K-pop girl group NMIXX is celebrating a career high. Their new title track “Birthday Wish” has climbed to No. 5 on Melon’s Top 100 chart — the group’s highest position ever — following the October 19 release of their sixth mini album Strange Muse, according to allkpop and K-POPIT.
The song entered the chart at No. 34 on release day, marking NMIXX’s highest-ever debut, before jumping 29 places to No. 5 by midnight KST on October 20.
Strange Muse
The six-track EP, released by JYP Entertainment, is led by “Birthday Wish” (긴 소원), which blends moombahton, Afro-inspired rhythms and future house, with lyrics about wishing wholeheartedly for someone special. The album explores the idea of people becoming one another’s muses despite their differences, continuing the group’s fictional MIXXTOPIA universe.
Strange Muse also features NMIXX’s first official unit songs: Lily and Haewon’s “Sing to the Moon,” Sullyoon and Bae’s “Hot ‘n Unbothered,” and Jiwoo and Kyujin’s “WHIP” — with all six members contributing lyrics to their respective tracks.
Chart success continues
The album also topped iTunes Top Albums charts in several markets, including Singapore and Hong Kong, according to JYP Entertainment. On October 21, the agency unveiled behind-the-scenes photos from the “Birthday Wish” music video.
The comeback follows the group’s recent first Daesang (grand prize) at a music awards ceremony. The chart run continues a strong season for global pop, from Troye Sivan’s ARIA chart debut to K-pop’s packed October release rush.
A career-defining comeback
The “Birthday Wish” surge caps a landmark year for NMIXX, who earned their first Daesang earlier in 2026. The group’s MIXXTOPIA universe and genre-blending sound have carved out a distinct lane in K-pop’s crowded fourth generation.
JYP Entertainment has credited the group’s hands-on creative involvement — all six members co-wrote their unit tracks — for the EP’s authentic feel. With the “Birthday Wish” music video behind-the-scenes photos dropping October 21, the Strange Muse era is just getting started. If the Melon chart is any indication, NMIXX’s birthday wishes are coming true.
NSWERs, as NMIXX fans are known, have flooded social media with streaming goals, and if the current trajectory holds, the track may climb even higher.
