From the moment they burst into the K-pop scene, NMIXX became synonymous with going against the grain. Their debut song, "O.O," got as many fans and detractors; but instead of changing their ways to be more palatable to the general public, the group leaned fully into it, carving an eclectic soundscape with their trademark stridency all over it, baptizing it as MIXXPOP.
“High Horse,” the first taste of their latest EP, titled Fe3O4: Forward, adapted their formula into balladry. Released two weeks before the full project, the song is led by soft piano keys before percussion is added into the mix over the members' tantalizing and honeyed vocals. It serves as the introduction for the last chapter of the girls' Fe3O4 trilogy, which they began with Fe3O4: Break and Fe3O4: Stick Out in 2024.
The Fe3O4 series borrows the name from the chemical compound of black iron oxide, which presents itself in nature as the mineral magnetite. NMIXX uses it as a metaphor for their magnetic charm while inviting fans on a journey through their lore, headed to its next destination very soon.
Ahead of the release of Fe3O4: Forward, Teen Vogue caught up with Lily, Haewon, Sullyoon, Bae, Jiwoo, and Kyujin to talk about their experience working on the EP, their relationship with NSWER, and what's next for them now that MMU is finally ready to set sail.
Haewon: We started recording the EP at the end of last year, and we finished filming the music video a couple of months ago. We were preparing for this comeback while working on our year-end stages, so we've prepared for a long time and we're super confident.
Lily: I think the whole concept of our EP this time really emphasizes confidence. That's why — I don't know about everyone else — but I've been definitely feeling very confident about our songs. And also the songs are just really good. I'm very confident about that as well.
Haewon: The title song was super catchy, so it got stuck in my head after listening to it just once. We all really liked it. Actually, all the songs in the album were so good that they could all be title songs, so it was hard to choose one.
Lily: As NMIXX, we have our main message that we would like to convey, which is all about breaking stereotypes and really embracing diversity. And we definitely also think that's important when choosing our songs, too. This time, in particular, we really wanted to show a different genre that NMIXX has never done before, which is what we took into account while we were deciding what songs to do. And so, that's why you'll hear it when it comes out, but it's very different to what we've ever done. It's definitely breaking a lot of NMIXX's stereotypes, as well.
Lily: Thank you!
Kyujin: I really like the song "High Horse." My favorite part is the pre-chorus, the part right before the chorus [because] it's my part. [Smiles.]
Jiwoo: I like “Know About Me,” our title track. I like the bridge part the most, because the bridge part is completely reversed. There's a sudden change to the feel of the song, so that can definitely stick to your heart if you listen to it so I think I like that part the most. It's also my part. [Laughs.]
All: [Laugh.]
Bae: I actually do have a favorite song on the album, and it is “Papillon.” As soon as I heard the demo version, I knew it was my song. From the very intro, it was really my style. I’ve been listening to it ever since I first listened to it. Please listen to it. [Thumbs up.]
Lily: In “Golden Recipe,” I really like the sampling that we do with the cool orchestral sounds. Plus the hip-hop beat, I think it makes it really chic and cool… one part that I like is the chorus.
Sullyoon: I like the song “Ocean” the most. There is a key change in verse two that I think is really interesting. The lyrics are also quite powerful and beautiful, so that's something that I really like. It's pretty.
Haewon: I like "Slingshot (<★)" the most. Slingshots have been an object with a lot of significance in our universe since our debut showcase, so I think a lot of NSWER will be able to fall into our world while listening to that song. It is definitely something symbolic.
Kyujin: As I said before, my favorite song is “High Horse,” so I was so happy to hear that pH-1, a singer that I've listened to a lot ever since I was a trainee, participated in writing the lyrics. Working with him is really a memorable experience for me. There are a lot of people who worked together to make this EP possible, both in terms of composition and writing, so we are so thankful, and we want to return the favor with results as great as their efforts.
Jiwoo: I actually covered ABIR unnie’s song called “Tango” in the past, so the fact that she was one of the writers for “High Horse” truly felt like destiny. I was so happy and surprised. It was a full-circle moment.
Lily: I think one of my favorite producers is Pharrell Williams. I love his music. Also, this is kind of OG, but in the 2000s, Timbaland's production was absolutely stellar. I really love their production styles. And well, this one is also an artist, however, she's also a very famous songwriter: I would love to collaborate with Taylor Swift. She's an amazing songwriter, so I'd love that.
Lily: Of course I did!
Lily: For me, I like a rock sound. For example, in “O.O,” the part two version, I feel really comfortable with those types of sounds. And also, with a “Love Me Like This” concept, it's got a hip-hop pop mix type of sound. I'm comfortable in that. And also, this latest has comeback's [sound], of course. Yeah, it's like R&B with a little bit of trap and also pop in it. I like this album. “Know About Me,” I'm comfortable in that as well.
Haewon: I personally like to listen to a lot of R&B and I also enjoy singing it. If you look at NMIXX's songs so far, there are a lot of songs with R&B in them, but this album really takes it to the next level — most notably the title track, but you can also catch glimpses in the other songs as well. That’s why I like them all.
Kyujin: I really want to try jazz. I usually like to listen to moody jazz music. When we get the chance to challenge ourselves with a new genre one day, I wonder what it would sound like to infuse jazz with NMIXX’s style. I’d love to see that.
Bae: There’s a Brazilian genre called Axé that I really enjoy and would love to try. It's a genre that can create a party and festival atmosphere, so I think it’d be great on stage with fans. If I have a chance later, I'd like to try it.
Lily: We've had two albums, apart from this one, in the Fe3O4 series. The first one was basically how... We're getting really into the lore now. But, anyway—
Haewon: [Laughs.]
Lily: It's a little hard. It's a little hard. We were originally on the way to MIXXTOPIA when our boat broke, and so we ended up getting stuck in the real world, which we call FIELD. Fe3O4 is basically about exploring NMIXX in the real world and how we deal with real-world complications.
For example, stereotyping and trying to break out of the mold. Those types of things. And now, in the last series we finally are getting our stuff together, and we've fixed the boat, which is now a really cool ship. And we're going to go on our way again to MIXXTOPIA, but hopefully, you'll be bringing along with us a lot of friends and NSWER to go to a better land together.
Bae: Finally. Wow!
All: Yes!
Kyujin: So, because I played such a pivotal role in this part of the series as the engineer of the NMIXX universe, I definitely checked out the fans' comments right away because I was so curious about the fans' reactions. The fans saw the ship that I engineered and said it almost looked like a futuristic spaceship. It made me feel really good.
When I read, “Oh, Kyujin made this?!” or “Wow! Kyujin is so great.” I really liked seeing people complimenting and praising the design, but the reality is I didn't design it myself. In the NMIXX universe, Kyujin worked hard and did it all by herself but in reality a lot of people helped with the design and the concept. So, I’m very thankful, but I’m also I’m a bit shy about taking all the credit.
Kyujin: That’s right. Thank you.
Bae: Of course. We’ve all been really interested in acting. Though it’s not “proper” acting, we got to dip our toes a little more in the field preparing for this promotion. Even little by little, I think it does help our acting skills to keep doing these sorts of storytelling videos, and if we get the chance, of course, we’d love to give “serious” acting a chance in the future.
Kyujin: [Laughs.]
Kyujin: Wow.[Laughs.] How do you, Sullyoon?
Sullyoon: Actually, when I took on that role, I was worried about whether I could perform that "giving the cold shoulder" act well because we are really friendly in real life.
While filming, I just kept telling myself: “The person in front of you is not Kyujin.” But even while acting, it was so funny, so as soon as the director called cut, we would just burst out laughing. I remember being scared of Kyujin while she was acting.
Sullyoon: Always after the cut. I definitely had a hard time containing laughter during the takes, but I just held it in as much as possible. I kept thinking, "Please don’t laugh. Please don’t laugh."
All: [Laugh.]
Sullyoon: I was surprised when I saw the story film because I think that Kyujin really did a great job of acting with anxiety and nervousness. She was really good. Even in the last story film, she did some crying scenes and she was brilliant.
Haewon: [Nods.]
Kyujin: Thank you. [Bows down.]
Jiwoo: When we filmed the story film, there was a scene where I washed my face and brushed my teeth. It was my first time filming a scene like that, so it was really fun.
Bae: I really like shooting the a cappella highlight medleys. During the break time, the members harmonize together. We have a fun time singing the songs and trying to harmonize. This time around, we did it on a train set and it felt so real. There were so many fun props.
Haewon: We actually do both. Because of the quality of the audio, we do pre-record the vocals but we also sing live on set, so it feels like we are actually doing a live performance, because we are.
Lily: My favorite part about touring is to see NSWERs that I've never seen before. If we go to a new place and I look in the crowd, there's so many NSWERs that I've never seen before, and yet they have seen us so many times.
I think that's really a tricky thing to think about because I don't know who these people are and yet these people have spent a lot of time and effort on NMIXX. They have our pictures in their bedrooms, and they really support us even from so far away. It's so interesting to see that happen whenever I'm on stage. It really means a lot to me to know that even if they're not right in front of me all the time, they're always there somewhere in the world supporting NMIXX.
Kyujin: [Laughs.]
Bae: We see a lot of value in communication, so we try to practice our fans’ languages so that we can communicate with fans as much as possible while meeting NMIXX from various places. Even if it is a foreign language we don’t know, we try to work with our interpreter and learn as much as we can beforehand so that we can communicate with the fans as much as possible. We want to meet [as] many fans until we can communicate with them more. We want to practice a lot and do well. It’s something I really value in terms of getting closer to the fans.
Bae: ¡Gracias!
Lily: Well, I'm not going to go deep. One time before I went on stage, I left my mic backstage, and it was a whole big fiasco. So next time, I am not going to leave my mic ever again. I will make sure that I keep it on hand. I definitely learned that lesson very real that day.
Lily: You did!? Wow…
Lily: Well, thank you.
Haewon: Yes, I realized that fans really like it when we cover original songs from the countries we are visiting, so for our next tour, I’d love to try and perform more songs and maybe even learn the language of the country a bit more.
Kyujin: My highlight for 2024 was definitely when we won first place in a music program. I was so happy and it was so memorable. During our promotions in 2024, we were actually able to win first place several times, so I was really happy. So, I hope we can continue our momentum and more this year.
I am definitely looking forward to some good outcomes since we’ve prepared so much. Also, last year, we were able to meet a lot of NSWERs all over the world, so we are definitely looking forward to meeting more global fans in the upcoming year.
Jiwoo: I think NMIXX's second fan concert from October 2024 is one of the most memorable. The first one was so fun and to be able to do it again was a blessing. I still remember the passion and the energy of the fans. So, the goal I really want to achieve in 2025 is to meet more NSWERs from all over the world.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. Minus Lily, all the members of NMIXX spoke in Korean via an interpreter. The writer has provided additional translation and adaptation.
