Xtraordinary Girls, better known simply as XG, gained international recognition after debuting as the first Japanese “K-Pop” group. But knowing K-Pop stands for “Korean Pop”, the project has been the object of a lot of confusion from usual Kpop fans.
Nevertheless, the 7 member girl group, who prefer to define itself as “X-Pop”, won the hearts of the ALPHAZ (their fandom) worldwide by mixing hip-hop and R&B influences with the bright energy of a girl crush concept.
“Our songs are all in English, and we don’t actually have a specific region. But we do want to share our songs globally, and inspire a lot of people and give them strength with our music” claims Maya, the lead vocalist and rapper, in an interview to NME.
So for those who aren’t yet familiar with their many talents, here’s a guide to understand the newest Asian pop music phenomena!
The road to success
Before debuting with the hit song “Tippy Toes”, the girls had been preparing since 2017. Moving between Japan and Korea, they were trainees under XGALX, a subsidiary of a Japanese company called Avex.
Following the K-Pop training system, which requires members to master abilities such as dancing, singing, rapping and languages, they had their share of tough times.
The group’s leader, Jurin, once shared that they sometimes had four evaluation tests within a month: “We had to cut down our sleep to practice”, said the member to The Korea Herald.
Even facing such difficulties, they never gave up their dream of becoming stars. Jurin considers their trying times “experiences to learn from”, and affirms that since members started working together as XG, her passion and love for music has grown even stronger.
“Now I’m goin’ up, headin’ to the stars”
Just like the lyrics from their viral song “Shooting Star”, which accumulates over 80 million plays on Spotify alone, Jurin, Chisa, Cocona, Hinata, Maya, Juria and Harvey are indeed claiming their spot next to the big names in the generation.
Singing mostly in English, a strategy often used by Asian groups to attract foreign listeners, XG has been consolidating a loyal fanbase worldwide. “For the future, our goal is to meet and entertain ALPHAZ all around the world”, says Chisa, the main vocalist, to UPROXX.
With their comeback “Mascara”, they made their first appearance on South Korean television through M Countdown, earning praise from their fans for their hard work. From then on, they became a constant presence in Korean entertainment, as members are also fluent in Korean.
As for the Western industry, they recently released remixes of “Shooting Star” and “Left Right” with American artists Rico Nasty and Ciara. “When I heard her [Rico Nasty] voice I just screamed”, stated in the same interview Japanese-Australian rapper Harvey, who used practice to the artist’s songs before debuting.
Their influence
The girls are also very popular in social media, becoming viral countless times for their music, their looks and their dance trends.
A video of their rap line entitled “GALZ XYPHER” became viral on TikTok through a fan made post that accumulated over 15 million views. Special praise went to the 16-year-old Cocona, the group’s youngest member and their main rapper.
Their powerful moves along with their unique fashion style caught the attention of netizens, turning them into true icons for the generation. “We want to be ourselves and enjoy the moment”, declares the main vocalist, Juria, to UPROXX. “We want to be XG the whole time”, she continues.
What’s next for them
As of now, the group is in the process of releasing their first mini-album “New DNA”, released on September 27th. Pre-releases “Grl Gvng”, “TGIF” and “New Dance” were the first ones out, with music videos sharing over 30 million views.
When asked about plans for future tours, half Korean and half Japanese main dancer Hinata responds to fan comments in Korea JoongAng Daily: “We can’t discuss that quite yet, but I want to say that we want to meet ALPHAZ around the world as soon as possible”. “See you soon!” complements Harvey.
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The article above was edited by Fernanda de Andrade Silva.
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