NMIXX: What Three Duos Reveal About Strange Muse

Sources checked October 22, 2026.

The second half of NMIXX’s Strange Muse, released October 19, gives each pair of members a song and a share of its lyrics. After three group tracks come Lily and Haewon, Sullyoon and Bae, then Jiwoo and Kyujin. The arrangement makes the six-song EP useful for following who contributed what, beyond identifying whose voice belongs to each part. JYP’s album page

The pairings have a straightforward explanation. Kyujin told BroadwayWorld’s Stephi Wild that the units followed age order. Their writing experiences then provide the more revealing distinctions: how they agreed on an attitude, worked with a lyricist and recognized abilities in one another. October 21 interview

Three musical settings for three pairs

NMIXX in Frankfurt on March 24, 2026, before Strange Muse. From left: Kyujin, Sullyoon, Haewon, Bae, Jiwoo and Lily. Photo: PFNKa, CC BY 4.0; cropped and resized.

JYP describes “Sing to the Moon,” by Lily and Haewon, as piano-led ballad pop. Both contributed lyrics, which compare a loved person to the moon.

Sullyoon and Bae’s “Hot ’n Unbothered” uses minimal 808 bass and a dembow-based rhythm; both helped write its untroubled, confident stance.

Jiwoo and Kyujin’s “WHIP” combines hip-hop with uptempo synth sounds. Both contributed lyrics, with Kyujin also participating in rap-making.

These are the label’s descriptions and credits, offering three distinct starting points for exploring the unit songs. Official track notes

Confidence had to become actual words

For “Hot ’n Unbothered,” Bae described meetings with Sullyoon and their lyricist to develop a confident, bold message. Sullyoon said that working together revealed Bae’s aptitude for matching rhymes. Those details turn a broad attitude into a more specific creative task: finding words that carry the message and fit together. BroadwayWorld interview

Bae also explained in the Korean comeback Q&A that the pair discussed their lyrical direction by phone when apart. Their participation involved continuing a conversation about what the song should say, as well as attending writing meetings. Ilgan Sports Q&A

Personal material still needs to fit a song

Kyujin told BroadwayWorld that Jiwoo shared personal stories she wanted to capture. In the Korean Q&A, Kyujin acknowledged that working within the song’s direction was difficult.

Their accounts show two different demands of collaborative writing: bringing something personal to the session, then working within a song’s direction. Jiwoo supplied material she wanted to express; Kyujin described the difficulty of shaping a contribution to fit. BroadwayWorld, Ilgan Sports

Take that attention back to “Birthday Wish”

The group’s title track offers another kind of contribution to follow. Lily said this was her first time rapping on a title track and that she practiced extensively. Sullyoon described adjusting her vocal placement for the high chorus.

After exploring the duos, return to “Birthday Wish” with those two concrete choices in mind: a new rap assignment and a deliberately reconsidered way of producing the chorus. The smaller pairings draw attention to individual contributions; the recording accounts give you a way to follow those contributions within the full group, too. Members’ recording accounts

Watch the official “Birthday Wish” video with the members’ recording choices in mind. JYP Entertainment / NMIXX: NMIXX(엔믹스) “긴 소원(Birthday Wish)” M/V.