On The Rise Global Girl Group XG Talks New Single MASCARA, Working Together and Being Strikingly Different
Having prepared for their debut for 5 years, XG first made their presence known earlier this year, March 2022, with the track ‘Tippy Toes.’ The single marked their first public release and introduced the group to the world. Since its release, ‘Tippy Toes’ has now passed 17 million views on YouTube and has attracted thousands of fans to the group.
XG has begun to climb in popularity as well due to their unique style which is based in confidence and bold authenticity. Rather than stick to the traditional tropes of the entertainment industry, XG members aim to be ‘Xtraordinary Girls’ as per their namesake.
As can be observed in ‘Tippy Toes,’ XG also sets itself apart by releasing tracks that are sung completely in English, making their music more accessible on a global level. Additionally, this powerhouse of a girl group focuses on sharing positive social messages with its viewers, with the goal of empowering others. XG strives to use their influence in the industry to produce positive social change and inspire others who follow their music.
XG’s latest release, ‘MASCARA’ stays true to these values, warning haters: “don’t mess with my mascara,” in a powerful message of self-love and confidence. The track features an energetic yet dynamic mix of skillful rap and gorgeous vocals. Paired with catchy beats and melodic synth lines, XG’s new single captivates listeners as the second release the group has made to date.
Most recently, XG finally made their stage debut, as is common practice for global pop groups when first entering the scene. Performing both ‘Tippy Toes’ and ‘MASCARA’, XG left viewers enthralled and ready for more from XG.
XG has begun to climb in popularity as well due to their unique style which is based in confidence and bold authenticity. Rather than stick to the traditional tropes of the entertainment industry, XG members aim to be ‘Xtraordinary Girls’ as per their namesake.
As can be observed in ‘Tippy Toes,’ XG also sets itself apart by releasing tracks that are sung completely in English, making their music more accessible on a global level. Additionally, this powerhouse of a girl group focuses on sharing positive social messages with its viewers, with the goal of empowering others. XG strives to use their influence in the industry to produce positive social change and inspire others who follow their music.
We chatted with XG members Chisa, Cocona, Harvey, Hinata, Juria, Jurin and Maya to learn more about XG and what’s next.
XG is named for its members who represent “Xtraordinary girls.” In XG’s vision, what does it mean to be “extraordinary?”
JURIN: “Xtraordinary” means ‘out of the ordinary, breaking the mold, thinking outside the box, or ‘normal but not ordinary’. I think it’s a wonderful word that allows us to think that we are extraordinary and that we are true to ourselves without being bound by stereotypes or normality. It is a word that makes us feel that we are special.
COCONA: It means to have something amazing and extraordinary in skill, mind, and performance that nobody else has. “Xtraordinary girls” is what we are proud to call ourselves, and we always give our best rehearsals, even when we are in training!
XG has been noted for its bold choices in choreography and the messages it shares. In what ways does XG look to break away from more traditional K-pop/J-pop groups?
COCONA: We cherish our different characters and the power that comes together when we perform. At first glance, these two things seem to be opposites, but I think that each member has a completely different personality and when we all come together we show this group strength that seems like we’re all one. I think this is what makes us stand out from other groups and at the same time, we’d love it if our fans can feel this too.
JURIN: I hope we can show you what XG is by how we look, our music, and our performance, and not just sticking to the usual stereotypes. We want to bring our message to as many people as possible in our own way, not “just like everyone else”.
XG debuted earlier this year. What has been the biggest challenge in preparing for the debut?
HINATA: We all worked so hard together to prepare for everything, including vocals and dance performances. One of the most difficult things was how to express myself and my character through the performance. We thought a lot about what our strengths were and how we could express this to fans. There is no real right answer to this question, so I am still thinking about it!
HARVEY: I think the most difficult part was waiting for the day when XG would be released to the world! During the preparation for our debut, everything was new to me and I was so nervous and full of anxiety. But through all the various film shoots, including the music video, I gained a lot of confidence in myself and in our team! Rehearsing was a lot of fun, and every day I felt my happiness far outweighing my nerves and anxiety!
JURIN: I can honestly say that each moment and every event was fun. Spending time with friends who are chasing the same dream is very exciting and every day is a lot of fun!
When I look back to when we shot the music video for our debut song Tippy Toes I was excited, but also super nervous because everything was new to me.
It was very memorable for me because I worked so hard with the girls and the team to create our debut under a tight schedule.
A lot of hard work and many long hours goes into creating these releases. What does a typical day of training look like for XG?
HINATA: We have dance and vocal practice among other lessons, so we can brush up on our skills every day. When we have free time in our schedule, we train individually but also practice dance together. We also do aerobic exercise and muscle conditioning for about an hour to an hour and a half, both morning and night. Also, once a week we set aside a time where we all get together and chat.
HARVEY: We spend about 9 hours a day in the rehearsal room! We mainly practice dance performance and singing. Sometimes we practice by ourselves, but most of the time we rehearse together! We’re very precise when we practice with each other, giving each other feedback and acting like teachers! When we rehearse together we notice a lot of things we might miss when we practice alone, and we can really feel the quality of our performance improve! We also study languages so that we can communicate our thoughts and feelings to our fans around the world.
What does a day off look like for XG?
JURIN: I sleep as much as I can on my days off! After that, I often go out for a walk with the other girls. Usually, my mind is full of rehearsals and my schedule, so on my days off, I try to relax by going for a walk outside or stopping by a café.
JURIA: On my days off I cook and have dinner with everyone, I spend my time relaxing and having fun.
CHISA: I love watching movies and dramas, so I spend my days off relaxing and watching them! I also make time for my hobbies, like playing the guitar and cooking!
XG’s debut single ‘Tippy Toes’ has passed 17 million views on YouTube, congratulations! How does the group feel?
HARVEY: First of all, we are so grateful! I think we were able to hit 17 million views because so many people have listened to our music, loved it, and supported us. We couldn’t believe it and watched it over and over again.
It really gave us strength as we prepared for ‘MASCARA,’ and we were able to practice with a strong mindset, thinking “I want more people to see and hear our music” every day.
We will keep working hard and do better! Thank you all so much!
MAYA: We are very happy and so grateful for the support of our fans from all over the world that helped us hit 17 million views. However, XG has a long way to go. Our goal is to reach even higher. We will work even harder and try our best to inspire more people with our music.
XG’s new single ‘MASCARA’ dropped June 29th. What is the group most excited about for this release?
JURIN: There are so many things, but the most important thing is the reaction of the fans! I think ‘MASCARA’ will show a different side of us from Tippy Toes, so I’m really looking forward to seeing what kind of reaction we will get from our fans.
CHISA: I really hope that we can show ‘MASCARA’ to more people, including our fans. It is a more powerful and energetic song with a different vibe compared to our debut single, so I hope people all over the world will be excited to hear it!
‘MASCARA’ projects a confident message of strength and compassion. How does each of the members practice self-love?
JURIN: I try to keep a diary. Rather than writing about the things that happen every day, I try to write about what I am thinking or noticing at the time. It has become really useful for me to sort out my feelings, reflect on myself and look after myself! Every so often I look back at it, and sometimes I think about the things that have happened, and it’s pretty interesting, and it is a good way to record my own memories.
HINATA: Everyone has times when they lose confidence in themselves or feel bad about themselves. I’ve had a lot of these moments myself. But I try to have this mindset that “I’m the only one who can love myself even my flaws and if I don’t look after myself I can’t take care of others and everything won’t work out.”
COCONA: It’s about making an effort to become the best version of yourself.
I try to put effort into improving myself so that I can get closer to the person I want to be. By making that effort, I can love myself as who I am. I don’t think I can love myself just for being who I am, so I keep on challenging myself every day.
What does XG hope listeners take away from ‘MASCARA?’
JURIN: ‘MASCARA’ conveys the message to “love yourself, your friends, and each and every moment”. The lyrics are full of these positive and confidence-inspiring messages and the choreography will show you how united we are. So please take a close look at the lyrics and the choreography!
HARVEY: We want to spread a bright and positive message that “if you do what you enjoy, you will succeed!” The phrase “Don’t mess with my MASCARA” in the lyrics means “Don’t be influenced by anyone, don’t let anyone make you cry.” I hope ‘MASCARA’ will enable you to feel how important it is to have confidence in yourself.
MAYA: ‘MASCARA’ is a song encouraging people to realize their worth and regain confidence in themselves. We want to tell fans to always be themselves and have faith in their own style! Remember that whenever you need help, there are always people who will be there for you to help you get through the difficult times. I think it’s important that no matter what kind of obstacles you face, believing in yourself and never giving up is the key!
XG’s music videos are dynamic and creative. What was the group’s favorite part of creating their latest video for ‘MASCARA’?
JURIN: Overall, it’s a very sophisticated video with bright colors and different contrasting scenes! I wanted everyone to feel the positive energy and spirit of ‘MASCARA,’ so we were very particular about what colors to use, the shades of the costumes, the light, and other details. The individual scenes of the members showcase each of our personalities, so please look into that when watching the music video!
HARVEY: In ‘MASCARA,’ we were particular about reflecting our confident attitude visually. We practiced hard to create the right vibe for each scene, and each member performed as if they were the main character in a movie, to really showcase their personality! I think we were able to show off our different strengths and persona in each scene, whether it was our energetic dance moves or our individual scenes!
What’s next for XG?
JURIN: I can’t wait to meet our fans around the world who support us!
Over the next few weeks, we will be putting out a lot of content related to ‘MASCARA’! We will be posting different videos and photos mainly on YouTube and social media, so be sure to check them out!
COCONA: We are planning to post different content on YouTube and social media, including another video for ‘MASCARA,’ so please check it out.
Also, we plan to look into more ways to interact with our fans in the future!
Please look forward to how XG and all our performances will evolve!
The definition of Contrast is to be strikingly different. What makes XG strikingly different?
HINATA: We really value communication among each other as a team.
We talk about fun things of course, but we also discuss any problems or personal issues we may have in order to strengthen our bond as a team. I think we are a group that values “talking” more than anything!
JURIN: I think it’s a strong bond between us. We call it our “umbilical cord” in XG, which means that the seven of us are connected to each other as if we are all sisters.
JURIA: We really focus on “who we want to be,” keep our goals high and practice hard to achieve them and always stick to them.
HARVEY: I am confident about the bond we have with each other. I believe that we can relate to each other and feel the same way because we have been in the same place and experienced the same things every minute every second of the day for the past 5 years.
We have come to understand, believe, and love each other even without speaking. Our “bond” is strong, tight, and unbreakable.
COCONA: No matter what happens, we never give up. This may be what makes us “Contrast.” Even if there is something you can’t do or something you are not good at, you should never run away from it and keep on challenging yourself.
In the past, we have faced many challenges during practice sessions and rehearsals, but we never gave up and continued practicing and training, which has made us what XG is today.
We will continue to work hard and never give up so we can show people our XG power!
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