The boys was such a moment, every group cancelling their comeback when they announced theirs, watching them on E-news in my tv in venezuela one random evening with Giuliana and Ryan looking like they were being held at gunpoint, whew... Talk about paving the way
Sorry for posting this elimination super late, unnies. I really didn't wanna write this one. But ugh, the show must go on and tonight, we say goodbye to our last NMIXX song, Dash.
Dash is the main single of NMIXX's second mini album, Fe3O4: Break. It was composed by Puff, Strong Dragon (The Hub) and C'SA, with lyrics written by Deza, Won Ji-ae (Jamfactory), Jeong Da-yeon (Onclassa), Baek Sae-in (Pnp), Oh Hyun-seon (Lalala Studio), Rick Bridges, Kim In (153/Joombas), Hyeong Geun (Inhouse), Wkly and Seong Yu-jin (Jamfactory). Wow, that is a lot of lyricists FFFFFFF! Anyway, Dash peaked at number 75 on the Circle Digital Chart. It won four music show trophies and was included in the year-end lists of critics from NME and IZM. We love a song for the arts!
Dash, simply put, is NMIXX's best single yet, in my humble and correct opinion. I could end this post with this sentence, really, but lemme just waste more of your time writing about this song's excellence. Because it fully deserves it. If Soñar (Breaker) is what made me see NMIXX's MIXXPop gimmick in a positive light (for once), Dash made me a true believer. Not only is it possible for a MIXXPop to be good, Dash made me realize that nope, NMIXX need to stop whatever normie activities they were doing on Love Me Like This and even Roller Coaster and go all in, all out for MIXXPop. They have perfected the "genre" on Dash and it's only right to step on the gas and never look back. "Dash, I wanna dash, I wanna run it, run it..."
Dash's production is some next level shit. It is easily my favourite production of 2024 and frankly, nothing came close. The hip-hop base, with hints of jazz (?), and whatever happens during that fabled middle 8... it should not work on paper and yet in practice, it does. It works. It soars. And the vocal production!!!!! Oh how can we not talk about the vocal production on Dash? It's really what makes the song so special. We know Lily is an outstanding vocalist but the other members stepped their game up and matched her energy. Kyujin opening that second verse... Haewon eating on the second pre-chorus... even Bae is on her main vocalist bag? Just gag after gag after gag!
There were three songs that fought for my 11. And for the longest time, I was so sure I was gonna reward it to Dash. But I decided to play the game a bit this time around and gave it to the song that needed it more. It will make sense in time hopefully. But make no mistake: in my heart, Dash got my 11 too. A song with this much audacity, ambition and originality deserves all the love and I hope this little post of mine was able do to it justice.
NMIXX has just released two of the best songs of 2025: Know About Me and High Horse. I'm really hoping those two songs get the respect they deserve in the next #KSOTY Rate if they ever compete there. Please avenge Dash, my babies!
THE JURY'S THOUGHTS:
@eliminathan (0): "The line that BAE said about leaving her trace with a skid mark is true because this song is a shitstain on the music industry so they definitely left a mark. Absolutely horrid, grating chorus and their patented NMIXX change up fails to deliver yet again."
@Salami (3): "I can't believe of all their songs this is the one everyone was going wild for, it's so annoying."
@Serg. (4.5): "Mind you Tank is better than this" [Slicey: If you don't let this song go, unnie, istg...]
@KimLippington (5): "Bored of their whole thing. JYP should fuse them with ITZY and make a GOT the Beat-esque supergroup, at least then the bad music would be a spectacle." [Slicey: Now look at you stanning Know About Me, unnie hehehe~. How the turns have tabled, etc.!]
@love choerry motion (5): "I feel lukewarm about this song. I hate it but at the same time it's not that bad? The Tiny Desk performance of it was pretty good though, and "I just wanna continue my pace!", they ate that one thing."
@mika (5): "That album was inequal, this one was way less fun"
@BEST FICTION (6): "NMIXX kinda had an awful year, mid release after mid release..."[Slicey: Nawt you, nawt you......]
@Joli Chat (6): "the NMIXX Change up coming out of nowhere to sucker punch you in the face… I guess that’s their brand, that said, the bridge is actually cute."
@clowezra (7): "Cannot for the life of me form a tangible opinion on this, it’s high key a different experience every listen?"
@leedlelee... (7): "I wish See that? made the rate…" [Slicey: Now you know this opinion is a bannable offence, bestie...]
@Vixen (7.5): "Their vocals are soooooo good, it really helps elevate songs that would perhaps not work quite as well in the hands of another girlgroup."
@boom bazooka joe (9): "Giving a 9 to an NMIXX song? I'm so crazy. This song is batshit in a good way. The chromatic harmonies on the chorus is delicious. The switch ups in this song work, I just wish they didn't say "change up.""[Slicey: WaiT, didn't you declare you're gonna give this a 10??? I really can't trust anyone omfg!!]
@savilizabeths (9): "They outdid themselves truly. There is something so addictive about this song, isn't there? So many interesting moments. I love the switch up."
@askew (10): "Felt like a soft reboot for the TANK truthers. To Me."[Slicey: Nawt this song again omahgah!! But I'll let you be because you stan Dash too hehehe,,,]
@aux (10): "One of my favourite title tracks of the year, a complete home-run from them. I loved the entire package for this era."
@Crisp X (10): "Talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show-stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before."[Slicey: EXACTLY! I just know Gaga would stan this song!!]
@Macsun (10): "A Masterclass in vocal production!"
Side note but can I be that girl and say @Slice of Life your write ups are consistently immaculate, you’ve gotten even better this year somehow?? Such a joy to read, thank you unnie.
Last year, VIVIZ had two songs in the top 25, with one even reaching the top 5. This year, they find themselves without a song in the top 50. What happened? But yes, tonight, we say goodbye to VIVIZ' lone rate entry, Shhh!.
Shhh! is the lead single of VIVIZ' fifth mini album, Voyage. It was composed by Aniela Eklund and Oliver Forsmark, with lyrics written by Ha Yoon-ah (153/Joombas), Hwang Yoo-bin (XYXX), PPPlayers (Eldorado) and Ransle. Unlike their previous single, Maniac, which was a certified hit, Shhh! only achieved moderate success, peaking at number 82 on the Circle Digital Chart. And I blame BPM Entertainment for taking one whole before giving VIVIZ a comeback.
I never thought I will ever say this about a GFriend-adjacent song but wow, Shhh! really is a basic bop. I mean, the dated (and frankly, cheap-sounding) production? The underwritten chorus? Iggy and Youngbae would never! With that said... I can't and won't lie... Shhh! is a massive, massive basic bop that I'm willing to overlook its deficiencies. Once again, I will quote the ancient Chinese proverb, "a bop is a bop." If enjoying a bop this basic is a disease, then send me to the hospital because I'm sick!
No but this song really is engineered to have you moving your ass. That chorus... that massively underwritten but catchy as flying fuck chorus... why does it always make my nonexistent hips sway like I'm Shakira? But it's really that pre-chorus that is the crown jewel of Shhh!. "Ahhhh..." oh when that part comes, I can feel myself preparing for an earthquake. Or as the kids say these days, a cuntquake. And yet, I'm never ready for it. And as always, we can't discount the girls' vocals that could elevate the quality of even the most basic of bops to. Eunha's high notes >>>>> life itself.
I... don't really know when VIVIZ will make a comeback again. I'm just hoping it won't take another year. They re-signed with BPM Entertainment though so I'm hoping they made those executives promise them to give them more comebacks. In the meantime, let's all enjoy the two songs GFriend released after three decades, Season of Memories and Always. Listen to them on your favourite streaming services! #promo#ad
THE JURY'S THOUGHTS:
@mika (3): "I feel the shhhh part isn't exploited enough"
@Salami (5): "Their first miss for me, and I should love it because it's Mamamoo cosplay."[Slicey: U know, I was ready to attack you for this comment but I realized... ok, you might be onto something here FFFFFFF!]
@Crisp X (6): "Sounds strangely nugu for them, not something I'd expect from a group that's been in the game for so long and it's even more jarring when you compare it to GFRIEND's comeback"
@clowezra (6.5): "A step in the right direction but I just have to accept they’re not for me at this stage."[Slicey: NAURRRRRR give them another chance, unnie!]
@Cotton Park (8.5): "I keep hearing these former Gfrienders singing something that sounds like "bullshit" over and over again. Extra points for making li'l Eunha sing "bullshit.""[Slicey: Gawd, imagine if Eunha indeed sings "bullshit" though. It would be such a slay!]
@Vixen (9.5): "Come awn boy shit! They've been so consistent lately with their output, queens"[Slicey: The way you're the only Orbitch I know that enjoys VIVIZ' music JSADHFJGSADJ!! Twitter Orbitches treat VIVIZ as public enemy number 2 (after WJSN) for reasons I will never understand!]
@boom bazooka joe (10): "Boy boy, ba boy boy, boy shit! Boy boy, ba boy boy, boy shit!"
@leedlelee... (10): "What do you mean Shhh!??? Turn this shit UP!!!"
@savilizabeths (10): "I didn't think they could top Maniac for me but I should never have doubted them because they did. I love this more every time I hear it."
