“All of my ladies are fire, rolling with queens, issa female empire.” As XG’s Jurin confidently raps in ‘Grl Gvng’, the septet is here to make hits and break records, all while looking A1, flawless. And indeed, no girl group is making waves quite like XG.
For the uninitiated, here’s the lowdown on the girl group that’s been on the up and up. XG stands for ‘Xtraordinary Girls’—and extraordinary they certainly are. The seven members—Jurin, Chisa, Hinata, Harvey, Juria, Maya, and Cocona—are all incredibly young and talented. Their ages range from 18 to 21, with the youngest, Cocona’s trilingual rapping skills making the rounds online from a viral cypher when she was only 16. Yes, you heard that right—trilingual. The girls are from Japan but promote in South Korea and mostly sing in English—a deliberate move to position XG as a truly ‘global’ girl group.
Apart from their impressive language skills, the girls are touted for their standout music and eclectic styles. Their tunes, a catchy blend of pop, hip-hop, and R&B, along with impeccable dancing skills, while their aesthetic shows off their versatility. From the futuristic, neon-hued ‘Left Right’ to the candy-coloured, Y2K ‘Shooting Star’, XG prove that they’re the ones to watch when it comes to beauty inspiration.
The septet’s newest mini album (titled New DNA) consists of six tracks, one of which is the pre-release ‘Grl Gvng’, which premiered to much hype a few weeks ago. Chock-full of skeletal accessories and cyberpunk edginess, the retro-futuristic music video delivered look after look. Given the pre-release’s abundant beauty moments, we can only keep our eyes (and ears) peeled for the surprises they have in store for us with the other tracks. You could say that XG is keeping the world on its ‘Tippy Toes’.
Ahead of XG’s latest album drop this September and their F1 Singapore Grand Prix 2023 performance this weekend, Vogue Singapore rounds up some of the group’s exceptional beauty moments across their music videos, below.
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Virtual reality avatar
In ‘Grl Gvng’, each member’s face is painted with cyberpunk-style sigils. Here, Chisa channels Blade Runner 2049 in a green wig with blunt bangs under an elaborate virtual reality headset. Complementing the bright hue are her bold face paint and gems.
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Futuristic mermaid
Looking like a cyberpunk siren from an aquatic city, Jurin’s face is dotted with beads that resemble water droplets, while her hair is cut in an ashy blue bob. Her manicure is by far the most impressive, intricately shaped like seashells, like a water droplet hanging off one talon.
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Pink clones
Hinata turns heads in this scene, surrounded by clones of herself that are all sporting baby-pink hair. Her make-up is soft and neutral, with a wash of pink blush across her face. Her piercing gaze is made especially distinctive with two different coloured contacts.
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Icy in blue
One of XG’s most memorable looks from their ‘Shooting Star’ music video is their matching blue wigs, each member donning the hue in a different style. Cocona wears hers in a braided ponytail secured with a metal clip, and she matches her blue hair with blue eyeshadow and tinted brows.
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Y2K beads
In the Y2K spectacle that is ‘Shooting Star’, each member sports rosy pink blush under the eyes. Harvey nails the Y2K look with multicoloured beads in her braids, paired with a pastel manicure. Her eyes are equally colourful, with glitter on her lids and under her eyes.
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Pink-tinted curls
Juria is glowing in this scene; her dewy skin is painted with light blush, and a small teardrop is placed below her eye. She sports thick bangs, and her pink-streaked hair is twisted into two tight curls, clipped with barrettes.
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Complementing colours
Chisa makes an impression in ‘Left Right’ with a loud, blue-and-yellow look. Matching her gloves and bandana is her yellow eyeshadow, while her under-eyes are lined with a striking blue that matches her locks.
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Neon green
Meanwhile, Cocona is ready to take us to the other side in a striking neon green and pink ensemble. Her eyelids are painted in a yellowish-green hue and dotted with gems, while her nails are painted a lime-sorbet green.
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Ash grey tresses
Hinata stuns in an avant-garde beauty look in this scene. Her hair is a wispy grey, which makes the lime green on her lids and overlined lipstick pop in contrast. A small amount of purple glitter is smudged under her eyes for a hint of colour.
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Floral fantasy
Hinata’s beauty is in full bloom in this scene of ‘Mascara’. Here, white and light purple petals delicately adorn her face. To complete the ethereal look, she wears a blurred lip stain and soft blush.
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Glamourous waves
Juria channels The Little Mermaid with her red, beachy waves and subtle, glossy lipstick. Her make-up is soft and simple, with a dash of glitter lining her under-eyes for a little twinkle.
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Spiky bun
Maya embodies her edgy rapper persona, wearing her blonde hair in a sculptural bun with spiky edges. Her eyes and lips are painted in a light, coral shade. As for her claws, the design is monochromatic, with gold embellishments.
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Femme fatale
XG’s leader, Jurin, asserts herself in ‘Tippy Toes’, in an edgy, all-black outfit. Her eyeshadow is fierce and smokey, while her cheekbones are contoured sharp as a knife. Her mane is slicked back in an effortlessly cool style.
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Bubble ponytail
Harvey’s red hair cascades in a bubble ponytail with a twist, with colourful hair ties keeping each section in place. Both her eyes and sharp claws are bedazzled and eye-catching in chrome.
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Glitter galore
Maya’s make-up and hairstyle is relatively simple in this scene: a classic ponytail, contoured cheeks, and pink lips. The real showpiece is her under-eyes: where bronze shadow is paired with shimmering gold and blue glitter.
