NMIXX announce sixth mini album Strange Muse for 19 October, with their first unit songs

What happened

NMIXX announced their sixth mini album, Strange Muse, on 21 September. Their agency, JYP Entertainment, posted the news and the tracklist on its official social media at midnight that day, with the release set for 6 p.m. KST on 19 October. The title track is ‘Birthday Wish’, and the album also carries ‘Kerosene’, ‘RudE TaLK’, ‘Sing to the Moon’, ’Hot ‘n Unbothered’ and ‘WHIP’. According to JoyNews24, pre-orders for the album also opened on the 21st.

When and where

The release was announced for 6 p.m. on 19 October. It is the group’s first album in about five months, after their fifth mini album, Heavy Serenade, on 11 May, and it came out on 19 October as announced. Both reports said that after the release NMIXX would hold encore concerts at Inspire Arena in Incheon from 27 to 29 November, closing EPISODE 1: ZERO FRONTIER, the first world tour they have been on for about a year.

Why it matters

Three of the six songs are unit songs sung by two members each, and they are the first NMIXX have released since their debut. Lily and Haewon sing ‘Sing to the Moon’, Sullyoon and Bae sing ’Hot ‘n Unbothered’, and Jiwoo and Kyujin sing ‘WHIP’. According to both reports, the two members of each unit are credited on their own song’s lyrics, and Kyujin also shares the composition credit. Bae is credited on the lyrics of track three, ‘RudE TaLK’, as well.

According to the introduction News Culture carried on release day, Strange Muse tells the story of the members becoming each other’s strange and special inspiration, their Muse, in MIXXTOPIA. The title track ‘Birthday Wish’ is a pop song blending moombahton, Afro and future house. Of the unit songs, ‘Sing to the Moon’ is ballad pop, ’Hot ‘n Unbothered’ a Latin groove and ‘WHIP’ a mashup-style track. News Culture wrote that this is the first time since debut that Kyujin has taken part in composing. Kyujin said, “I’d always wanted to try writing lyrics and composing someday, so I was really happy to take part on this album.” Of her work with Sullyoon, Bae said, “Even when Sullyoon and I were apart, we talked over the phone about the direction of the lyrics, and I remember finishing the song together out of both our ideas.”

What you need to know

• Strange Muse is NMIXX’s sixth mini album, and it came out on 19 October 2026, as announced on 21 September.
• The title track is ‘Birthday Wish’, and the album carries six songs.
• The three unit songs are sung by Lily and Haewon, Sullyoon and Bae, and Jiwoo and Kyujin, and each pair is credited on its lyrics. Kyujin also took part in composing for the first time.
• NMIXX close their first world tour with encore concerts at Inspire Arena in Incheon from 27 to 29 November.
• Star News reported the group’s 19 September win at the 2026 THE FACT MUSIC AWARDS as their first grand prize at a music awards ceremony.