[Review] KNOW ABOUT ME – NMIXX

NMIXX also returned during the week with their fourth mini-album and third instalment in their Fe3O4 series, Fe3O4: Forward. Leading the new mini-album is the title track, KNOW ABOUT ME. This is their most recent comeback since their Fe3O4: Stick Out and See That? era.

NMIXX goes subdued with KNOW ABOUT ME. While this isn’t anything new in KPOP, it is new territory for NMIXX, and they do a good job with it. The start brings KNOW ABOUT ME‘s hip-hop influence to the forefront and is quite aesthetic. The latter wears down as the song progresses, but this should not be seen as bad. Plus, its presence is still around and comes through at times. Instead, a more mature and sultry motif comes through as the song develops, especially during the choruses. Again, it is still very different from the NMIXX that we know of. The instrumental for KNOW ABOUT ME is minimalistic and chill trap-based. Those trap elements are actually relatively piercing and feel quite pronounced. But just as KNOW ABOUT ME teeters into neutral gear, NMIXX changes up the song with a heavy rap from JIWOO and KYUJIN and a punchy EDM bridge. And I like how this heaviness continues as KNOW ABOUT ME reverts back to the main chorus to close out the song. Vocally and rap-wise, NMIXX handles it all pretty well, and I enjoyed the ad-libs (though I wished they were more pronounced to have more impact). My only qualm about KNOW ABOUT ME is the abrupt ending. I have never been a fan of those and will never be from the looks of it.

JYP Entertainment really outdid themselves with this music video. The high-quality feel, the futuristic aesthetics, the complex post-production, and the members’ amazing styling made for a memorable video. The song is about the emotions one has whilst embarking on an adventure in an unfamiliar world (adapted from Soompi), so we see the members travelling in the video in a futuristic airport. While we see a lot of different and potentially unexplored territories in the video, the members’ final destination appears to be out of this world, with the ship emerging from the ocean and going upwards into space.

The lotus flower start has to be one of the most aesthetic beginnings to a choreography ever. The chorus really encapsulates that mature and sultry feel I mentioned earlier, while the dance break during the punchy EDM was intense and cool. Overall, NMIXX delivered a strong performance.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 10/10
Performance – 10/10
Overall Rating – 9/10