In 2022, JYP Entertainment, one of the largest K-Pop companies, introduced the idea of MIXX Pop, a genre-blending concept for its new girl group NMIXX.
From their experimental debut, “O.O,” to their latest single, “Know About Me,” the six-member girl group — comprised of members Haewon, Lily, Sullyoon, Bae, Jiwoo and Kyujin — has made a career out of versatility. Their fourth EP, Fe3O4: Forward, is the last story in NMIXX’s Fe3O4 series.
The group’s pre-release track, “High Horse,” a drum and piano-heavy ballad, showcases the group’s undeniable vocal talent. NMIXX also dropped cinematic short films to tease the recently released album, including one to “High Horse,” which features the group members trying out modern dance instead of their typical hip-hop and jazz-influenced routines.
Below, the members of NMIXX speak with The Hollywood Reporter about Forward, what will always be at the core of the group’s identity, how they strengthen their bond as a team and what they’re most proud of from their three-year career.
What were some of the highlights from making this new album?
HAEWON When we were filming the “High Horse” film, even as a trainee I’d learned modern dance and jazz, but this time we had to adapt it to more of an NMIXX style of modern dance choreography. It was really tough, but if you see the film, you’ll see how amazing and brilliant it is.
“Know About Me” is really interesting because although it sounds a bit similar to some songs you’ve done in the past, it’s quite different for you as a group, in an exciting way. What was it like trying something new? Were there any challenges?
LILY I personally really love the song “Know About Me,” and it is true that it is a little different to what NMIXX has released in the past. However, I think it was really natural how well we adapted to the song. I don’t know whether it was because [of] how we practiced when we were trainees, but I think all of the members really suit the song very well. I’m also just really excited to see the public’s reaction to it because it’s just a really good song. I think a lot of people will like it.
BAE There’s a song called “Papillon” and there’s a very fast rap in it. Obviously, you need to rap and also you need to enunciate properly, so there was a lot of concern when I got that fast rap part. But I really worked on it, and I was really happy with the outcome, but it was a very big challenge for me.
KYUJIN My favorite is [the ballad] “High Horse,” which was already pre-released. This type of song is something that we haven’t tried before and it was a challenge. In a way, it felt really special, and it was kind of hard to imagine how the performance would go along with a song like this. When it came forward, it was something very refreshing and something that I’m also very proud of. I’m really grateful because the fans’ reaction is also very positive, so it feels like all the hard work that we’ve put in is being rewarded.
Where does this album fit in your own personal rankings, in terms of the style you like?
LILY The title song’s [“Know About Me”] genre is a mix of trap beats, R&B and pop. Those are a lot of my favorite genres. I would say it’s definitely up there with favorite genres that we’ve tried. “High Horse” is also very new for us, but at the same time, I really like that genre as well. I’d say it’s pretty high up there in genres that I like.
As you hit your third year as a group, how are you feeling about your teamwork? Do you feel there’s a bit more ease in going through this process now that you are a bit more seasoned in it?
SULLYOON We’ve definitely gained more experience in terms of activity. We also try to build teamwork through a lot of communication.
