Beats of the Month: K-pop Ups and Downs with NMixx, NCT Wish, Seulgi, & Ten

In the vast landscape of Korean entertainment, sometimes it’s the little things that bring us joy (or disappointment) and make our fan girl/boy/folk hearts beat a little faster.

Each month, we ask our writers to share: Among the many Hallyu things vying for your attention, what’s caught your eye, is on your mind, or has made your heart skip a beat?

Swept Away by Seulgi’s Sophomore Solo
— Siena

I have a dangerous confession to make: For a long time, I haven’t completely understood the Seulgi hype. To be clear, I’ve always thought she was a talented dancer and exceptional vocalist (especially for a main dancer). However, the third generation girl group dance conversation tends to center a competition between Seulgi, Black Pink‘s Lisa, and Twice‘s Momo, and of the three, I was always least drawn to Seulgi. The reason I call this confession dangerous, and why I always wondered about my own apathy, is because Seulgi inspires the kind of fan devotion that is special even in the K-pop world. She is many people’s absolute favorite idol, and I couldn’t quite understand why. 

For the past couple of years, Seulgi has stayed in my peripheral vision, especially once she launched a solo career in 2022. B-side “Anywhere But Home” made its way onto one of my playlists, and title track “28 Reasons” came to my attention because of a stellar cover by NCT‘s Doyoung  on Lee Mujin Service (helped enormously by a fantastic, jazzy re-arrangement). Still, I was taken by surprise when I fell head first for Seulgi’s sophomore comeback “Baby, Not Baby,” and accompanying mini album Accidentally On Purpose. 

I do think the bad girl attitude shown in the “Baby, Not Baby” MV is a bit shallow, but Seulgi is witty and convincing in performance. The choreography is a fantastic showcase of her dance skills, and all of the stages I’ve seen feature some truly superb and stable live vocals. I also think the styling in this era is incredibly spot-on: outré, concept-fitting, and incredibly flattering. As for the album itself, the fact that there is a song called “Rollin’ (With My Homies)” is a crime against humanity, but the stunning R&B-pop ballad “Praying” is fast becoming one of my top b-sides of 2025 so far. Overall I’m very impressed by this comeback…and definitely starting to get the Seulgi hype. 

NMixx Serve Mundane Futurism
— Qing

When you’ve been a K-pop fan for 18 years and counting (gulp), there honestly isn’t much that you haven’t seen concept-wise. But lo and behold, NMixx‘s latest, “Know About Me,” took me by surprise by pioneering a new aesthetic: mundane futurism.

I mean, who would’ve thought in this far away, space-themed future, we’d still have to walk across the airport using our own two feet? Wait in line to clear security checks and empty our pockets? At least we get to keep our shoes on. And lounging on wireframed armchairs that belong in chiropractic jail? This future is so familiar, I almost shed a nostalgic tear.

The first-class cabins (I assume) add some vague interest with their hamster wheel-esque structure, but the foam rollers they’re made of bring back painful memories of rolling out my IT band in pilates. Which is not even nearly as painful as waiting for this talk-singing, amelodic, “too cool for choruses” trend to finally make its way out of the K-pop scene.

Butterflies are Making a Name for Themselves in K-pop With NMixx and Ten’s Latest Releases + NCT Wish Prove Themselves Concept Kings With Merch Trailers
— Lucia

Both NMixx and Ten had standout releases this past month, and to me, the most notable tracks on both EPs are the songs related to butterflies. NMixx’s “Papillon” layers the group’s signature melodic harmonies over a punchy 808 bass that demands listeners’ attention from the first few seconds. The song is rife with memorable and satisfying hooks, including Sullyoon’s repeated refrain of “ooh-wee-ooh-wah” — and the way she sings “o-o-o-o-off” in the first verse scratches my brain in all the right ways. Jiwoo and Kyujin’s rap verses have the best flow I’ve heard in K-pop in recent memory, and Lily and Haewon’s throaty tones in the pre-chorus are so pleasing to the ear, in part due to their divergence from the clear vocals that have become almost characteristic of K-pop.

Meanwhile, Ten’s “Butterfly” begins with a piano arpeggio that explodes into a powerful chorus underscored by a prominent bass line. The vocal runs as Ten croons “for you” in the chorus are absolutely heavenly, only outdone by the crystal clarity of Ten’s high notes in the bridge. “Butterfly,” with its delicate balance between classic and R&B instrumentals, fully embodies the modernized traditional sound and ethereal energy that Ten has embraced throughout his solo career, most notably in his 2017 SM Station release, “Dream In A Dream” — and I, for one, am so very here for it.

When K-pop groups release new merchandise, most groups will post a catalogue of the merch they plan to sell, including prices, pictures, and the dates of the sale. Some groups literally just show up to concert venues with merch they absolutely did not post about beforehand (definitely not looking at NCT 127 with their Neo City – The Momentum US tour). Then there are the select few—or maybe just one—that develop a fun and creative trailer just to lead up to the announcement of an upcoming merch drop. 

NCT Wish currently have one of the strongest creative directions in K-pop, and they’ve only further proved themselves deserving of that superlative with their latest merch campaign. Prior to revealing the merch, NCT Wish posted a concept trailer to their social media that mirrored the aesthetic of a 90s computer desktop. Each member was represented as an icon on the desktop, and clicking on the icon unveiled each member’s manga-style persona. The merch itself is certainly nothing to sneeze at, either. Here’s to NCT Wish’s creative team for building out—and sustaining!—such a fun and strong concept for the group; they’ve developed such a strong association between the group and a certain aesthetic that I inevitably think of NCT Wish whenever I see star stickers and bag charms. If other K-pop companies (or even just other creative teams under the same company, @SM Entertainment) hope to succeed in an increasingly competitive market, I hope they are taking note.

(Spotify[1][2], X (formerly known as Twitter)[1][2], YouTube [1][2][3][4][5][6]. Images via JYP Entertainment, SM Entertainment.)