Over three years since their debut, NMIXX have finally released their first full album. And with twelve tracks, JYP Entertainment isn’t skimping on the occasion. Pre-release Spinnin’ On It built hype earlier this month and now Blue Valentine is here to remind us just how strange the group’s music can be.
“Mixxpop” isn’t something that’s referenced that often anymore, but it still plays a big part in many NMIXX songs. Blue Valentine sounds like a few different tracks fused together and they switch at unexpected points. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard a song that becomes so languid and tricky during its pre-chorus. Measurable tempo becomes an afterthought as Blue Valentine slows to a crawl before building back up. I want to applaud the pure adventurous nature of this move, but there’s a reason we don’t hear it often. It stalls momentum in a way that blunts both the preceding verse and the chorus that follows.
Speaking of choruses, Blue Valentine surges with a great hook at its centerpiece. I wish this refrain had been part of a different song because it lacks the support it needs from the segments surrounding it. I don’t know that NMIXX need to be going down a pop/rock route, but I can easily imagine the song that Blue Valentine‘s chorus suggests and I think I’d enjoy it more than what we have here. Still, this is an interesting experiment in contrast that will likely grow more addictive the longer my ear grows accustomed to it. As usual, the girls sound absolutely wonderful and the effusive finale leaves listeners on an undeniable high note.
| Hooks | 9 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 8 |
