XG is back, and they’re as fashionable as ever.
The seven-piece hip-hop and R&B-inspired group — made up of members Jurin, Chisa, Hinata, Harvey, Juria, Maya and Cocona — debuted in 2022. Back with their new fashion-focused single “Gala,” XG is preparing to release their first full-length album in January. The song and album come on the heels of a massive year for the group, including a show stopping pair of performances at Coachella.
“Gala,” which name drops fashion’s biggest night, is XG at it’s best. The song is fun and experimental, but it still manages to feel right at home in the group’s eclectic discography. “This song was mainly inspired by the iconic Met Gala,” member Maya explains to The Hollywood Reporter on a recent Zoom from the group’s Tokyo-based headquarters.
“We tried so many new things, choreography wise, music wise and fashion wise, so we’re really excited to showcase that,” the 20-year-old continues. “I feel like this song is really XG.”
In addition to their impressive push into the global music scene, XG has become known for their extravagant style, both on and offstage. Every music video is perfectly fit to the group’s look of the moment. The members of XG clearly never shy away from a new trend, oftentimes setting their own.
Below, the group speaks with THR about their personal style, how fashion and trends play a role in their music and what to expect from “Gala” and their upcoming debut studio album.
How would you describe your personal style?
HINATA Offstage, I really love wearing lot of fashion. I sometimes wear a lot of inspired outfits on stage during our world tour, but I think I put more focus on XG style when we are on stage.
Do you find that the way you dress onstage is very different than how you dress in your everyday life?
HINATA Sometimes I [like to] challenge [myself] with different concepts.
MAYA I think her style is very different than what we wear. But a lot of [our] ideas go into the new concepts that we challenge [ourselves with] within our group, so a lot of our style gets included.
XG for their new single, “Gala.”
XGALX
Do you feel that the way you dress onstage immerses you more into the concept of whatever world you’re in?
MAYA We love challenging ourselves and trying new things, whether it’s fashion or music, and becoming immersed in new concepts through clothes or costumes let’s us experience different styles, cultures and ideas in a very fun and engaging way. It’s more than just dressing up. It’s a creative way to learn and express who we are.
Where do you find style inspiration?
HARVEY We always check magazines and social media for fashion inspiration. I love mixing my favorite styles with different genres to create new looks that express who I am.
Do you think that your style has evolved over the years since you’ve debuted? Do you notice a difference in the things you gravitate towards these days?
JURIN From the start, we’ve always expressed [ourselves the way] we truly wanted to do. Each of us has a different style and together that’s what makes XG even stronger. We’ve evolved by embracing change, and we’ll continue to do that.
What’s the biggest change you’ve noticed in yourself since your debut?
HARVEY I think it’s fair to say that we’ve grown a lot since we first debuted, but personally I think we became a lot more fearless when it comes to challenging ourselves to new things. Especially with “Gala,” I think we can see that come into play fully. We’ve challenged ourselves to try many different dances and a new sense of fashion that we haven’t done before to become bolder. In that sense, I think we’ve seen ourselves come a long way.
Can you speak a bit about making the song “Gala” and the music video?
COCONA We tried voguing, break dancing and some acrobatics this time. It was very, very hard to learn, but a great experience for us, and we wanted to make “Gala” feel more like a show.
XG’s Hinata for “Gala.”
XGALX
What was it about this song that felt like the perfect next step for you after a big year with your tour and Coachella?
JURIA We all love fashion and makeup, so I think this song was perfect for us. I hope our Alphaz [XG’s official fandom name] and listeners receive energy through this song.
Is there one aspect of this song that you’re most excited for fans to see?
MAYA I feel like with ”Gala,” it’s not just the fashion [or] not just the song, but [it’s] the choreography that brings it all together. [It makes listeners] want to see more of what [we] can do. I feel like it gives that essence, and that’s what we challenge ourselves to do in this song. I feel like this album also has that essence, so we’re really excited to show a new side of XG. It’s always a discovery that we have within ourselves, so we really want to continue to do that, and that’s what we’re excited for. We’re back. We’ve been gone for a moment, but we’re back and we’re back even stronger.
You’re finally releasing your first full-length album this January. Can you tell me what that experience has been like and why now?
JURIN During the world tour, we had little releases here and there of singles. Throughout the tour, we also gained so much inspiration from being onstage and being in front of our Alphaz from all around the world. However, I think we needed more time to develop a proper full album once the tour ended. We’ve been really taking this time to incorporate all the great things that we did receive and took inspiration from. That’s why we chose for it to come out next year. We had all of our time dedicated to making sure we got [the album] packed with what was needed.
Does anyone have a style obsession at the moment?
HARVEY I personally really like to mix and match my fashion. For example, having a proper suit look but [I’ll] combine it with more of a casual hip hop denim look. I find myself circling back to simple because simple is best at the end of the day. I like to mix and match and explore my different tastes in fashion, but also I find myself going back to simplicity.
XG’s latest single, “Gala,” is inspired by fashion’s biggest night.
XGALX
You’ve tried so many different styles throughout your different releases. Is there one song or video that felt fit your style the most?
CHISA For me, “Gala.” The reason is because it’s new.
MAYA It’s a new era of Chisa.
JURIN Of course, I have to say “Gala,” but other than that, I think back to all the music videos that we all had the same outfits for. “Left Right,” “In the Rain,” “Woke up” and “Shooting Star.” We all wore the same things, and I think it symbolizes our unity as one team with all the different personalities and style that we have within the group. When we all wear the same outfit, it brings us together.
