Japanese Group XG Charts Globally With First Album "THE CORE," Launches Sold-Out World Tour
Japanese seven-member act XG wrapped up Korean television appearances for their debut full-length album "THE CORE - 核" last week, capping a successful comeback that saw the group chart across streaming platforms in 68 countries.
The group performed album track "ROCK THE BOAT" on SBS's "Inkigayo" February 1, closing out a week of promotional appearances on Korean music shows. Members Jurin, Chisa, Hinata, Harvey, Juria, Maya, and Cocona had previously performed on Mnet's "M Countdown," KBS2's "Music Bank," and MBC's "Show! Music Core" throughout the week, delivering live stages of lead single "HYPNOTIZE."
Album Performance
Released January 23, "THE CORE" reached No. 8 on U.S. iTunes Top Albums and No. 9 on Worldwide iTunes Albums charts. The 10-track album landed on Apple Music's Top 200 in 68 countries and regions.
In Japan, the album hit No. 5 on Billboard Japan Hot Albums and topped the Billboard Japan Download Albums chart at No. 1. Lead single "HYPNOTIZE"-a house track featuring piano melodies-appeared on Spotify's "New Music Friday" playlists across 43 countries, the group's highest playlist count to date.
Korean platforms showed similar traction. "HYPNOTIZE" entered Melon HOT100 and Bugs real-time charts, while the music video topped YouTube's Trending Worldwide chart. Billboard's fan poll for favorite new releases gave "THE CORE" over 50% of votes, beating albums from Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles.
The album includes pre-released tracks "GALA" and "4 SEASONS" alongside new songs "ROCK THE BOAT," "TAKE MY BREATH," "NO GOOD," "UP NOW," "O.R.B (Obviously Reads Bro)," and "PS118."
Second World Tour Kicks Off This Week
XG launches their second world tour "XG WORLD TOUR: THE CORE" February 6 with three sold-out shows at K-Arena Yokohama in Japan. The tour continues through Japan with dates in Osaka, Nagoya, Fukui, Sendai, Kobe, Fukuoka, and Tokyo through April before expanding internationally.
Tour stops will include Asia, North America, the UK, Europe, Australia, and Latin America. Specific international dates haven't been announced yet.
The tour follows XG's first world run, "The first HOWL," which drew approximately 400,000 fans across 47 shows in 35 cities. That tour ended at Tokyo Dome in May 2025 with around 50,000 attendees.
Building Global Reach
XG debuted in March 2022 under XGALX, a subsidiary of Avex. The group releases music primarily in English, positioning themselves as a cross-cultural act between Japanese management and international markets.
Their 2025 calendar included a Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival appearance in April, where they were the only Japanese act performing. They headlined the Sahara stage.
In January 2026, XGALX reinterpreted the group's name from "Xtraordinary Girls" to "Xtraordinary Genes." The company stated "Genes" represents creativity at the group's core and their approach to creating culture beyond conventional boundaries.
The group calls their sound "X-POP," describing it as genre-fluid music that incorporates hip-hop, R&B, and electronic elements. Executive producer JAKOPS told Billboard Japan the goal with "THE CORE" was creating what he called the greatest record in the world.
Past achievements include becoming the first Japanese female artist to enter Mediabase US Radio Top 40 in March 2023 and charting on Billboard 200 with their November 2024 mini-album "AWE."
XG's fandom name is ALPHAZ. During their Korean music show appearances, fan chants were audible during "M Countdown" broadcasts, with the group later thanking fans for vocal support.
The seven-member lineup consists of Jurin, Chisa, Hinata, Harvey, Juria, Maya, and Cocona. All members handle both vocals and rap across their discography.
