Japanese pop group XG went from a tough five-year training to global fame. The seven members have a special pre-show ritualritual/ˈrɪtʃuəl/L2仪式；例行公事a set of actions that are always done in the same way, often for a special purpose. They form a circle and shout "Hesono-o," which means umbilical cord in Japanese. This word shows their strong bondbond/bɒnd/L2纽带；联系a strong connection or relationship between people. "We're so strongly connected," says Chisa, the oldest member. The group started in 2016 when the members were only 11 or 12 years old. They lived together and trained from morning to night in singing, dancing, and languages.
The training was very hard. In a documentarydocumentary/ˌdɒkjʊˈmentəri/L2纪录片a film or TV show that gives facts and information about a real event or person, trainees did squats until they felt sick or cried. Maya calls it "the toughest and most difficult experience I've ever had." After five years, XG released their first song in 2022. It became a viralviral/ˈvaɪrəl/L2病毒式传播的；迅速流行的something that becomes very popular very quickly on the internet hit on TikTok with 49 million plays on YouTube. By 2025, they performed at Coachella as the only Japanese act. In 2024, member Cocona shared that they are transmasculine and non-binary. The band changed its name to mean "Xtraordinary Genes" to support everyone being themselves.
XG's new album is called The Core. It has a different sound with rock and house music. One song, O.R.B, has a message of "bro solidaritysolidarity/ˌsɒlɪˈdærɪti/L2团结；支持a feeling of unity and support among a group of people who share the same goals or beliefs" for Cocona. The band will play at Wembley Arena in London this September. They also have a year-long world tour. To relax, members watch anime, snowboard, or play trombone. Harvey says, "I do carry around the mouthpiece with me... I'd love to play trombone with the band one day."
