Xdinary Heroes aims to ‘rock’ K-pop world with diverse palette
Band releases first full-length album ‘Troubleshooting’
With K-pop’s worldwide acclaim, it’s easy to assume that Korean music is dominated entirely by idol pop groups.
However, the six-member rock band Xdinary Heroes holds a different view. During a recent interview with The Korea Times, the members confidently said their goal is to elevate their chosen genre, “K-rock,” and introduce a variety of tastes to the Korean music scene.
Having debuted in 2021, Xdinary Heroes is the second rock band under JYP Entertainment’s sublabel, Studio J, following in the footsteps of DAY6. The six-piece act — comprising drummer Gunil, keyboardists Jungsu and O.de, guitarists Gaon and Junhan, and bassist Jooyeon — covers a wide range of genres, including rock, metal, alternative and even pop-punk.
Upon its initial ventures, skeptics doubted the group’s potential for success, considering its music was quite unfamiliar in a music market dominated by K-pop.
Yet, remaining unfazed by external judgments, Xdinary Heroes’ commitment to cater to the niche taste gradually attracted a significant fan base.
“We believe we’re a group that ventures into new territory more than any other K-pop group. While our music may lack the mass appeal like those of our senior group DAY6, we explore elements not commonly seen in the Korean music scene,” explained member Gaon at a cafe in Gwangjin District, eastern Seoul, April 23.
“Our members grew up immersed in overseas pop and rock music. So it appears that those who appreciate that culture are our primary fan base. Individuals who gravitate toward innovation and bold experimentation seem to resonate with our work,” Gaon added.
Among the members, bassist Jooyeon recently earned a reputation for being “one of the top-tier vocalists among 4th-gen K-pop” after his live performance of the 2022 single “Strawberry Cake” went viral online.
Expressing his feelings about the unexpected popularity, Jooyeon remarked, “I feel proud and honored to have such a good opportunity to represent the team. I feel a sense of duty to sing harder and strive for a cooler presence on stage.”
The group’s yearning for an impressive stage delivery was realized during the recent concert series, “Xdinary Heroes Concert ‘Closed ♭eta: v6.0,’” held over three days from April 19 to 21. The performances sold out every available ticket for all three shows, proving the group’s growing fan base.
“We felt our approach was different from the moment we heard the news that our concert in Korea had sold out for the first time. We approached it with a greater sense of responsibility. We wanted to give our audience rich memories,” Jungsu, the keyboardist, said.
Jungsu emphasized that, given the nature of a rock band, live performances serve as the group’s primary motivation.
“My greatest excitement of being in a rock band comes from live performances. Especially during the recent concert, we performed our upcoming song live as an encore, and it was very touching to see the audience singing along to a song that hasn’t even been released yet.”
He added, “It was the moment when I felt most strongly that debuting as a rock band was the right choice.”
The group’s first full-length album, “Troubleshooting,” is slated for release on Tuesday. The album includes a total of 10 tracks spanning various genres, with every member having participated in the songwriting process.
Notably, the group’s guitarist, Jun Han, highlighted his creative process behind penning the heartfelt lyrics for the album’s lead single, “Little Things.”
“In life, there are moments when we realize that things we thought would last forever are not eternal,” Jun Han explained. “I wrote the lyrics while thinking a lot about my parents. Parents always seem like they’ll be by our side forever, but in reality, that’s impossible. So, I tried to convey such poignant emotions in the lyrics.”
“One time, we as a group had a meal with Producer Park Jin-young, and at that time, the lyrics for this song hadn’t been fully written yet,” added Gunil, the group’s leader and drummer. “That’s when the producer said he hoped our sincere stories would be reflected in the lyrics because he liked the song itself. So, Jun Han took that advice and wrote the lyrics, allowing us to tell our most honest story.”
Gunil pointed out that with the 10 tracks on this album, fans can expect a wide musical spectrum that represents the group’s musical identity.
“As it is our first full-length album release, it showcases our broad musical spectrum. It’s an album filled with the boundless potential of each member and a determination to carry out radical experiments in our future musical endeavors,” said the frontman.
“Our strength lies in delivering music that boldly expresses the words we want to say but have kept inside. So, I hope our music can provide energy to listeners when they are stressed or going through tough times.”