In 2023, many people first heard about the XG group, thanks to their hits “SHOOTING STAR” and “GRL GVNG”. We are figuring out what is so cool about the Japanese group and why it is worth following them 🤔

Once upon a time, the k-pop industry was created according to the templates of Western pop culture, adapting to the mentality of South Korea. Over time, the copy of the American show business has acquired its uniqueness and has become even more distinctive than the original. Now many, including in the USA, are already guided by the k-pop bar and take something there that you can be inspired by and create something else.

So they did in Japan, where they assembled the women’s group XG. The girls are gradually approaching success not only at home, but also in the world. We are figuring out what is so cool about them and why the company’s experiment turned out to be very successful 🤷🏻♀️

Formation and debut of XG

On March 18, 2022, XG (Xtraordinary (Extraordinary) Girls), which translates from English as “extraordinary girls”, officially debuted with their single “Tippy Toes”. XGALX agency started casting for a new global pop group back in January 2017 in Japan. A total of 36 girls were selected for the training camp, of which only the best 7 — Chisa, Hinata, Jurin, Harvey, Juria, Maya and Kokona – were included in the final squad.

Tippy Toes (2022)

Although the participants and the agency are Japanese, but the Korean Simon, a former member of the k—pop group DMTN, is at the head of the production. Born in the USA and raised with a Korean dad and a Japanese mom, he was the perfect choice for an idol. And although his personal career as an artist did not become so successful, he redirected his talents and knowledge of all three languages to producing. It seems that the decision was very correct ✊🏻

After a lot of tests and checks, which can be viewed in more detail in the documentary series “XTRA XTRA”, 7 girls debuted with the English single “Tippy Toes”. The participants were preparing for promos and k-pop shows, so their performances can be found there, even if there is not a word in Korean in the text. And yes, the girls themselves learned the language during the internship.

Comeback with “MASCARA” and success with “SHOOTING STAR”

To attract the attention of k-pop fans, the agency actively promotes girls on Korean shows — and for good reason. After seeing the talents on stage, many quickly began to learn about the new group (and even the completely foreign line-up confused few people). Foreign fans were all the more delighted, because all the lyrics in the tracks are always in English.

MASCARA (2022)

The main genres of XG are R&B and hip-hop, so his next comeback with “MASCARA” continued to attract the attention of those who loved the debut. Gradually, the band began to appear more often in foreign media, and this was the perfect moment to release their main hit so far in early 2023 — “SHOOTING STAR” 👇🏻
SHOOTING STAR (2023)

The fans immediately liked the single, who began to multiply the popularity of the track by making reactions to it and shooting trending videos. The unusual editing of the clip and the unique style of each participant attracted even more fans who were looking forward to the continuation and the first album.
The single “GRL GVNG”, the first mini-album “New DNA” and the return of Hikaru
Cultural move: the phenomenon of the Japanese pop group XG, created according to k-pop patterns

XGALX

XG’s first mini-album titled “New DNA” will be released on September 27, 2023, but for now the band is fueling the interest of the audience with its singles “GRL GVNG” and “TGIF”. The producers continue to experiment with musical genres, adding more trap and vogue and continuing to promote tracks in Korea.
Cultural move: the phenomenon of the Japanese pop group XG, created according to k-pop patterns
Hikaru

WAKE ONE

By the way, another popular Japanese woman, Hikaru, now a member of the Kep1er group, created based on the results of the Girls Planet 999 show, also trained with the girls. After the project is disbanded, the participant can join the composition of XG, which will be decided after her return to her native agency.

GRL GVNG (2023)
So what is the phenomenon of XG?

Since the explosion of k-pop groups and the Hallyu Wave, many both in Korea and abroad have tried to replicate or modernize their approach to creating artists. Foreign participants from other countries are still unstable, but this does not mean that they cannot do something similar and their own.
Cultural move: the phenomenon of the Japanese pop group XG, created according to k-pop patterns

XGALX

The agency decided to assemble a purely Japanese group that creates songs in English and promotes itself, including in Korean show business. So far, this approach works and brings noticeable results, which certainly indicates the effectiveness of such a strategy. Of course, it all depends on the specific cases, but XG can really change the balance of power and open another door to the industry, which previously seemed impossible. «Just know that XG’s goin’ all the way!» ✨
Katya Vasilchenko

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cultural Hall*Kk-rormusic

MASCARA (2022)

The main genres of XG are R&B and hip-hop, so his next comeback with “MASCARA” continued to attract the attention of those who loved the debut. Gradually, the band began to appear more often in foreign media, and this was the perfect moment to release their main hit so far in early 2023 — “SHOOTING STAR” 👇🏻
SHOOTING STAR (2023)

ingle immediately liked the fans, who began to multiply the popularity of the track, making reactions to it and shooting trending videos. The unusual editing of the clip and the unique style of each participant attracted even more fans who were looking forward to the continuation and the first album.
The single “GRL GVNG”, the first mini-album “New DNA” and the return of Hikaru

XG’s first mini-album titled “New DNA” will be released on September 27, 2023, but for now the band is fueling the interest of the audience with its singles “GRL GVNG” and “TGIF”. The producers continue to experiment with musical genres, adding more trap and vogue and continuing to promote tracks in Korea.

By the way, another popular Japanese woman, Hikaru, now a member of the Kep1er group, created based on the results of the Girls Planet 999 show, also trained with the girls. After the project is disbanded, the participant can join the composition of XG, which will be decided after her return to her native agency.
GRL GVNG (2023)

So what is the phenomenon of XG?

Since the explosion of k-pop groups and the Hallyu Wave, many both in Korea and abroad have tried to replicate or modernize their approach to creating artists. Foreign participants from other countries are still unstable, but this does not mean that they cannot do something similar and their own.

The agency decided to assemble a purely Japanese group that creates songs in English and promotes itself, including in Korean show business. So far, this approach works and brings noticeable results, which certainly indicates the effectiveness of such a strategy. Of course, it all depends on the specific cases, but XG can really change the balance of power and open another door to the industry, which previously seemed impossible. «Just know that XG’s goin’ all the way!» ✨