In mythical folklore, the wolf is considered to be a symbol of transformation. There are also claims to their ruthlessness—pitting them as otherworldly forces of nature. So much so that supernatural tales about werewolves and the like have been endlessly replicated, a constant source of fascination for the masses. One thing’s for certain, however. Wolves always move as a pack. Here to adopt the powerful metaphor for their explosive musical return? Enter XG, with their fifth and latest single: ‘Woke Up’.
Pre-release of the single, the inimitable septet—namely Jurin, Chisa, Cocona, Hinata, Maya, Juria and Harvey—wiped their group’s social media feeds to give way to one loud and statement-making visual: a black-smeared pout and metallic fangs concealing nothing but an omniscient eye. An audacious move, no doubt, but one that sits right in line with the nature of this comeback. Right from the get go, a booming bass—the sort that you feel all the way down to your bones—leads us in, before all the members go full-throttle on the rap verses. The septet’s dynamic energy is a given, but when even the assigned ‘vocalists’ of the group are serving up some smooth flow, it’s certainly a marked first for XG since the group’s debut in 2022.
And their suave style distinctively shifts with them. Wolf outfits aside, their eclectic aesthetic continues to shine through. Some don strong-shouldered attire, whilst others slip into astronaut-like, fantastical suits. Then there are the whispery, ethereal gowns, only to be fiercely juxtaposed by the shocking move of Cocona shaving her head in real time. Eager to unveil what this particular return means for them, XG speaks to Vogue Singapore about their latest single ‘Woke Up’ and the milestones they’re working towards as a pack of seven. That’s the Xtraordinary Girls, for you.
1 / 7
Congrats on the new single ‘Woke Up’. How are you guys feeling about this particular drop?
Maya: We’re just so excited to finally release our first all-rap track, and we’re so excited to show you guys the vocal members’ efforts too, because they are going to be rapping this time too. And we’re feeling so thrilled about this new song.
2 / 7
It’s going to be XG’s first all-rap song. Could you share more about the track with us?
Jurin: ‘Woke Up’, our new single, uses an ‘808’ bass sound and it takes inspiration from a lot of North-Eastern Asian types of sounds. So in that sense, it feels very fresh. And the rap section really represents a lot of XG’s identity and our hip-hop roots. A lot of the chorus itself does too; ‘Woke up looking like this’ talks about challenging the status quo and breaking those stereotypes and boundaries that are all around us. So I think it’s a very enjoyable track for fans and Alphaz who can experience it that way.
3 / 7
There’s a profoundly dark, otherworldly aesthetic to 'Woke Up'. Tell us more about the overall vision.
Maya: For this particular jacket photoshoot, we wanted to convey the birth of a new XG and how we’re transcending our own existence. So we combined all of that in the visuals of this comeback: like the intense black lipstick and fang-like teeth that are meant to symbolise the wolves. And each of the seven wolves that you see—which represents each of us—brings our unique approach to breaking down stereotypes and boundaries. The music video production was also very intense and it’s a huge step for us.
4 / 7
How does ‘Woke Up’ add to your overall discography so far?
Cocona: ‘Woke Up’ really takes XG in this whole new direction. We want to take on a new challenge—that’s something that we always want to do and embrace as XG. With this all-rap track, it really kind of goes back to our hip-hop identity and taps into that culture. As XG, we aren’t going to stop; this is just the beginning of something even bigger. We’re going to constantly update and evolve ourselves.
5 / 7
Is there a part of the choreography that you're most excited to perform?
Juria: Up till now, all seven of us would dance simultaneously in a lot of our choreography, but in the case of ‘Woke Up’, we kind of break up into smaller groups. We have different focuses for the choreography—so there’s a lot of variation that our fans will get to see. There’s one part that I really like; during the chorus, when the lyrics go ‘Woke up looking like this’. The choreography almost looks like I’m waking up. It’s not just the body language or the motion, I’m also trying to show that change in confidence through my expression overall. So I really like that part.
6 / 7
Your strong sense of style is something that is consistently felt throughout. How is it a reflection of XG’s identity?
Chisa: Every time we choose a new theme, we kind of change our style to reflect that. It’s a huge part of our aesthetic and identity, because we always want to go a little more extreme and push the boundaries in that sense.
7 / 7
At this juncture of your career, what is the next milestone you’re working towards as a group?
Harvey: Most immediately, we have our world tour coming up! So we want to make that a huge success and reach all the Alphaz that we can to deliver our music to them. All of us have the same dream of performing at the Super Bowl halftime show one day. So with that goal in front of us, it always motivates all of us to keep on doing what we do.
