It's been a year since the debut of the now-six member girl group NMIXX, and we’re finally getting a full EP. The group brings a new, unique, and refreshing sound to K-Pop, and that is showcased in their latest release, expérgo. The EP comes with six new songs ranging from dance pop with obvious hip-hop and R&B influences. The one thing missing from the album is the iconic “NMIXX change up,” but leave it to the girls to take you by surprise no matter what. 

The Pre-Release Single: “Young, Dumb, Stupid”

Playing into the bubblegum pop area of K-Pop, the pre-release “Young, Dumb, Stupid” has a unique pop sound, something clearly different from their previous single releases. The group is still young, age and experience wise, so testing out every style possible is expected, but killing it every time is hard. NMIXX has found ways to do both. 

The pre-release single was dropped on March 13, a week before expérgo, as a surprise to hint what the girls were bringing to the stage. The dance-pop track has a catchy beat while expressing that the girls don’t care what people have to say as they’re still young and confident. As new generations of K-Pop come, so do young idols who are often criticized. The girls want people to know they’re secure with themselves and not backing down. 

“I may be clueless, but I feel confident / Feel so cool.” 

The music video is in the familiar NMIXX style, colorful and what some might see as uniquely odd. Playing into the idea of the girls being young, we get scenes of them playing around and even hitting objects with golf clubs. The choreography is also something the girls do well. From “O.O” to “DICE,” their dance styles have evolved; even though they’re not doing body flips from the floor, their perfect synchronization and footwork kept my eyes glued to the screen. 

The Title Track: “Love Me Like This”

Styled in streetwear outfits and rapping while dancing to a catchy beat is the way “Love Me Like This” is showcased, apart from the R&B and hip-hop sounds. With the mixture of NMIXX’s signature sound with a classic 2000s R&B beat, “Love Me Like This” easily became one of my favorites on the album. “If you wanna be my lover / Break open the closed heart.” The song speaks on loving someone wholeheartedly without fear; you just gotta love people the way they are and they'll love you back.  

Now, as for the music video, there's no denying it's a bit plain, but not in a boring way. There are the pops of color that the group’s music videos are widely known for, but it also finds ways to focus solely on the girls and their choreo. From scenes of Haewon watering a field and blooming flowers to Sullyoon swinging on a flower chandelier, the beauty of the music video is what makes it worth watching. In its first 48 hours after release, the video reached a whopping 22 million views, an accomplishment that proves how NMIXX will use this comeback to take the K-Pop world by storm. 

The Album: expérgo

Following “Young, Dumb, Stupid” and “Love Me Like This” come four B-sides. The first is “PAXXWORD,” which keeps the dance pop sound from the first two tracks. The song describes wanting to get to know someone better in a relationship but not knowing how to get them to open up. The girls sing about wanting to have the “password” to help open up the person. You can hear a mixture of Lily and Kyujin’s amazing vocals that blend so well together, making it another easy listen. 

The next B-side happens to be my favorite, “Just Did It.” Opening with a loud, catchy siren-like sound had me anticipating what the song would possibly sound like. Starting off as a slow tempo pop song, “Just Did It” instantly changes into a melodic electronic sound that finds a way to take you by surprise in a good way. It definitely shows how much the girls experimented with this album, but it also ties in the MIXX genre they love to do. 

The last two songs on the EP help tie the whole release together. Another song on the album which shows how they looped in 2000s pop, “My Gosh” is a perfect example of the pop that people were wanting from NMIXX, and these girls did it justice. “HOME” is also a perfect example of how to finish off an EP while incorporating both strong rap and vocals. “We do what we want and we never stop,” they sing. The girls incorporated their own strong suits into this whole EP, and it shows perfectly.

“Young, Dumb, Stupid” Pre-Release Score: 8/10

“Young, Dumb, Stupid” Music Video Score: 9/10

“Love Me Like This” Title Score: 10/10

“Love Me Like This” Music Video Score: 8.5/10

expérgo Album Score: 9/10

Final Score: 8.9/10

Edited by Omani