICE better, just so the momentum of the song is continued. Similarly with the final chorus. I loved that we returned to the Latin infusion, but as it is the final chorus, it needed a bit more to end DICE on a high note.

I quite liked the circus -like machinery at the start of the video. It was definitely intriguing intro and looked very cool. The video then takes us through MIXXTOPIA (another universe in KPOP), which has its own theatre, a colourful Dr. Suess-like outdoor and a dark whirly location. The latter is quite cool, but I feel like this is a bit mixed up. I would expected the hip-hop and rap parts of the song to feature in that dark whirly location, while the Latin influence segments of the song (as they are brighter segments of DICE) to be associated with that Dr. Suess like outdoor set. Not the other way around. But to each their own. Not exactly sure what the ending signifies. But overall, it was a visually pleasing video to watch.

The choreography aspect of this comeback was top notch. No particular move really stood out, but I liked the routine as a whole piece. Just like the song, there is a lot going on. But all showed potential for the group in the performance aspect.

Song – 5.5/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 10/10
Overall Rating – 6.9/10

A new player is on the playing field! JYP Entertainment’s latets female group, NMIXX, make their debut today with O.O, which is featured on the group’s debut single album, Ad Mare. NIMIXX is a seven members female group consisting of Haewon, Lily, Sullyoon, Jinni, BAE, Jiwoo and Kyujin. While the release dropped today, NMIXX unfortunately hasn’t been able to start off their careers as planned with a debut showcase as some of the members have tested positive for COVID-19. Unsure what that means for their promotions for this week, but hopefully the affected members recover quickly to be able to perform O.O on stage for us soon.

Hang tight, as there is a lot of unpack from O.O. When I listened to the song, it sounds like three songs were mashed into one. We have heard this before and sometimes it works (unexpectedly). O.O is one that doesn’t not work for me, and is not a good first step for a debut. I have listened to it a few times and I just can’t get over how distinct each section of the song. The first third of O.O was this edgy and powerful sound that I was not a fan of. It was quite overwhelming on many fronts, such as the vocals and rapping. They were poorly processed and sounded quite strained for the most part. It was a bit ‘try-hard’, if you wanted me to be direct about the sequence. The second third of the song was much more likeable and enjoyable, in comparison to the preceding sequence. It was a lot brighter, taking on a pop profile with hints of rock. The vocals and rapping were better here, but they still felt they were pushed too far. If there was a takeaway from this middle sequence, it is that they are youthful. The final (and third) sequence went down more of the hip-hop route. This also wasn’t that bad, but it lies in between the first and second sections of the song in terms of likeability for me. It was noisy, it was intense, it was overwhelming as well. It sounded like they were competing with the music, and I wished the producers had went with a slightly milder sound so we could hear more of NMIXX. Attitude and sassy also come to mind. When you consider the three parts as a whole, as intended, it felt like the whoever put the three pieces together were trying to fit three puzzle pieces together that were never going to fit. I am hoping that with time, O.O becomes a bit more bearable and that I find myself enjoying it more. Time after time, my reviews have turned up side down as a result to second chances and repeat listens. I personally think that O.O has a lot of warming up to do in order to recover, but who knows.

Like the song, it made sense that the music video would be in three segments as well. To match that edgy and powerful tone in the first sequence, we got a mysterious visual piece. Members are running into walls, colours are all very neutral and dominos are falling throughout the city. Personally, I found this sequence to be the coolest of the three when it came to the visual aid. In comparison to the first sequence, the second sequence of the video (for the second segment of O.O) felt like a unicorn did its business. It was super colourful and really encapsulated an innocent and youthful vibe (just like the song). For the third part of the song, the video adopted a darker vibe to compliment the noisy hip-hop sound. I do wonder what the final scene to the video is about. It is a bit ambiguous, but also very mysterious at the same time.

The choreography aspect also felt promising. One of the perks of having what felt like three different songs in one is that you can do a fair bit on stage. The start of the performances looks very cool, while the swing in the second sequence looks quite unique. I also liked how powerful the routine looked.

Song – 4/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 6/10