NMIXX is closing out 2026 with its most structurally different release yet: a six-track EP that, for the first time in the group's catalogue, splits the six members into three pairs for dedicated unit songs. Here is what has been confirmed so far, and what has not.
NMIXX's 'Strange Muse': Release Date, Tracklist and Subunits at a Glance
"Strange Muse" is NMIXX's sixth EP, scheduled for release on Oct. 19, 2026 at 6 p.m. KST . JYP Entertainment confirmed the date and full track list via the group's official SNS channels at midnight KST on Sept. 21 ; The Korea Times reported the announcement as coming "Monday." The record arrives roughly five months after the group's fifth EP, "Heavy Serenade" .
Quick Answer: NMIXX releases its sixth EP "Strange Muse" on Oct. 19, 2026 at 6 p.m. KST via JYP Entertainment. The six-track record is led by "Birthday Wish" and is the group's first album to include dedicated subunit songs — three duo tracks, the first unit material since NMIXX debuted in February 2022.
The lead single is "Birthday Wish," which Korean-language coverage renders as 긴 소원, or "Long Wish" . "Kerosene" and "RudE TaLK" round out the full-group material . The remaining three tracks are the structural headline: they are subunit songs, and they are NMIXX's first unit tracks since the group debuted in February 2022 . The Korea Herald described the album's overall tone as "dreamy."
| # | Track | Type | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Birthday Wish (긴 소원) | Lead single, full group | All six members |
| 2 | Kerosene | Full group | All six members |
| 3 | RudE TaLK | Full group | All six members |
| 4 | Sing to the Moon | Subunit | Lily, Haewon |
| 5 | Hot 'n Unbothered | Subunit | Sullyoon, Bae |
| 6 | WHIP | Subunit | Jiwoo, Kyujin |
The running order above follows the track list published by StarNews . As of Sept. 22, 2026, concept photos, the promotional schedule, music video teaser dates, physical album versions and any pre-release single had not been announced in the sources reviewed ; pre-order links and version breakdowns should be checked against the official NMIXX site rather than assumed.
Which Members Are Paired on NMIXX's First Subunit Tracks?
The three subunit tracks split NMIXX's six members into fixed duos, each with a distinct tempo and register. Lily and Haewon, the group's two strongest vocal leads, take the ballad-leaning "Sing to the Moon"; Sullyoon and Bae handle "Hot 'n Unbothered"; Jiwoo and Kyujin lead the high-tempo "WHIP" . These are the first unit songs NMIXX has recorded since the group debuted in February 2022 .
- Sing to the Moon — Lily, Haewon. Described in reporting as the ballad-leaning entry on the EP .
- Hot 'n Unbothered — Sullyoon, Bae .
- WHIP — Jiwoo, Kyujin, the fastest of the three unit cuts .
The pairings matter less as a vocal exercise than as a credits question. Each duo wrote the lyrics for its own unit track — Lily and Haewon, Sullyoon and Bae, Jiwoo and Kyujin — so all three units are member-authored rather than assigned finished songs . Two members carry credits beyond their own unit: Kyujin contributed to melodic composition, and Bae took a songwriting credit on the full-group track "RudE TaLK" . The net result is that every one of the six members holds a songwriting or composition credit somewhere on the record.
The six-track mini album marks "an artistic leap forward" for the group, with all six members contributing directly to the songwriting and composition process across the record. — JYP Entertainment, in its release announcement (source: The Korea Times, 2026-09)
For context, NMIXX's earlier catalogue was largely externally written, which is why unit-level authorship plus a composition credit reads as a structural change rather than a one-off. The Korea Herald characterised the album's overall tone as "dreamy" — a description that sits closer to "Sing to the Moon" than to "WHIP," so the three units appear designed to pull in different directions rather than to restate the lead single.
Why Now: A Daesang Sweep Sets Up the 'New Era' Framing
The timing of the announcement is tied to an awards result from two days earlier. NMIXX took three trophies at the 2026 The Fact Music Awards, held Sept. 19, 2026 at Busan Asiad Main Stadium : Artist of the Year, the fan-voted My Star Award for member Sullyoon, and the Sound of the Year grand prize, per The Korea Times. Coverage describes Sound of the Year as the group's first daesang at a major ceremony, in its fourth year since debut .
The grand prize was awarded on the strength of "Blue Valentine" , NMIXX's first studio album, released in 2025, whose title track gave the group its first No. 1 on the Circle Digital Chart . Four daesang were handed out across the 2026 ceremony in total — to ATEEZ (Icon of the Year), NMIXX (Sound of the Year), RIIZE (Muse of the Year) and CORTIS (Record of the Year) , which places the win inside a field rather than in isolation.
The commercial bar "Strange Muse" has to clear is set by the previous EP. "Heavy Serenade," released May 11, 2026, reached No. 1 on the weekly Circle Album Chart and No. 10 monthly, charted at No. 182 on the Billboard 200 and No. 35 on Japan's Oricon chart, and was certified Platinum in South Korea at 250,000 shipped units . The Korea Herald reported that its title track ranked No. 5 on Melon's Top 100 and won twice on televised music shows. Billboard also placed the EP third on its mid-year list of the best K-pop albums of 2026 .
Against that baseline, the label's own framing points at authorship rather than sales. JYP Entertainment called the six-track mini album "an artistic leap forward" for the group, noting that all six members contributed directly to the songwriting and composition process across the record . Read alongside the daesang, the "new era" language is doing two jobs at once: it marks external validation of a genre-splicing concept that drew scrutiny early on, and it signals a move from performed repertoire toward self-directed material — a shift the subunit tracks make concrete rather than rhetorical.
Fan Logistics: The Debut World Tour Closes at Inspire Arena Days After the EP
NMIXX will close its yearlong debut world tour, "EPISODE 1: ZERO FRONTIER," with a three-night encore at Inspire Arena in Incheon from Nov. 27–29, 2026 . That places the encore roughly five to six weeks after the Oct. 19 release of "Strange Muse," so the promotional cycle for the EP runs straight into the tour's final dates — the most likely window for the three new unit tracks to get a live stage before the chapter closes .
The tour opened in November 2025 and has covered 17 cities across Asia, Europe and North America . For fans flying in, the venue itself is the practical detail: Inspire Arena sits inside the Inspire Entertainment Resort complex adjacent to Incheon International Airport, which makes a three-night run unusually easy to build a short trip around without a transfer into central Seoul .
One caution before anyone books. Ticketing dates, pricing and on-sale windows for the Nov. 27–29 shows had not been published in any source reviewed as of Sept. 22, 2026, and neither had concept photos, a promotional schedule or physical album version details for the EP . Check the official NMIXX site and JYP Entertainment channels for the sale announcement rather than working from a rumoured schedule.
This blog is operated by NAMANE Card, which also sells one-stop K-pop concert travel packages for overseas fans — concert ticket, prepaid card, hotel and activities bundled together — and has issued venue-tied theme cards for Inspire Arena shows before, including one for CORTIS's Incheon tour opener. Exact inclusions and current pricing are on that page.
The concrete takeaway: mark Oct. 19 for the EP and Nov. 27–29 for the Incheon encore, then watch official channels for the ticket on-sale date — it is the only piece of this timeline still missing.
Frequently asked questions
When does NMIXX's 'Strange Muse' come out?
NMIXX's sixth EP "Strange Muse" is released on Oct. 19, 2026 at 6 p.m. KST . JYP Entertainment confirmed the date through its official SNS channels, with Korean and English trade coverage timestamping the announcement at midnight KST on Sept. 21, 2026 . The Korea Times reported the announcement as coming "Monday." The six-track mini album arrives roughly five months after the group's fifth EP, "Heavy Serenade" .
What subunits are on NMIXX's 'Strange Muse'?
Three two-member pairs appear on "Strange Muse": Lily and Haewon on the ballad-leaning "Sing to the Moon," Sullyoon and Bae on "Hot 'n Unbothered," and Jiwoo and Kyujin on the high-tempo "WHIP" . These are the first dedicated subunit songs of NMIXX's career, which began with the group's February 2022 debut . Each duo took a lyric-writing credit on its own unit track, and StarNews lists the units as tracks four, five and six on the running order, after "Birthday Wish," "Kerosene" and "RudE TaLK" .
Is this NMIXX's first daesang?
Yes. NMIXX took the Sound of the Year grand prize at the 2026 The Fact Music Awards, held Sept. 19, 2026 at Busan Asiad Main Stadium — the group's first daesang at a major music awards ceremony . According to The Korea Times, the group collected three major trophies that night: Artist of the Year, the fan-voted My Star Award for Sullyoon, and the Sound of the Year daesang . The Sound of the Year award was given on the strength of "Blue Valentine," and was one of four daesang handed out at the ceremony, alongside ATEEZ, RIIZE and CORTIS .
When and where is NMIXX's next concert after the comeback?
NMIXX closes its debut world tour, "EPISODE 1: ZERO FRONTIER," with a three-night encore at Inspire Arena in Incheon from Nov. 27–29, 2026 . The tour opened in November 2025 and has run through 17 cities across Asia, Europe and North America . Ticketing details — on-sale dates, pricing and seat tiers — had not been announced in any source reviewed as of Sept. 22, 2026, so overseas fans planning travel should watch the official NMIXX and JYP Entertainment channels . Inspire Arena sits inside the Inspire Entertainment Resort complex next to Incheon International Airport.
How does 'Strange Muse' compare to NMIXX's last EP commercially?
"Heavy Serenade," released May 11, 2026, is the benchmark. It reached No. 1 on the weekly Circle Album Chart, No. 10 monthly, No. 182 on the Billboard 200 and No. 35 on Japan's Oricon chart, and was certified Platinum in South Korea at 250,000 shipped units . Billboard placed it third on its mid-year list of the best K-pop albums of 2026, and The Korea Herald reported its title track peaked at No. 5 on Melon's Top 100 with two televised music show wins . No pre-order figures for "Strange Muse" had been published as of Sept. 22, 2026.
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Last updated: 2026-09-22. Tracklist, award and tour details verified against Korea Times, Korea JoongAng Daily, Korea Herald, StarNews and Soompi reporting published Sept. 19–21, 2026. Ticketing and album version details remain unannounced and will be updated when official channels confirm them.
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This article was written using information collected and analyzed by NAMANE's in-house K-pop research AI engine. We use AI technology to bring you faster, broader coverage, and in the process some details may occasionally differ from the latest facts. For important information such as dates, venues, and prices, please double-check with official sources.
