From Intensive Training to Global Stardom: The XG Saga
Every night before a set, the seven members of XG circle and join hands, band leader Jurin shouts Hesono, and the others reply with a loud Oh, flinging their arms upward. Hesono‑O (へその緒) means umbilical cord, symbolising destiny and the impossible bond that unites the group.
XG began in 2016 after being chosen from thousands of hopefuls. The twenty‑one trainees lived together, taking all‑day lessons in singing, dancing and multilingual performance. The regime was harsh: trainees were reprimanded for posting dorm photos on social media, told “You’ll never earn respect for that.”
The group debuted publicly in 2022 with the single Tippy Toes, blending rap and melodic hooks and declaring, “Understand that we didn’t come to play, here to dominate.” Their follow‑up, Galz Xypher, captured a viral soundtrack with trilingual bars and celebrated 49 million YouTube views.
By 2025 the band was booked to play Coachella, the only Japanese act in the lineup, and the group’s sophomore album, The Core, features lead singles like “Gala” (Vogue‑inspired ballroom beat) and “Hypnotise” (house piano from CeCe Peniston). Themes of identity and autonomy weave throughout, especially with the name change: XG now stands for Xtraordinary Genes, a nod to the band’s openness to gender and individuality.
In December 2025, members announced their Transmasculine and Non‑Binary identities on Instagram, a historic move in the tightly‑controlled J‑pop world, receiving a flood of support from fans and bandmates alike. The announcement featured photos of Cocona’s top‑surgery scars and Chisa’s makeup art.
The group’s next push is a year‑long world tour, with a stop at Wembley Arena in September. Juria described the concerts as a living embodiment of the album’s title: “Our core will be right there on stage.” During downtime, members pursue hobbies—Hinata watches anime, Jurin hits the slopes, Harvey plays trombone—to keep the rope of connection intact.
XG’s journey from dark dorms to glittering stages illustrates their resilience, artistic evolution, and commitment to redefining a pop group’s possibilities. Their story serves as a testament to the power of unity, authenticity and the relentless drive to turn training into triumph.
