It’s so hard to keep up with the idol industry these days. There seems to be new groups debuting every time we refresh our timelines. And considering not everyone has the time (or energy) to get to know them all, it’s inevitable for many idols to fall into the “nugu” category—especially if they don’t come from established entertainment agencies.
(FYI: “Nugu” is a South Korean word that literally translates to “who.” But in the K-pop realm, it’s a slang for “not known” or “nobody.”)
We’ve also reached a point where groups must break numerical records, or they’d otherwise be called “flops.” Mass-streaming and bulk-buying albums have become the norm for fandoms—because apparently, YouTube views, album sales, and social media followers are now the holy trinity of success.
For the record, we don’t have anything against these parameters. After all, idols have bills to pay and (most likely) designer wardrobes to maintain. But we just can’t help but appreciate those artists who seemingly take a detour from the well-trodden path to stardom.
Amid the countless remixes (don’t get us wrong, though, we love them all) and album design versions to generate maximum sales, up-and-coming girl group XG has decided to zig when others zag.
If you don’t have the slightest idea about who they are, here’s a quick intro: XG (a.k.a. Xtraordinary Girls) is an all-women septet under the Japanese label XGALX. They debuted in March 2022 with “Tippy Toes,” followed by a few more releases such as “Mascara,” “Shooting Star,” and “Left Right.”
They’re known for their empowering concepts. In fact, most of their singles champion individuality, girl power, and embracing one’s narrative. They’ve given the mainstream “girl crush” image an eccentric and campy makeover, all while making sure their lyrics are as loud as their fashion choices.
Now, XG is gearing up for another comeback—with “GRL GVNG” kicking off the promotion. The song still has their signature attitude, but this time, they tried to break a barrier not many have dared to.
You see, the members are multilingual. They can effortlessly converse in (and switch between) English, Japanese, and Korean. But it looks like they aren’t satisfied with just being fluent in spoken languages. Case in point: the American Sign Language (ASL) version of “GRL GVNG.”
Yup, XG has officially ventured into the realm of nonverbal communication, and we’re not merely talking about incorporating a couple of gestures into the choreography. They actually released a full-length sign language version.
Thinking of stanning XG full-time? Well, they dropped another pre-release single called “TGIF,” and it has the campiest creative direction ever. (A little spoiler: The acronym doesn’t stand for what you think it does.)
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Still from “TGIF” music video