Photos by Deborah Rodriguez ; Written by Bella Lee
XG stuns the crowd in Pasadena with their appearance at Head In The Clouds L.A. One of the biggest acts in the Japan music scene to make a mark in the U.S. is XG. XG promotes its music under the concept of “X-Pop” — a term the group coined to describe a musical philosophy that deliberately resists genre boundaries.
XG is a Japanese vocal group formed by Xgalx, a subsidiary of Avex, consisting of seven members: Jurin, Chisa, Hinata, Harvey, Juria, Maya, and Cocona. Describing themselves as a global group, XG promotes music under the self-coined concept of “X-Pop”, with an official discography performed entirely in English, while supplementary content series including XG Tape and XG Vox feature the group performing across all three languages — English, Japanese, and Korean. They have made an impact on the dance community around the world with their iconic moves. And their EDM-heavy sound is hard to ignore.
Instead of starting their set with a song, XG introduced themselves with a spoken-word-like introduction. They explained who they are, what they stand for, and what the crowd can expect from them that night. They started the night with “WOKE UP,” “GRL GVNG,” and “UNDEFEATED.” Three powerful performance-heavy songs which brought the right energy to the crowd. Multiple audience members were waving and snapping their fans to the beat of the music, giving XG a confidence that their performance was giving everything the fans wanted.
They continued the night with classic pop and electronic style songs “IS THIS LOVE,” “HYPNOTIZE,” and “SOMETHING AIN’T RIGHT.” These songs are infused with joy incarnate, bringing smiles to everyone in the crowd.
The stage outfits were eclectic and bright. The members wore bright neon colors from green to pink to red. The colors punched through the darkness, brightening the night and added to the shine of the stars. Cocona sported an alternative look, with ripped black jeans and a white tank top featuring the letters “XG” and a bright red cross graffiti’d on. Jurin wore a pink tulle tutu and a leather corset, balancing edgy and cute. Maya with her blonde hair kept it feminine, wearing a metal-studded pink two-piece to accentuate her body. Juria mixed up the patterns by wearing plaid leggings under her white tulle tutu, accented by her crown headband to maximize the look. Chisa wore the most iconic look of the night, being the only member wearing neon green for her bra and leggings. Hinata stayed in a candy red color, which made her blue hair stand out. And Harvey wore Y2K-inspired pink leopard-print leggings to pair with her leather fingerless gloves.
Instead of keeping the stage design flat, XG chose to create depth and layers with their stage direction. The stage consisted of multiple levels attached through a system of stairs. XG would split up to help the entire Rose Bowl stadium see them in full view. Even with tall heels and boots, they did not falter on the steps. The full band was kept on the stage as well, bringing a new level of sound to the stage. The live band made the performance feel extra special, since most of the other festival acts kept their stages simpler. During several points of the set, the members would move to different platforms to keep the visuals engaging. Even when they weren’t dancing, there was something new to look at and watch. Whether that be Hinata and Harvey dancing together, Maya jamming out with the drummer, or Chisa strutting down the staircase.
XG made new fans that night, they truly showed how hypnotizing they are. Instead of speaking to the crowd, they let their music speak for them. These members understand how to hold a crowd’s attention and they made true believers out of every soul there.
