JYP Entertainment is one of the biggest names in K-pop. From Twice, to Itzy, to Stray Kids— each of JYP’s most recent acts have seen worldwide success. K-pop fans around the world know of JYP. Since the announcement of a new girl group, K-pop fans everywhere raised their expectations for what the new wave of K-pop would hold.
Unfortunately, these expectations were not met.
The Members
JYPn, a YouTube Channel that had its first upload on August 5, 2021, showcased some of the new members of this girl group. Eventually, this channel would be renamed to the name of the girl group that would be debuting the girls on this channel: NMIXX.
The girls are Haewon, Lily, Sullyoon, Jinni, BAE, Jiwoo and Kyujin.
It is clear to see that each of these girls is proficient in dance. Their covers and choreography are executed well, showing that these girls would know how to give a strong performance. Choreography is a big part of K-pop and is one of the things that separates these acts from the rest of the music industry.
Dance isn’t the only thing these girls shined in, however. Each member had a video showcasing their vocal talents, and many had past competitions or achievements to back up their powerful voices. This combination of dance and vocal skill was expected to rock the K-pop world and make a mark on the new generation of K-pop groups.
The members did not disappoint, but the music did.
AD MARE
JYP’s latest Korean based group made waves with their debut; Itzy charmed Korea and the world with their dancing skills and vocal potential with their debut single “IT’z Different”.
“AD MARE,” unfortunately, cannot compete with this release. The title track by the name of “O.O” fails to properly showcase the vocals of the members that audiences know are amazing and can only improve.
One of the strongest vocals in the group, Lily, sounds shouty at many points within the song. The high notes are written into the song in such a way where it is truly not Lily’s fault, rather the placement and progression into the note doesn’t allow for proper build up.
“Tank,” an accompanying song on the EP, doesn’t hold up much better. While it does have a more logical progression, the entire chorus is a repetition of the same line: “Freshy, freshy, I’m so freaky”. This song’s saving grace is the bridge, where Lily and Haewon are able to truly show their singing potential. Even so, it doesn’t last long.
Outside Influences
Though this debut is disappointing, something to this extent was not unexpected. One of the reasons this isn’t jarring is because of the success of Girls’ Generation and aespa— two groups under SM Entertainment.
SM Entertainment is known for experimental backings and for ‘switching’ concepts mid-song. Two notable examples of this are “I GOT A BOY” from Girls’ Generation and “Next Level” from aespa.
Aespa has found overwhelming success from “Next Level,” and ever since its release, it is obvious many groups and entertainment companies have taken a note from SM’s book to implement this switch in the middle of their songs to try and attract the same attention that aespa has.
JYP has done this with NMIXX, but has failed. The transition in “O.O” to this switch is jarring and changes the concept completely, making it hard for audiences to follow along. Though it is admirable for JYP to experiment with their group’s music, it doesn’t work as a debut song or without any cohesive structures.
Many fans of JYP are disappointed, but hope to see where NMIXX will go after this overwhelmingly abstract debut. With how talented these girls have proven themselves to be, only time will tell if JYP will give them a chance to properly showcase their talents.
