NMIXX released 'Strange Muse,' their sixth mini album, on October 19, 2026 — a six-track project led by the dreamy title track 'Birthday Wish' and distinguished by the first subunit songs in the group's four-year history. Three of the EP's six tracks are unit entries: 'Sing to the Moon' (LILY and HAEWON), 'Hot 'n Unbothered' (SULLYOON and BAE), and 'WHIP' (JIWOO and KYUJIN), all written by the participating members, with KYUJIN also holding a composition credit. The NMIXX Strange Muse sixth EP marks the clearest expansion of the group's creative identity since their JYP Entertainment debut in February 2022.
NMIXX 'STRANGE MUSE' TRACKLIST: 'BIRTHDAY WISH' AND THREE FIRST-EVER SUBUNIT PREMIERES
The six-track EP opens with 'Birthday Wish' (Korean: 긴 소원), a full-group lead single built around the dreamy atmosphere previewed in the October 18 midnight teaser. 'Kerosene' and 'RudE TaLK' follow as full-group album cuts before the project pivots to unit territory — three pairings, each in a distinct register. LILY and HAEWON bring 'Sing to the Moon,' a softer vocal-led piece; SULLYOON and BAE deliver 'Hot 'n Unbothered' as the EP's most assertive entry; JIWOO and KYUJIN close with 'WHIP,' the set's most rhythmically driven track. All three pairs wrote their own songs, giving 'Strange Muse' the highest member creative participation rate of any NMIXX release.
WHY NMIXX'S FIRST SUBUNIT TRACKS MATTER FOR THE GROUP'S IDENTITY
For a group defined by the miXX concept — deliberate genre collision within single songs — the move into subunit tracks is a different kind of experiment. Instead of mixing genres within a single piece, 'Strange Muse' creates contrast across the album: each pairing expresses a distinct palette, and the effect is an EP that functions both as a coherent release and as a showcase of six individual creative voices. JYP has deployed the subunit format successfully with TWICE and ITZY; NMIXX's decision to make all three unit tracks member-written raises the stakes beyond a label directive into something more like authorship.
The NMIXX Strange Muse release follows 'Heavy Serenade,' their fifth EP, which reached No. 1 on South Korea's Circle Weekly Album Chart, charted on the Billboard 200, and earned Platinum certification domestically. The group's first world tour encore, announced for November 27 to 29 at Incheon Inspire Arena, will give South Korean fans their first chance to see the 'Strange Muse' material live — a date set that is expected to expand pending final announcement.
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