Song You Need To Know: XEED, ‘Dream Land’

It’s pretty rare to see a K-pop group debut with older members who are all over the age of 25, so it was a lovely surprise when XEED burst into the scene in December. The quartet — comprising Doha (30), Roni (28), Bao (26) and Jaemin (26) — debuted on December 1st with the EP Dream Land and its lead single of the same name.

“Dream Land” is a synth-pop number infused with doses of future bass and trap. In a fascinating turn of events, some of the verses also cruise through tinges of funk that add a sense of playfulness. The lyrics revolve around being transported or changed by love, like almost being pushed into a paradise of sorts: “Perfect day and night/ Don’t wake me up, you’re a paradise/ The moment you called my name, yeah, dream land/ Oh, want you bad, want you bad/ It blooms the moment we face each other, ah/ Oh, dream land, oh, dream land.”

The music video is a blend of grit and elegance — the members of XEED are dressed in sleek suits, crop tops and more punk-influenced looks, unafraid to embrace their sex appeal. Filmed in a massive parking garage, warehouses and other industrial-inspired locations, the video for “Dream Land” is mainly choreography-focused and gives the members a chance to show off their skills as dancers.

Including its title track, XEED’s debut EP Dream Land comprises a total of five songs: “Dream Land,” “Mirage,” “Stargazing,” “A Boy From Future” and “Just Like Now.” Each of the four members of the group are experienced artists with a significant amount of experience in the K-pop industry; leader Doha trained under SM Entertainment for several years, vocalist Roni was a soloist and a member of the short-lived boy group Off The Cuff, Bao was previously a member of the boy group Lucente until the band’s disbandment in 2021, while Jaemin was a popular contestant on the K-pop reality show Boys24 and backup dancer to various major Korean acts including BTS, Stray Kids and TXT.

XEED’s debut in a space where most new groups are below 20 years old caused a massive stir among K-pop fans, with many welcoming older idols into the mix and stating that there should be no age limits on debuting artists. The group join the likes of MAMADOL — a popular project group comprising female former idols who left the industry to have children and raise families — who highlight that talent has no deadlines and the industry needs to reevaluate debut ages.