NMIXX 'Blue Valentine' (2025)

What is Blue Valentine (Album)?

Blue Valentine is the debut studio album by South Korean girl group NMIXX, released by JYP Entertainment on October 13, 2025. The album contains twelve tracks, including the lead single of the same name. This release marked a significant milestone for the six-member group, arriving three years into their career as their first full-length album.

The group consists of members LILY, HAEWON, SULLYOON, BAE, JIWOO, and KYUJIN, who are known for their self-described "mixxpop" genre. This musical approach involves fusing together at least two different genres within songs, keeping listeners engaged through unexpected sonic shifts. The title track exemplifies this style through its tempo-shifting structure, slowing and speeding unpredictably to evoke the starts and stalls of a cherished relationship.

The album was released in nine physical versions: Blue, Valentine, Chaos, three POCA ALBUM versions (Blue, Valentine, and Chaos), Love Token, and two LP versions. Thematically, Blue Valentine explores the paradox of love and the inevitable conflicts between people in relationships. The concept presents love through a lens of stubborn yet optimistic realism, examining how people who love each other can simultaneously hurt one another.

Blue Valentine achieved substantial commercial success, selling 644,865 copies in its first week of release according to Hanteo. The album garnered significant critical recognition across major music publications. NME ranked it as the 49th best album of 2025, making it the only K-Pop album to appear on their year-end list. Billboard positioned it as the 2nd best K-Pop album of 2025, while Forbes designated Blue Valentine as the "Most Acclaimed K-Pop Group Album of 2025".

Background and release of Blue Valentine

Album announcement and promotion schedule

JYP Entertainment confirmed preparations for an October comeback on July 12, 2025. The official announcement arrived on September 15 through a motion poster released on the group's social media channels at midnight KST. The motion poster depicted a uniquely shaped cake partially collapsing to reveal a blue glass heart beating inside, with a glass knife piercing down and causing glass shards and blue liquid to flow. This visual unveiled both the album title and the scheduled release date of October 13.

The promotion schedule was released the following day on September 16 at midnight through NMIXX's official SNS channels. This scheduler detailed the complete timeline of teaser content leading up to the album release. On September 24, the tracklist was revealed, confirming that the lead single would share the album's title. The tracklist also disclosed the inclusion of two split parts from the group's debut single 'O.O', subtitled 'Baila' and 'Superhero'.

Pre-release content and teasers

The album trailer titled "The Paradox of Love" was released on September 26. From September 27 to 29, three sets of concept photos were unveiled in Valentine, Blue, and Chaos versions. JYP Entertainment introduced a webtoon format for promotion, releasing the first episode on September 25, the second on October 1, and the third on October 14.

The teaser for the album's second track 'SPINNIN' ON IT' was released on October 2, followed by the full video and photos on October 3. On October 8, an a cappella highlight medley showcasing the album's tracks was released, with the original highlight medley following on October 10. The music video teaser for the lead single was unveiled on October 12.

Official release date

A countdown live was held on October 13 at 4:40 p.m. KST, featuring members LILY, Haewon, Sullyoon, BAE, Jiwoo, and Kyujin celebrating the album release. The album was released at 6 p.m. KST on October 13, alongside the music video for the lead single. This release occurred approximately seven months after the group's fourth mini album 'Fe3O4: FORWARD' from March 2025.

Blue Valentine album tracklist

The album comprises twelve tracks with a total runtime of 34 minutes. The opening track serves as the lead single, followed by eight original B-sides and concluding with two reimagined versions of the group's 2022 debut track "O.O". These final tracks are titled "O.O Part 1 (Baila)" and "O.O Part 2 (Superhero)", each reimagined through distinct musical genres of baile funk and pop rock respectively.

The tracklist features "Blue Valentine" (3:06), "SPINNIN' ON IT" (3:16), "Phoenix" (2:44), "Reality Hurts" (2:35), "RICO" (2:32), "Game Face" (2:43), "PODIUM" (3:01), "Crush On You" (2:39), "ADORE U" (2:30), and "Shape of Love" (2:52). The reimagined versions "O.O Pt. 1 (Baila)" and "O.O Pt. 2 (Superhero)" run for 3:06 and 2:56 respectively.

Notably, "Reality Hurts" represents the group's first full English song, co-written by member Lily alongside Sophie Powers, Lauren Dyson, and David Wilson. The track was produced by Dwilly and Mattisnotfamous, with music composition credits shared among Lauren Dyson, Sophie Powers, Matthew Ferree, and David Wilson. Additionally, member Haewon contributed as a co-writer on two tracks: "PODIUM" and "Crush On You". For "PODIUM", Haewon collaborated with Lee Seu-ran and Lim Soo-ran from Lalala Studio, while the music was composed by Ryan S. Jhun, Marc Sibley, Nathan Cunningham, Lauren Amber Aquilina, and Marcus Andersson. "Crush On You" featured Haewon working with lyricist Since, with music composed by Mack, Jonathan B-T, and Gustav Blomberg.

The album's production involved numerous international and domestic songwriters and producers, including teams from Full8loom, Lalala Studio, XYXX, Jamfactory, and 153/Joombas.

Chart performance of Blue Valentine

Weekly chart positions

The title track entered Melon's daily chart at number 85 on October 13 and climbed to number 10 by October 19. Subsequently, the song reached number one on Melon's Top 100 at 11 p.m. on October 20, marking the group's first chart-topping achievement on a major platform three years and eight months after debut. The track maintained dominance on Melon's daily chart for 30 cumulative days and achieved 18 number-one positions as of November 9. On Bugs, the song secured first place on the daily chart for four consecutive days from October 19 to October 22.

Internationally, the title track debuted at number 78 on Billboard's Global 200 and number 43 on the Global Excl. U.S. chart. These positions surpassed the group's previous records set by their 2022 debut track "O.O," which peaked at number 138 and number 71 on the respective charts. The album entered the Billboard 200 at number 177 and rose to number two on the World Albums chart in its second week. Additionally, it debuted at number seven on both the Top Album Sales and Top Current Album Sales charts.

The album peaked at number two on South Korea's Circle Albums chart and reached number 78 on the Scottish Albums chart. In Japan, it charted at number 31 on Oricon's Albums chart, number 37 on Combined Albums, and number 40 on Billboard Japan's Hot Albums. The title track entered Mediabase's Top 40 Radio Chart at number 38 in late January 2026 and climbed to number 30 by late February, maintaining presence for six consecutive weeks.

Monthly and year-end rankings

The title track topped Melon's November 2025 monthly chart and secured the number-one position on Melon's weekly chart for four consecutive weeks as of November 17-23. The album ranked sixth on Circle's monthly chart for October 2025 and positioned at number 42 on Circle's year-end chart for 2025.

Critical reception and accolades

Critics received the album with notable praise, specifically highlighting the group's vocal capabilities and genre experimentation. KPop Reviewed awarded the release an overall rating of 8.3 out of 10, with individual scores of 9/10 for the song, 8/10 for the music video, and 7/10 for performance. The review noted that the album successfully attempted something different, allowing the group to reaffirm their place as a unique artist in the industry. Sputnik Music assigned a user rating of 3.9 out of 5, describing it as "one of those GOOD albums that make you feel again" and praising the variety in tracks, memorable sung hooks, and vocal arrangements.

The album achieved substantial domestic recognition through multiple milestone accomplishments. The title track secured the prestigious Real-Time All Kill by topping all major Korean music charts simultaneously, becoming the first JYP girl group song in seven years to achieve this distinction. Additionally, the song reached number one on both MelOn 24Hits and MelOn TOP100, maintaining the top position on the MelOn Daily Chart for six days. The group swept all major weekly music programs, achieving a grand slam across M Countdown, Music Bank, Show! Music Core, Inkigayo, and additional broadcasts.

Critical assessments emphasized the album's musical complexity and vocal delivery. Reviewers identified the dynamic vocal arrangements, rich harmonies, and distinctive fragments that weave seamlessly alongside main melodies as standout strengths. The melancholic pop-rock sound of the title track garnered attention for showcasing strong vocals coupled with emotional lyrics that resonated with both fans and the general public. Member Haewon expressed hope that the album would become an iconic entry in the group's discography, acknowledging the anticipation from fans who had awaited the release.

Commercial success and certifications

The album demonstrated strong commercial performance, recording first-week sales of 644,865 copies on Hanteo. Daily sales figures showed an initial momentum of 468,587 copies on the first day, followed by 22,348 copies on day two, 25,284 on day three, 1,641 on day four, 36,372 on day five, 1,809 on day six, and 88,824 on day seven. According to Circle Chart data, the album accumulated total sales of 685,680 copies in South Korea, with first-month sales reaching 678,376 copies.

The release earned a 2x Platinum certification from the Korea Music Content Association on December 11, 2025, representing shipments of 500,000 units. This certification milestone positioned the album among the group's commercially successful releases, coupled with its performance across international markets.

On Billboard charts, the album debuted at number 177 on the Billboard 200, marking the group's third career entry and first full-length album to achieve this milestone. The release secured number two on the World Albums chart and number seven on both the Top Album Sales and Top Current Album Sales charts. Likewise, it charted at number 61 on the Billboard Artist 100. The title track maintained steady streaming presence, sitting at number 51 on Melon's Top 100 chart during promotional activities.

These commercial metrics reflected the album's reach across both domestic and international markets, establishing sales benchmarks for the group's discography.

FAQs

What is the most popular song on Blue Valentine by NMIXX?

The title track "Blue Valentine" represents the most popular song on the album, accumulating 45.2K page views. This track served as the lead single and achieved number-one positions across major Korean music charts.

Where was the Blue Valentine music video filmed?

The music video production took place primarily in Los Angeles, California. Specifically, day scenes within the neighborhood were filmed at 17019 Lisette St, Granada Hills, CA. Several notable Los Angeles landmarks appear throughout the video, including the Bonaventure Hotel visible in the background during scenes featuring member Haewon with angel wings. The Los Angeles Theatre sign in downtown is clearly visible as members Bae and Lily run past while holding hands. The street signs and stop signs throughout the video feature American-style designs consistent with Los Angeles infrastructure.

What is the symbolism in the Blue Valentine music video?

The music video incorporates imagery representing the paradox of love and pain. The wedding ring motif appears as a symbol of deep love that can become suffocating when relationships deteriorate. Member Sullyoon's scene depicts this symbolism through the act of receiving a ring from member Jiwoo, followed by imagery suggesting the binding nature of commitment.