Meet XG, the ‘X-Pop’ Girl Group That’s Here to Stay

Jurin, Chisa, Hinata, Harvey, Juria, Maya, and Cocona, the members of XG, have grown tremendously this year: The girls are known for their futuristic concepts and vibrant aesthetics with all the talent to back it up, and their short but sweet set drew large crowds at this year’s Head in the Clouds festival in both New York and Los Angeles.

Their set in New York was the first time they had performed in the U.S. after much anticipation, and the group has their first mini album coming late September, with the pre-release single “New Dance” out now (note: the song drops at midnight tonight E.T., video at 5 a.m. tomorrow). According to data from Apple Music, XG’s playlist streams have gone up 359% in the past six months — and they’re set to continue on their meteoric rise.

XG is often labeled as a global group: While they go through the standard promotion rounds of K-Pop, the group was formed in Japan, and their tracks are in English — they refer to their music as “X-Pop.”

Now, Apple Music has identified XG as the Up Next artist for August. XG, short for Xtraordinary Girls, made their debut last year. The Up Next program aims to showcase and identify rising talent, and XG fits the bill. Artists previously given the title include Billie Eilish, Bad Bunny, and most recently, Ice Spice. Becoming part of this program is “really unbelievable since so many amazing artists have been part of it before. We’re incredibly proud. From now on, we’ll continue to deliver music and entertainment that is true to XG’s style, breaking free from conventions and boundaries,” shared Jurin in a statement.

In a clip from the Up Next film exclusively shared with Rolling Stone, Jurin explains how their music is R&B- and hip hop-inspired, with a sprinkle of originality and essence that is unique to XG. The girls easily stand out from any crowd, as they’re often donning a spectrum of bold colors, the most intricate nail art you could imagine, and fun hairstyles that match their sound. Cocona adds that her goal is to showcase their individual personalities while also displaying togetherness within their work.

With the recognition as an Up Next artist, XG fans, or Alphaz, will get to know the girls a bit more with behind-the-scenes footage from their home base Tokyo and their trainee days of dance, vocals, and even language lessons to form XG as we know it.

The official XG is here to stay, and is sure to reach an even wider audience that may be meeting them for the first time through Up Next.

From Rolling Stone US.