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| Members of band Xdinary Heroes perform their new song, "Test Me," during a press event held at Blue Square Mastercard Hall in central Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of JYP Entertainment |
JYP's new act drops 1st mini-album 'Hello, world!'
By Dong Sun-hwa
There are many characteristics defining Generation Z ― which refers to those born between 1996 and 2005 ― but in the eyes of rookie band Xdinary Heroes, their most typical feature is outspokenness. To highlight this and help them get their emotions off their chest, the group said it used playful yet straightforward language in the lyrics of its new songs. Xdinary Heroes dropped its first mini-album, "Hello, world!" on Wednesday afternoon.
The six-piece act ― comprising drummer Gunil, keyboardists Jungsu and O.de, guitarists Gaon and Junhan, and bassist Jooyeon ― is the first band formed by K-pop powerhouse JYP Entertainment since its launch of DAY6 in 2015. JYP is home to a number of high-profile stars, including TWICE and Stray Kids.
"Young people in the past often remained silent even if they had something to say, but I think those belonging to Generation Z are different," front man Gunil, who graduated from Berklee College of Music, said during a press event held at Blue Square Mastercard Hall in central Seoul, Wednesday. "Through the candid lyrics of our songs, we want to scratch an itch for them and form a bond of sympathy."
Jungsu elaborated, "We want to shed light on their confidence and vigorous energy, too."
It has taken about six months for Xdinary Heroes ― short for "Extraordinary Heroes" ― to return with a new music offering after making its debut with the single, "Happy Death Day" in December. Since it debuted amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Wednesday was the first time for the members to perform in front of reporters.
"We are very happy and thrilled to hold our first press event," Gunil said. "We know we still have a long way to go, but we will try our best to unfold our own stories as we go on."
According to the members, "Hello, world!" signals the beginning of their musical journey.
"The album shows how we gathered together on the fictional online platform called, 'flatform,'" Jungsu said, as he explained about the band's fictional universe.
Jooyeon added, "Six of us, who were feeling dull about our lives, transform ourselves into heroes thanks to this platform and start a journey together."
The album carries six tracks, including the lead single, "Test Me" ― a fast-paced rock song, in which the members deliver a defiant message to people who try to bring them back to the "ordinary world" despite their efforts to craft their own musical universe. Jungsu, O.de and Junhan took part in writing the song and penning its lyrics.
"It is characterized by fast-paced beats and addictive melodies," Junhan said.
All bandmates participated in the creative process for all six songs on the album, according to O.de. "Hello, world!" also offers "Knock Down," "Strawberry Cake" and "Pirates," among others.
"Since all of our tunes have different charms, people can choose which ones to listen to (depending on their personal tastes)," he said.
Jooyeon said, "Through 'Happy Death Day,' we wanted to let people know about our arrival on the music scene, but this time, we will strive to show how many different colors we have on our musical palette."
Despite being a rookie band, Xdinary Heroes already made it onto the Billboard's World Digital Song Sales chart with its debut single in December. This time, the members hope they can grab some spots on Korean music streaming charts, too.
"It will be great if people who love rock music listen to our songs and become our fans," Jungsu said.
Gunil added, "We want to further raise our profile, so that more people around the world will recognize us."
"Hello, the world!" ranked second on album tracker Circle's Retail Album Chart, about an hour after its release. The music video of its lead track has hit 890,000 views on YouTube as of Thursday afternoon.
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