When considering the seven members of girl group XG (an acronym for Xtraordinary Girls), you might say they share a common destiny. “We all gravitate towards music and dance that is bold and powerful. It’s not something we had to coordinate. We just found ourselves moving in the same direction.” says JURIN, the group’s leader.
All seven of XG’s members are Japanese, are based in South Korea, and sing in English (throughout our interview, they switched seamlessly between English and Japanese). Because of their multinational approach, when they debuted a year and half ago XG didn’t fit the traditional mould for a Japanese group. “When we spend time together as a group, I feel as though we are stepping away from being mere humans to become aliens from another planet,” says HARVEY, the doll-faced rapper of the group.
That secret to that otherworldliness might well come from the group’s eclectic musical influences. HARVEY takes inspiration from Michael Jackson, she says, while CHISA and her parents are admirers of the legendary Japanese pop singer Namie Amuro. “I heard our debut song ‘Tippy Toes’ while I was still a trainee, and I couldn’t figure out if it was J-Pop, K-Pop or Western music,” says CHISA. “I was so excited because it was all so new.”
JURIA, who joined XGALX (the label behind XG ) when she was just 14, says: “The moment I heard the demo, I knew I wanted to sing and make a debut! I vividly remember how excited I was."
Going Beyond the Standard
XG debuted in 2022 with ‘Tippy Toes’, a song that meshes whisper rap, dynamic vocals and pulsing bass notes. It represented a significant departure from the standard girl-group song.
HINATA was the only member without any music or dance experience prior to her debut, and had the daunting task of singing the chorus. “It was harder than anything I had imagined to make the whispering part ‘Ta ta ta ta t-t-t-t-ta ta’ my own. There is no significant melody, so it was a big challenge for me to put my personality and feelings into this verse,” she says. The second single ‘MASCARA’ is another challenging track with a bouncy, powerful beat and bold lyrics.
In 2023, the group released ‘SHOOTING STAR’, whose rap evokes a 2000s energy reminiscent of The Neptunes and Timbaland. Next came ‘LEFT RIGHT’, with an unmistakably R&B beat. A remix version features Y2K icon Ciara (“I can't believe my icon is featured in our song!” was the sentiment shared by all seven members when they found out Ciara would be doing a remix). From that point, the group quickly went global, captivating not only Asian audiences in South Korea and Japan, but also garnering legions of fans in Europe and the US.
“I love Aaliyah and Lauryn Hill’s confident voices. They have influenced me in many ways,” says COCONA, the youngest rapper in the group. MAYA, who was raised in an global environment says: “I was exposed to music from the 90s and 2000s, like Boyz II Men and Run-D.M.C. and of course, everyone’s favorite, Destiny’s Child! I admire their independent attitude." The others, who were also inspired by girl groups of the day, strongly agree. “Music from that era exudes a kind of strength that is more direct because digital technology was limited at the time. Y2K fashion and music naturally appeal to me, and they provide the energy from which we feed off. I think it’s fair to say that the music from that time period has been the basis for all of us,” says JURIN.
Indeed, Y2K music and culture is integral to XG’s sound. JURIA says she listened to a lot of male R&B artists, such as Marques Houston and Craig David, while. CHISA rates Keyshia Cole, Omarion and Joe’s slow jams. While R&B and hip-hop are at the center of their music, the group’s references are myriad. “I’ve sung Avril Lavigne many times,” says HINATA, while MAYA says she was influenced by Hannah Montana, the Disney series from the mid-2000s. “It’s definitely an inspiration!” she says.
The group has channeled their influences in various ways. JURIN and COCONA’s hit ‘Nothin’ samples The Neptunes 2002 tune N.O.R.E., while HARVEY and MAYA covered Cordae’s “Two Tens” (2023), injecting it with original rap verses. CHISA, HINATA, JURIA have also covered TLC’s ‘No Scrubs’ (1999).
Though they take clear influences from R&B and hip-hop, XG’s music never feels derivative. “We love R&B, hip-hop, EDM, and the psychedelic sounds that are inserted into our music. I think the unpredictability of the mixing is what XG is all about,” CHISA says.
The song ‘TGIF’ from the group’s mini-album ‘NEW DNA’ is a twist on 90s house and early 2000s electro, with a touch of ballroom voguing in the dance moves, their Jean Paul Gaultier outfits only further amplifying the nostalgia.
“I found myself digging deep into the history of voguing, listening to the original tracks to better understand it. I break it down and add my own interpretations so I can share with everyone,” says COCONA.
JURIN explains the team’s various creative processes thus: “'MAYA and COCONA tend to gather specific references, whereas I tend to delve into things from a sensory point of view. HARVEY is good at creating the moves and CHISA is good at checking and processing the details. Each and every one of us has our strengths. Whether it’s something that is absolute or sensory, we bring it to the table and exchange ideas so that everything can come together on stage.”
The process of writing meaningful lyrics is also something that the girls assign particular importance. “I start by translating the lyrics myself. I think about all the meanings of the words, and then I try to figure out the song’s overall meaning,” explains JURIA.
The producers are also key to the process, helping the group to visualize the music. “The producers show us images that correlate to the demos of the new pre-recorded songs. It could be the image of a galaxy, or an endless road. When you look at the images together with the sound, your imagination starts to grow. It's an important process in order to understand the song’s general vibe,” says CHISA. The result is music that feels imaginative, intuitive, and unlike anything before it.
Creative Confidence
There’s an unmistakable element of science fiction that comes to mind when XG hits the stage. There are moments when they flaunt their Japanese heritage paying homage to Sailor Moon (‘SHOOTING STAR’) or a nod to Neon Genesis Evangelion (‘GRL GVNG’, with a music video directed by star South Korean photographer Cho Gi-Seok).
While never overplayed, hints at their Japanese heritage float throughout their fashion and music videos. Their “girl crush” appeal is undeniable, but the group’s stoic focus on their work means they’re much more than just seven pretty faces.
When asked why they decided to become performing artists, the girls’ stories all draw strong parallels “When I was in primary school, I wanted to be an artist.” says MAYA. How did she come to this conclusion at such a young age?
Dreams and Determination Across the Galaxy
“I started dancing and singing in grade 6, and the first time I performed by myself on stage, I got an adrenaline rush that I’d never felt before. I was like, ‘Oh, what’s this?’ It was like my insides were filled with something very emotional and I felt that this was where I belonged,” says MAYA.
COCONA, who first started performing when she was only eight, says: “My character is cautious by nature. I was the type of person who was afraid of doing anything and thought about it a lot. But when I sang or danced, that was the only time I could be myself.”
JURIN is a former snowboarder (she once had Olympic aspirations), but had a gut feeling about performing. “When I was in junior high school, I became interested in expressing myself through music, singing, and dancing,” she says. “At the same time, I gravitated towards the empowering energy of girl groups, and my goals changed forever.”
It was around this time that JURIN met HARVEY. “When I came home from school, I would watch Michael Jackson’s music videos and copy his dance moves,” she says. As I got to know [Michael’s music] better, I started to admire him in other areas, such as his charity work. That’s when I realized I also wanted to be someone who could save the world and influence many people. Meeting JURIN, who also had the same dream, made a big impact on me.”
CHISA and JURIA met when they were both around 14 years old. CHISA decided from a young age that she wanted to be a global artist, while JURIA describes the dedication it took to keep going through her rigorous training.
“I joined XGALX as a junior high school student. It wasn't easy balancing school and dance lessons at the same time. At the time I always thought I just wanted to concentrate on my lessons. But it was hard for me to put in the effort to practice. One day, I came last in the dance performance evaluation. But then I thought, ‘I'm going to do this! I will not fall any further.’ I became determined to overcome my weaknesses to become a top artist.” she says.
Then there’s HINATA. Unlike the other six, she was the only member without much performing experience, and hadn’t met the others prior to becoming part of XG.
“I was the only one who had no experience with dancing or singing, and I didn’t know any of the other members,” she recalls. “So I had to overcome my own shortcomings. I started lessons not knowing much about this industry, so I was really anxious but I managed to get over it, probably because of my competitive nature.” Fortunately, the other six girls were a source of constant support, she says. “The more time we spent together and practiced more, I began to think, ‘I don't want to be alone, I want to realize my dreams together with this group.”
Destined to be a Community
Talking to XG as a whole, one gets the feeling that they all get along like a house on fire. Which begs the question: where does this sense of cohesion come from?
“I think the team became more cohesive during the pandemic when we lived in closed quarters. For some reason, we were all thinking positively about studying languages. And we could watch a lot of films we haven’t seen before,” says JURIN. A chorus of “Yes, yes, yes!” comes from the rest of the group; it was clearly a formative time for them all.
“We would make time to watch films together, and afterwards we would discuss and analyze our impressions. We would say it in Korean or English and study the languages at the same time,” says COCONA.
They studied Korean to The Age of Youth (2016), got puffy-eyed to Titanic (1996), and found dance inspiration in the 2009 movie Mother's Proof by the director Bong Joon-Ho. “We were in the middle of a dance production, and we were all wondering how the final choreography should be. The dance moves in the last scene of the movie were so shocking…we ended up referencing the moves and completed our performance,” reveals HARVEY.
Unsurprisingly, that was also the time the group got to know each other better. MAYA recalls: “I think we bonded during this period. We talked together until midnight, and we connected. We didn't have a chance to talk at length before, so it was really important that we were able to exchange our thoughts with each other. I feel like we are now sisters or a family. We are more than a family now.”
Going Beyond
Does being so close ever cause tension? “Of course, there are times when we disagree and things get emotional, but we always talk it out. I think it’s an important process for us to get to know each other and get to the next level. I think we respect each other’s individuality,” says COCONA. “The seven of us are always connected. We often compare this connectedness to an umbilical cord,” laughs HARVEY. MAYA sums it up:. “Thanks to the group, I get to see new horizons and landscapes many times over.”
The group defines its sound as neither J-Pop or K-Pop, but ‘X-Pop’, something that transcends genres entirely. With the release of their first mini-album ‘NEW DNA’ in September 2023, the streets of Tokyo were plastered with XG commercials, and set social media ablaze. The lead single from the album ‘PUPPET SHOW’ is a solid statement on the significance of gender in today’s society, and imagines a non-patriarchal universe where women are the ones pulling the strings. It’s indicative of how the group balances their cute-meets-cool aesthetic with genuine inner strength.
Fashion is also undeniably part of that power. “When I wear this leather jacket, I feel like I can be really, really strong,” says COCONA, referencing her look by Junya Watanabe. As the seven of them into the camera lens, the power of fashion, music, and unity all comes together to create something that feels genuinely exciting. Here, in this moment, the universe is theirs.
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XG
A girl group consisting of CHISA, HINATA, and JURIA as the main vocalists and JURIN, HARVEY, MAYA, and COCONA as the rappers, with an average age of 19. The group’s name stands for “Xtraordinary Girls” and their unconventional, out-of-the-box performances have attracted worldwide attention. They have been active not only in South Korea and Japan but globally, including an appearance at the ‘Head In The Clouds Los Angeles’ music festival in Los Angeles in August. Their latest work is the six-track mini-album NEW DNA.
Styling: Rena Semba Hair: Enoc Lee Makeup: Soyeon Jung Manicure: Kiho Watanabe, Runa Yonekura and Kana Kikuchi at Uka Tailor: Azuna Saito Movement Director: Chikako Takemoto Set Design: Akihiro Yamaya Post Production: Mari Obara Styling Assistants: China Suzuki,Chisaki Goya and Misaki Suzuki
