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HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIFORNIA – MAY 10: Jiwoo, Lily, Sullyoon, Kyujin, Bae and Haewon of NMIXX visit the Tr\u00fc Fr\u00fc backstage portrait studio at iHeartRadio’s 102.7 KIIS FM Wango Tango concert on May 10, 2025 in Huntington Beach, California. (Photo by Sara Jaye\/Getty Images for Tr\u00fc Fr\u00fc )<\/p>\n
Getty Images for Tr\u00fc Fr\u00fc<\/p>\n
On the sun-baked sands of iHeartRadio<\/a>\u2019s 2025 Wango Tango in Venice Beach, NMIXX did something most K-pop groups would shy away from even in the most ideal of concert settings: they refreshed their entire setlist to perform with a full backing band while reworking choreography for a tight medley of singles with fully live vocals. The result felt like a statement and a deliberate refutation of the idea that K-pop must perform within a fixed box that prioritizes perfect aesthetics over artistic bearing. Even as the group shared the bill with major music names like Doja Cat<\/a>, David Guetta<\/a> and Meghan Trainor<\/a>, the set they described as \u201ca dream\u201d was a compact but impactful demonstration of why this six-member group is quickly becoming one of the most confounding and confident acts in pop today.<\/p>\n Typically, festivals and promotional radio shows demand economy: short slots for maximum impact. Yet, NMIXX still ensured they showcased as much as possible to the diverse group. <\/p>\n \u201cObviously there is limited time because it\u2019s a festival and we wanted to show as many songs as possible,\u201d NMIXX member Lily explains of the group\u2019s mindset preparing. \u201cEven though it hurts our hearts, we ended up cutting songs down and then we made this cute little mashup. It was a lot of fun figuring out where we should stop the songs and how we are going to connect them together \u2014 even with our dancing, we had to change it up a little bit so they could all flow nicely. That was a lot of fun and I think it\u2019s a cool version that our fans would like it as well.\u201d <\/p>\n Sullyoon described the intentionality behind such logistics, adding, \u201cSince it was our first time back in L.A. in a while, we wanted to show as many songs as possible. We worked hard on the arrangements to make the set feel full and meaningful\u2026we also practiced separately to perform with handheld microphones to match the live arrangement.\u201d Bae adds that the group specifically \u201cdesigned the medley so the set would feel continuous and keep the energy going.\u201d <\/p>\n NMIXX\u2019s words cut to the multifaceted appeal that defines the sextet: meticulous craft plus a willingness to upend convention. Backed by a live band complete with percussion and horns in Venice, the group blended studio-level production with on-the-spot theatricality, inviting the audience to enjoy their artistry whether they are superfans or curious critics.<\/p>\n \u201cMost of the time, I like showing off,\u201d Lily, the group\u2019s powerhouse vocalist, says with a laugh that\u2019s determined but not pretentious. \u201cWe\u2019re artists! You know, what\u2019s the point of performing if we are not showing our best selves on stage again and again? And the people that come to our shows deserve to see that as well. So, I think that is a big part of why we get so much love from our fans because they love that we are confident in our own skills. We aim for yeoksi \u2014 it\u2019s a hard to explain [Korean] word, but our passion and ambition is what we want [audiences] to expect.\u201d<\/p>\n That insistence on craft is visible in NMIXX\u2019s music. Released in March, Fe3O4: Forward preceded this summer\u2019s festival circuit and expanded the group\u2019s palette and set up their upcoming leap: the group\u2019s first full-length album, Blue Valentine, due Monday, Oct. 13. Forward songs like the pre-release buzz single \u201cHigh Horse\u201d and standout B-side track \u201cPapillon\u201d<\/a> all illustrate the increasing stakes of NMIXX consistently pushing themselves toward.<\/p>\n \u201cI really like \u2018High Horse,\u2019 but for me it was a big challenge \u2014 the melodies were more difficult and there were a lot of high notes,\u201d Kyujin, who handled several of the song\u2019s higher-register moments, says. \u201cIt was technically demanding, so I practiced and recorded it with a lot of care.\u201d <\/p>\n The demo for \u201cPapillon\u201d arrived with heavy internal buzz within NMIXX\u2019s label, a division under JYP Entertainment<\/a> known as SQU4D, before the experimental electro-pop gem became a favorite among pop-music fans upon release. \u201cWhen we first heard \u2018Papillon\u2019 we loved it,\u201d Jiwoo says. \u201cWe felt confident we could do it justice, and we thought the public would like it \u2014 and they did.\u201d <\/p>\n NMIXX says putting as much effort into these side tracks as into their main singles is key to ensuring they are not quickly labeled or pigeonholed into one sound or style.<\/p>\n