Ever heard of “X-POP”? This is the Japanese girl group XG‘s genre. Based in Korea, their inventive approach to hip-hop, R&B, and electronic music has solidified their domestic and international presence in music. From a viral, multi-lingual pre-debut cypher to hitting the top spot on the Billboard Heatseekers Album chart in 2024, they continue to expand their audience by tapping into unique and addicting sound niches. XDM Unidentified Waves embodies XG’s ambitious spirit and contemporary sound, featuring eight remixed tracks in collaboration with the group’s founder and executive producer, JAKOPS (SIMON JUNHO PARK).
With an emphasis on a complete sensory experience, this project ventures into various genres through masterful, multi-dimensional production. The original tracks shine in a new light, calling back to XG’s debut and their most streamed releases to date. Just in time for festival season, this album is exciting, stimulating, and most definitely danceable.
“HESONOO + X-GENE x XDM” opens the album, introducing XG’s futuristic storyline. The seven members are impersonally regarded as “lifeforms,” as if being observed in their musical universe. A hard jersey club style paired with breaking glass sounds and an intense bassline set the tone for the remaining tracks. Delightfully dizzying panning enhances the build-up into a deep dubstep drop. The seventh track, “TIPPY TOES x XDM” similarly explores dubstep, but through an eerie, mysterious lens. The breathing adlibs and a music box-like motif make for some excellent text-painting, as the lyrics say “Gonna keep ya on your tippy toes.”
“GRL GVNG x XDM” and “SOMETHING AIN’T RIGHT x XDM” dip into piano house territory. The former is like a blast of sunshine; tropical and iridescent, glowing in the face of the original hard-hitting arrangement. The latter transforms a classic house beat with boosted dynamics and a synthy, progressive festival effect. Additionally sharing this joyous energy is the sixth track, “PUPPET SHOW x XDM.” Some songs bloom with volume and space, destined to play for large crowds, and these three are exactly that.
“WOKE UP x XDM” honors the spitting bravado of the trap original with an intense techno beat. Though less lyrically focused, this remix maintains intensity and prowess through unique percussion choices and hypnotic vocal production. “TGIF x XDM” also expands into the domain of techno, but fancies some twists and turns along the way. Minimal at first with a rather empty middle section, things heat up with an airy, taunting pre-chorus, finally landing on fuzzy filtered bass and chopped vocals in the chorus. A trap breakdown featuring an Eastern string instrument supports a signature rap section, showing off XG’s flow. In the second half, a roaring rock breakdown seals this track as the most riveting on the album. XG sings with confidence, “We don’t need no fire ’cause we already hot.”
Sending off the listener is the final track, “NEW DANCE x XDM.” In both lyrics and rhythm, it is a pure dance earworm with prominent reverb, wonderfully displaying the group’s mix of vocal timbres:
Slide to the left and the right now / Dip your hip low like me, baby / Now come here, let me find out / You gotta do it, gotta move it to the music
XDM Unidentified Waves boasts an impressive range of electronic remixes that level up XG’s sonic brand. The “Xtraordinary Girls” show relentless commitment towards innovation, challenging both seniors and juniors in the industry to keep up; and they aren’t stopping.
2024 was a career-defining success for XG. Their second album AWE debuted on the Billboard 200 and they embarked on their first 26-city world tour attended by 200,000+ fans across Asia, North America, the U.K., and Europe. In 2025, they will perform in multiple cities in Japan, Australia, and China, with highly-anticipated plans for a South American tour as well. Furthermore, this April, XG is the only Japanese artist confirmed to take the stage at the world-famous Coachella Valley Music Festival in Indio, California.
Those who have followed the group since pre-debut know this exponential growth was inevitable. Their debut single “Tippy Toes” flew them to No. 1 on the Billboard “Hot Trending Songs Powered by Twitter” chart; a first for any Japanese artist. The group’s global appeal eventually led them to grace the cover of the U.S. Billboard magazine; another first for a Japanese girl group. XG’s unapologetically quirky fashion and sound are particularly attractive in the manicured landscape of girl and boy groups, cementing their position as trendsetters.
Discover XG’s world and stream XDM Unidentified Waves now on Spotify and Apple Music.
Follow XG on social media to keep up with tour information and future releases: Website | Fanclub | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | Weverse | X | Facebook
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