Nmixx’s ‘Blue Valentine’ is the best girl group single of 2025

Nmixx used to be a group that didn’t really click for me. I respected them for their vocal prowess, and they released a song here and there that I really enjoyed, but I never understood the people who said they were making the best music in K-pop. That said, I’m always happy when a group succeeds after a wave of bullying – I still remember the atrocious comments made about sixteen-year-old Jiwoo’s weight during their debut – so I was pleased to see Nmixx steadily building up a fanbase. Plus, I had a gut feeling their debut full-length album was going to be something special.

Released in January 2024, a week before its parent EP Fe3O4: Break, ‘Run For Roses’ is undoubtedly one of Nmixx’s best songs. There’s a lot to love about it, but the heart and soul of ‘Run For Roses’ is its soaring, beautiful chorus. My appreciation for a great chorus is the reason I’m pretty lukewarm on fan-favourite tracks like ‘Dash’ and ‘Know About Me’. Neither of those songs are bad; however, they don’t stick with me due to the lack of a big, melodic centrepiece. ‘See That?’ seems to be the overlooked middle child of the Fe3O4 trilogy, but it’s my favourite song out of its three main singles. Though it also lacks a vocal chorus, I find it more catchy and memorable than the other two.

I found it baffling that Nmixx hadn’t released a single that really showed off their impressive pipes since their polarising debut year. ‘O.O’ was pretty unanimously hated when it first came out, but nobody could come out of that song thinking the problem lay with the members being poor singers. For such a talented group, it felt like a waste. I think the expectation for all K-pop groups to prove themselves as ‘all-rounders’ is ridiculous. There is enough K-pop rap I could listen to if I wanted to, so I’d rather Nmixx spent as much time as possible showing off their beautiful voices.

I am happy to report that the chorus of ‘Blue Valentine’ goes beyond soaring: it is magnificent and truly euphoric to listen to. What’s more, the parts surrounding it are a masterclass in building tension. The woozy pre-chorus plays with the tempo, making the song’s direction feel suddenly uncertain. As the instrumental picks up steam, the expectation that something huge is about to happen pays off with an explosion of melody. The second pre-chorus has the nerve to extend the wait by a few more bars, making the return to the chorus feel genuinely emotional. It is rare for a K-pop song to be genuinely moving, but ‘Blue Valentine’ has an air of poignancy about it that really draws you in. It is a magnificent piece of pop, and I have full faith that Blue Valentine will be remembered as one of the all-time great K-pop debut albums.

Originally published on Quora, 13/1/26.