[FanTalk] Girl group XG's multicultural concept is one not seen before

K-pop

Published: 24 Mar. 2023, 15:45 Updated: 24 Mar. 2023, 15:46

[FanTalk] Girl group XG's multicultural concept is one not seen before

XG sat down for an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily to discuss their dreams of international stardom and answer questions from its fandom Alphaz. [LEE JI-MIN]

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Seven Japanese members, trained and based in Korea, singing in English. Girl group XG has been turning heads with this never-before-seen concept.

The group — consisting of members Jurin, Chisa, Cocona, Hinata, Maya, Juria, Harvey — debuted in March 2022 with the single “Tippy Toes” after training for five years together. XG stands for “Xtraordinary Girls,” indicating the group’s ambitions to reach global stardom with its unique, all-English music dubbed X-pop.

The group recently made an impression on international listeners with its lead track “Shooting Star,” a hip-hop R&B number which dropped in January. Earlier this month, it became the first song by a female Japanese act to enter the United States’ Mediabase’s Top 40 Radio Airplay Chart. The music video for “Shooting Star” surpassed 33 million views.

The seven members sat down with the Korea JoongAng Daily to discuss their dreams of international stardom and answer questions from its fandom Alphaz.

Many fans commented on XG’s unique fashion. Where do you get your style inspiration? (Korea JoongAng Daily)

Jurin: We’re big fans of fashion looks from the 90s and early 2000s, so we take inspiration from those time periods.

Harvey: We don’t want to simply follow trends, or be confined by a certain genre or era. We want to express various sources of inspiration in our own XG-way. We also pitch in with ideas when coming up with fashion looks.

A scene from XG's music video for "Shooting Star" [XGALAX]

Maya: It was fun to present many of our own ideas in “Shooting Star.”

Jurin: We actually want to try styles that we haven’t so far. Like something really cute, with skirts on. I don’t think we’ve worn skirts since debuting — almost only pants! One day we could try something super girly.

Chisa: Or a rock music-inspired style.

What made you start dreaming of a career in music? (submitted by @snoopyjurin)

Maya: I first got to perform on stage when I was in elementary school. I remember thinking at that moment, “This is where I want to be.” It was the happiest moment of my life, and I thought I want to become an artist and keep being on stage.

Cocona: My story is similar to Maya’s. I loved music since I was young, and I had already decided my life goal when I was in the first grade — to become the world’s top star. I still have that dream. I feel like I’m myself and the happiest when I’m on stage.

A scene from XG's music video for "Shooting Star" [XGALAX]

Chisa: This is a bit of a sad story, but when I was 14, my dog passed away. My family had that dog since I was born, so I was devastated at the time. The power of music is what lifted me up again, and it continued to give me courage and dreams. I also wanted to become an artist who can give those things to other people, and that dream is still getting bigger.

Jurin: I used to snowboard and thought about going professional. But when I was 12, I started pondering on what I really want to do in life. I wanted to dance, sing and act — things I loved doing since I was a child. I wanted to be [a pop star] like Hannah Montana (laughs).

Juria: I got a strong influence from my mother, who used to dream of becoming an artist herself. That’s why she raised me playing music all the time, which naturally instilled that dream in me too.

Hinata: I loved singing and dancing too, but I was actually feeling lost because I had no clear dream. That’s when I auditioned [for this agency] and met [XG’s] executive producer Simon [Jakops].

Harvey: I’ve been a fan of Michael Jackson since I was very young. I wanted to become a cool artist like him and started taking interest in singing and dancing.

Concept photo for "Shooting Star" [XGALAX]

What were your first impressions of each other and who was the most intimidating? (submitted by @heyyimjulieanne)

Jurin: We were practically babies when we met. Cocona and Maya were in elementary school! So no one looked intimidating, but Hinata actually told us a funny story.

Hinata: That is, when I first met the other members, I was so shocked because they all looked like models. I couldn’t even talk to them! I was so nervous.

What do you do on your days off? (submitted by @rreezy)

Hinata: We watch a lot of movies.

Jurin: We love going to the theater together. When we have free time, we even take our producer to the movies. We recently went to watch a re-release of “Titanic” and cried. Cocona especially was sobbing.

Maya: She was crying so much next to us (laughs).

A scene from XG's music video for "Shooting Star" [XGALAX]

Cocona: I was already crying mid-film, because I remembered how it ends [...] My latest hobby in my free time is grabbing a member in the living room and recommending her an anime series to watch. I keep them up late and force them to concentrate on an anime with me. I love anime so much that I want other members to love it too.

Maya: That’s how I started watching a lot of anime lately.

Hinata: I’m recently watching “Bungo Stray Dogs.” It’s about fighting with superpowers.

Cocona: I have to recommend “Tokyo Ghoul” as my first choice. Its storyline is deep and the illustrations are quite striking.

Jurin: In our spare time, we also take walks and Chisa often cooks for us. She’s a mother-like figure [...] We’re like a family and are also best friends. But members like Cocona and Hinata are also really great at keeping themselves entertained, when they want to spend time alone.

A scene from XG's music video for "Left Right" [XGALAX]

If there were a zombie apocalypse, which member is most likely to survive and why? (submitted by @brightraes)

Hinata: It’s going to be Chisa. She’ll never give up on survival. She’ll fight until the very end.

Jurin: Because she’s full of passion for life.

Chisa: When I’m watching zombie shows, I actually have imagined what I would do to survive in an apocalypse. I run simulations through in my head. But personally, I think Cocona would survive. She’s fearless. She just gives off the vibe that she’s going to get rid of them all.

Harvey: I’m confident that it will be Hinata. She’s really strong and is a great runner. I bet she’ll easily climb up to somewhere higher and survive.

Maya: For me, it’s Harvey. She’s the type to behave smart and plan a strategy meticulously.

Concept photo for "Shooting Star" [XGALAX]

What makes you stay strong and work hard in life? (submitted by @zahrn_11)

Maya: Of course it’s our fans, Alphaz. Us seven members are working hard, united under the goal of becoming a world-class group. Alphaz are the ones cheering us on toward that goal, and they motivate us to try even harder. I hope Alphaz get as much energy as they give us.

Jurin: The other members helped me a lot when we were training together. I thought, “If I give up now, what about the members?” They, along with my family, gave me kind words of support when I was going through a rough time and almost gave up.

Does XG have plans for a tour of the United States? (submitted by @adrianneonairda)

Hinata: We can’t discuss that quite yet, but I want to say that we want to meet Alphaz around the word as soon as possible.

Jurin: Not just in the Americas, but in various regions.

Harvey: See you soon!

A scene from XG's music video for "Shooting Star" [XGALAX]

How do you feel after watching video messages from Alphaz? (Korea JoongAng Daily)

Jurin: I don’t think I can put it all into words. We haven’t met Alphaz abroad yet, but I really can’t wait to meet them after watching that. We thank you for always supporting us, even from a long distance.

Juria: We want to continue touching your hearts with hope and courage through out music.

Cocona: We’ve held about two or three fan meet-and-greet sessions so far after appearing on Korean music programs. These video messages make me want to meet more Alphaz. We’ll work hard so that we can meet more of you around the world. Let’s go!

BY HALEY YANG [yang.hyunjoo@joongang.co.kr]