They’re extraordinary girls, indeed — Japanese girl band XG is taking the X-Pop scene by storm with their new release, “New DNA”, a 6-track mini album. After a seven-month hiatus, their new musical project symbolizes an evolution of the seven as a group, both imagetically and sonically, bringing references of hip-hop/R&B to their music. The beats are deep, layered, and genre-defying, while the catchy lyrics invite us on a new ride towards their essence as musicians.
The mini-album also counts with their latest single release, the track “New Dance”, featuring a whimsical music video. Here, we sat down with the XG girls to discuss the new mini-album, the inspirations behind this new career chapter and their nomination as Apple Music’s global Up Next Artist.
Listen to the album…
Read the full interview…
Congratulations on your album, “New DNA.” What inspired the title, and how does it represent the essence of the album?
JURIN: The inspiration for “NEW DNA” comes from our belly buttons, which is “hesonoo” in Japanese. We’ve been using this word to symbolise our tight bond since before our debut. We put out this bold statement that our work is a “new species” that is free from boundaries or conventions. The artwork is reminiscent of cell division and there are six brand-new songs that symbolise evolution. In both its visuals and through the audio, “NEW DNA,” is like an introduction to XG and a core Mini Album.
CHISA: The inspiration comes from us always shouting, “HESONOO”. It’s showing that we share the same DNA, even when we’re apart! Our universe is also one of our inspirations!
As the title “NEW DNA” suggests, we’re declaring with this that we are a “new species”, without boundaries or limited by conventions!
What are your expectations for the release of the new tracks? What can your fans expect from your newest work?
JURIA: In this Mini Album, you can see the various styles from all of us in XG! It’s not just about the musical styles; we all took on different characters for the music videos and photo shoots, relevant to each song! In the photobook which comes with the album, everyone’s different styles are as infinite as the universe.
COCONA: What makes this mini-album special is that every song has its own uniqueness. Each track is enjoyable through both audio and visuals, and I think you’ll get to see different sides to XG. Dive into the XG world and have a great time!
How do you see your musical essence evolving throughout the year since the release of “Tippy Toes”?
COCONA: There are still many different sides to XG that we want to show you, but I think over this last year, we’ve been able to share a more colorful side to XG’s music. Just like people grow and change every day, XG also evolves day by day and we’re really happy to be able to share this growth and our music with ALPHAZ and people around the world. We hope you’ll look forward to XG’s continued evolution!
HINATA: Over this past year, I think we’ve been able to get to the heart of XG even more. With our desire to create music, messages, and a way of expressing that only we can deliver, we’ve taken on lots of different challenges! The possibilities are endless, so please watch out for how we evolve and transform in the future!
How do you believe this new album represents each one of you and your essence as a group?
MAYA: I believe that our new mini album “NEW DNA” showcases each of our own individual strengths as well as our strengths when we are all together. For example, our first track HESONOO embodies the importance and strong bond and relationship my members and I have.
HARVEY: We talk about our bond as being like an umbilical cord and in this album we’re showing our connection through that. We were all born from one egg, each taking on our own unique personalities and living our lives in our own way. I think you’ll be able to spot this. We’re like a family with a deep bond, connected by an umbilical cord, but each one of us has a distinct personality and I think we’ve been able to show that aspect of ourselves.
JURIN: The album takes inspiration from the umbilical cord, it symbolizes our bond as members, so I believe it has become this authentic representation of who we are. In the music videos, the connected themes of arrival, expansion, exploration and celebration for each song have also evolved, which I think aligns with how XG is always evolving. This embodies our desire to always show our Xtraordinary selves, free from limitations.
You refer to your music as “X-Pop”. Can you tell us a bit about what makes your work so unique?
CHISA: Our music is based around HipHop/R&B, but we always try to add XG’s unique twist to it! In the future, we want to explore different genres and create a lot of new music. The letter “X” is often used to signify something special or unknown, so we say that our music is X-POP, meaning it’s a genre from an unknown world that breaks away from conventions!
HARVEY: Our music is packed with the strength and confidence that comes from the deep bond between us. We try to show this through our lyrics and performances and we hope to empower as many ALPHAZ as possible. It would be amazing if our music can resonate with people in some way. We’re always experimenting to make sure that more and more people can enjoy X-POP, so please check it out!
You’re currently Apple Music’s global Up Next Artist. What does that mean to you as a group and what do you envision for your future?
HINATA: We’re so honored to be chosen as Up Next artists alongside so many amazing people from around the world. It’s very moving and exciting for us because it feels like the results of what we’ve been aiming for, reaching people worldwide. We want to keep on evolving and hope to hit our goals, such as a world tour, and topping the Billboard charts in the future!
JURIA: We are so grateful to have been chosen as Up Next Artists. It’s truly unbelievable, it feels like a dream! Being recognized as an Up Next Artist by Apple Music gives us confidence and courage. We want to work hard to bring our music to people all around the world!
JURIN: Being chosen as Up Next Artists was a big milestone for XG. We knew that many incredible artists had been picked in the past, so it feels like a dream come true that we’re part of this. We’re very thankful for this opportunity, it gives us the confidence to continue bringing extraordinary things like only XG can.
What are your main references in the X-Pop sphere today and how do you incorporate it to your music?
JURIN: Inspiration comes from different places. It could be from our everyday casual conversations with each other, the same mindset we all have, the more playful moments, or when we talk about XG’s future. We share the smallest things and are always on the lookout. We share these inspirations with SIMON, and our ideas come together in our work.
How does this new album differ from your previous work?
HARVEY: In this 1st Mini Album, you can see various sides to us that you won’t find in our other work. In the music videos, there’s a connected storyline where we all arrive from space to this planet and explore Earth as we evolve.
MAYA: I believe that in this album the listeners and our fans ALPHAZ can see and enjoy the difference and elements in each song!! We hope you all can see a new and different side of XG!
Finally, what are your plans for the rest of the year and beyond? Are there any tour dates to support “New DNA” that fans should look out for?
JURIN: We have exciting plans for the future! We’re scheduled to appear at SXSW in Sydney on October 20th. Then on November 11th, we’ll be taking part in the Hype Round K-fest in Abu Dhabi. On November 26th we’ll have our very first showcase in Japan! We’re looking forward to meeting ALPHAZ from all around the world. We can’t wait to see you all!