XG On Their New Single “GIRL GVNG”, Going Viral, & Their 1st US Performance

A day after a stadium-shattering set at Forest Hills, New York, XG—short for Xtraordinary Girls—are as pumped as ever to be in the Big Apple. At StyleCaster’s shoot, they’re scrolling through Spotify to find the perfect vibe. Dua Lipa, NIKI, and Beyoncé are playing over the speakers as the seven members twirl in their flowy skirts and giggle while they hold hands while walking toward the camera. Later, during their individual portraits, they cheer each other on from the sidelines. Each member posed comfortably in front of the camera gleaming with their enchanting smiles.

It’s some of the members’ first time in the States and as a group, it’s the first time they’re performing on US soil. They had the largest crowd for 88rising’s Head in The Clouds New York festival in May—among their first show in a festival setting—and fans, an estimated 12,000, from across the country packed the venue to support them. Some came dressed in outfits from their music videos and others held up glossy banners with their name on them, but everyone was screaming every single lyric to their songs. The seven girls—Jurin, Chisa, Hinata, Harvey, Juria, Maya, and Cocona—approached the stage with pristine, glammed-out suits and with stunning confidence. 

Like the resonating lyrics of “Shooting Star,” the grind never stops with XG to make every day like a dream. They’re the first group to come out of the Japanese company XGALX and the members do most of their promotions in Korea, while also singing entirely in English. Thus, a global girl group was born. Their rap video GALZ XYPHER went viral on YouTube and TikTok and captured the attention of GOT7 member and soloist Jackson Wang, who hailed them as “the future” of music. (He later introduced a remix of “Left Right” at Coachella with Ciara.)

Since their debut in March 2022 with the song “Tippy Toes,” all of their songs have virtually become inescapable online. “Left Right” became a power anthem on TikTok with thousands of videos mimicking their simple hand choreography with a protruding fish eye lens. To show a little insight into their success, they’ve released their documentary XTRA XTRA, which demonstrates their unbreakable bond, not to mention all the dedication they’ve put in to radically evolve from young trainees.

Fast forward to now, XG released their single “GIRL GVNG” off their upcoming first mini-album. I caught up with the global girl group to talk about becoming Internet sensations, their latest song, and what’s next.

With your YouTube documentary XTRA XTRA out, how does it feel to reflect on the past six years since starting out as trainees? 

JURIN: The whole intention of the documentary is to look back on the six years since the moment we met together and formed the group XG. We haven’t done this before and this is our first time making all this information public. We wanted to go back into our past and introduce ourselves once more. All these years that we’ve been going through has been an upturn experience for me— 180 degrees. Meeting all the ALPHAZ has been so great and they support us so much every day. We’re here because of them and they make us so happy. We want to make them happy as well. Every day has been amazing and Head In The Clouds was another experience that has been really rewarding for us.

You’ve known each other for such a long time and have grown incredibly close. Is there anything that surprises you about the other members?

JURIA: Cocona is, of course, the youngest girl but at first I thought she would be the coolest girl in the group. But it turns out that she has a really calm presence and is a cute-looking younger sister kind of like a character so it was surprising to find out what she’s really like. 

COCONA: I thought Chisa was a cool girl and she looked really strict in the beginning— she looked so mature. But I found out later that she was a really unique character. She makes us laugh, and it was surprising to find out how she really was! 

How would you say your bond as a group helps strengthen your music performances?

MAYA: We have this thing called a “Space Meeting “every single week, just to make sure we’re up to date with how we’re feeling. If we have problems, we always solve them together and make sure that we’re all okay. I feel like that always builds up our teamwork and strengthens our bond. That’s what allows us to create our synergy while we perform. I feel like the meetings that we have every single week, the communication that we have, and the fact that we rely on each other every single day is what brings us together and brings that power and performance. It makes me proud of us girls. 

XG is a global group and now that you’re traveling all over the world, how does it feel to carry that title internationally and execute it all?

JURIN: Of course, we’re from Japan, but we’re based in Korea right now and we sing songs in English. We’re in a really unique position, and we realize that. The whole purpose is that we want to deliver songs and messages to as many people as possible in the world. That is our sole purpose. And that is why we sing in English. We’re studying English and Korean. We want to really spread our wings to connect to everyone in the world.

You’ve also become so viral with all of your songs. What was it like when you first realized that you became internet sensations?

COCONA: When we did GALZ XYPHER, it got really viral and it was surprising. We didn’t expect that to happen, but we felt so honored. Also, J.I.D and Jackson Wang reacted to the video. It made us so happy and we’ll keep working hard to get even better.

I was going to say you’ve found a lot of fans in celebrities and because of that, the collaborations with Ciara, Jackson Wang, and Rico Nasty came about. What were your reactions when they all wanted to reach out to you and your music?

JURIN: It was incredible. I could hardly believe it because those were artists that we have been admiring since we were trainees and doing cover songs of their music. Collaborating with them and getting a reaction from them was a dream.

Tell me about your first US performance at Head in The Clouds—from your perspective as performers and being there.

MAYA: We didn’t expect this many people to give this much love and support. And we were just really, really happy and just so grateful for the fact that we were able to meet our US ALPHAZ for the first time. The energy was crazy.  It was an unforgettable moment and I had so much fun. We felt so alive. Also, just hearing the audience sing along to the songs was such a beautiful moment that we felt all together. That’s why music brings us as one. 

CHISA:  I got really nervous performing in the US for the first time. Before getting up on stage we got our hands together and said we’re going to do this. It’s a ritual that we go through before going on the stage and we decided to just enjoy the moment. We were able to have fun and ALPHAZ gave us a lot of power. It was a lot of adrenaline rush. 

I also wanted to ask you about your unit stages, how did you guys pick them out to display each member’s strong suits?

CHISA: With “Peaches,” it was myself and Juria collaborating in the beginning, but this time Hinata joined so the song became a little fresh and different than last time. The three of us had our own colors and we were able to combine our personalities. We as XG—we do rap and vocals, and we have three vocal artists. We were able to express the chill and relaxed vibe and everything together. 

What was the recording process like for the song “GRL GVNG” and what’s the driving theme behind it?

MAYA: The process of our recording for our new song ‘GRL GVNG’, was another very exciting and new experience! Since the song itself is powerful I focused a lot on emphasizing my pronunciation and making sure the GRL GVNG is a song that expresses XG’s team spirit, which grows stronger with the message of “we stand at the top with our unique style without comparing ourselves to anyone”.　

The track expresses XG’s team unity, which grows stronger through adversity, with a message of determination to rise to the top with a unique style—without compromising or comparing to anyone else. Do you resonate with the song as a girl group who grew up together and support each other through and through?

JURIN: I believe that the song ‘GRL GVNG’ best represents XG. We’ve put our style and our essence into the music, so I can strongly relate to the message of this song, and every time I listen to it I’m reminded of the meaning of XG and my initial aspirations.

What are your perfect scenarios to be blasting “GRL GVNG” on the radio with your girl gang? 

CHISA: I think it would be the best feeling to put on sunglasses, go for a drive, and listen to ‘GRL GVNG’ with friends over the summer!

JURIN: I’d like people to listen to the track when going out with friends at night or during moments when they need to hype themselves up, like saying, ‘It’s showtime!’ or when they want to get themselves ready for something.

HINATA: I believe it’s a song that empowers me greatly when I listen to it, like when I want to become stronger and more resilient. It has this ability to make me feel confident in myself.

HARVEY: I would love for you guys to listen to it on a drive! Especially at night, I highly recommended it! We actually had the chance to listen to ‘GRL GVNG’ together with Simon (XG Executive Producer JAKOPS) once while driving on the highway at night. The darkness with the lights rushing by matched perfectly with the sirens in ‘GRL GVNG!’ I really want everyone to experience that sensation at least once.

JURIA: That’s a tough question, but a nighttime drive would be perfect!

MAYA: I would personally love to listen to this song at night with my girls! I feel like this powerful track would give me so much good energy as well as give me more confidence that I can overcome anything and help me get through some tough challenges!

COCONA: Nighttime drives are highly recommended! Even if you’re not driving, I think you can enjoy ‘GRL GVNG’ even more when you listen to it at night. For dancers, musicians, and anyone involved in music, I think listening to it before starting work or dance practice can boost your energy and get you in a great mood!

Finally, what songs do you listen to while you’re in New York? 

MAYA: Definitely ‘Empire State of Mind’ by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys. We can’t stop listening to it.

JURIN: ‘Back & Forth’ by Aaliyah.  We’ve been listening to Aaliyah the whole time we were here because she’s from here in New York and we love her taste in fashion. 

CHISA: ‘Like a Virgin’ by Madonna because she debuted in New York and I have admired her and I knew about her upbringing. I’ve learned a lot about her and she’s my role model. 

JURIA: ‘Umbrella’ by Rihanna and Jay-Z.

HARVEY: ‘No Diggity’ by Blackstreet.

COCONA: ‘Lost Ones’ by Lauryn Hill

HARVEY: ‘Wannabe’ by Spice Girls.

HINATA: ‘Vintage’ by NIKI—I want to listen to it right now!