Anyone can become a hero. This is the motto of JYP Entertainment's K-Rock group, the Xdinary Heroes. Composed of six members - Gunil, Jungsu, Gaon, O.de, Jun Han, and Jooyeon - the Xdinary Heroes (crasis of Extraordinary Heroes) has emerged as a starting point for South Korean musical innovation, pushing beyond the hitherto known boundaries and redefining South Korean music. Listed on JYP's sub-label - Studio J., they officially debuted on December 6, 2021; the group is composed of unique multi-talented musicians with a penchant for blending different influences, and it is precisely this being unique, extraordinary, we might say, that has allowed them to carve a unique niche for themselves in the music scene through their unmistakable sounds.
Livelock is Xdinary Heroes' fourth mini-album since their debut in the music industry. The title track, Break the Brake, is massively influenced by punk-rock music, and it's one of the most addictive songs of the group until now.
Ready to embark on their first European tour — they will perform in Milan on November 20, the band spoke with Panorama.it in an exclusive interview.
Nice to meet you, boys. Can I ask you to please introduce yourself to our readers?
Gun-il: Hello! This is Xdinary Heroes. We are a rock band from South Korea, and we make music for all the extraordinary people around the world.
I want to start talking about your tour: what are you the most excited for?
Jungsu: I'm most excited about the energy of the Villains in each city. Since they're the ones who complete the stage with us, I'm really looking forward to communicating with them through music and live stage!
Jooyeon: I can't wait to hear the loud cheers and shouts from international Villains. I'm looking forward to it!
You are visiting a lot of cities in Europe, Milan included. Have you ever been to Italy before?
Gaon: During my second year of high school, I visited Milan. I have many great memories from my time in Italy, and I look at the pictures taken in front of the Duomo di sometimes.
O.de: I've never been there, so I'm really excited to visit Italy!
Break the Brake. What does this sentence you chose as your title track's title and of the tour mean to you?
Jun Han: The sentence is about breaking the limits, so I believe we should show everything we're capable of on stage to the fullest.
Gun-il: It represents the urge to break our limits to grow as a worldwide band.
Your last album is called Livelock. Can you tell us more about it?
Gun-il: The word 'Livelock' is a computer programming term that means 'endlessly repeating errors.' Just like its meaning, the album is full of songs that will make listeners want to put it on repeat indefinitely.
O.de: This album features a mix of different music genres, from intense rock sounds to emotional ballads, as well as love songs that express love directly.
It seems the album's story is centered around an unidentified space '♭ form' and the real world. If you had to choose another dimension where to live or express yourself, which would you choose?
Jun Han: I want to live in another daily world, one that's really normal with worries and conflicts, happiness and laughter, where cherry blossoms, leaves, and snowfall.
Jooyeon: I'd choose a world in the game, especially Pokémon! It would be so much fun and make me happy to have a new adventure with a Pokémon friend whom I'd be with for the rest of my life!
Your music is one of a kind and different from what K-pop used us to listen to. Which is the most challenging part of being a musician?
Jungsu: I think finding our unique color and expressing it is probably the most challenging part. Making music is one thing, but it's also challenging to figure out how to represent that music in our own style.
Gaon: To be honest, self-satisfaction is the most difficult. It doesn't seem like an easy task to write music that you can truly love and be satisfied with. So, I'm always working on self-improvement, giving my best in every moment to create music that I can be satisfied with.
You boys actively participate in creating the album. Do you have some memories to share with us?
Gun-il: I remember how Jooyeon just effortlessly sang the melodies for the song PLUTO, and it sounded so good.
Jooyeon: I still remember the time when Gaon made his narration rap in the second verse of 'Break the Brake'.
Do you have some role models in the industry you would like to get advice from?
Jun Han: There is a Korean band called 'BULGOGIDISCO.' I would like to get advice from the guitarist of that band, Donghyun. I'm curious about what goes through Donghyun'smind when he plays the guitar and performs on stage, and I would like to get advice and learn.
O.de: I would like to hear a lot of advice from DAY6 members, who have been the ones to inspire me to start a band.
And which was the most meaningful advice you got, and from whom?
Jungsu: The advice I got from J.Y. Park is the most memorable and is still engraved in my mind. He said, 'If you grow a little each day, then before you know it, you'll have grown significantly.' This is the driving force that makes me value and work hard every day.
Gaon: The most meaningful advice I had recently is, 'Don't try to do well on stage.' Because of the pressure to do well onstage, it can lead to tension and counterproductive effects. I found that letting go and just enjoying the stage makes better results.
Do you have some dream collaboration?
Gun-il: I hope to collaborate with the band 'Twenty One Pilots'.
Gaon: Personally, I want to collaborate with the British singer 'Yungblud.' I think we can make very interesting music together.
If you had to describe yourself with a word - just one - which would it be?
O.de: It's 'versatility.' I'm striving to show different colors through my own style and expression, and I'm working hard to pull them off.
Jun Han: I'd like to describe myself as 'an animal.' I'm someone who lives by instincts, moving naturally.
Who are Xdinary Heroes now?
Jungsu: I think we are 'irreplaceable artists.' There are so many different types of music in the world, but I believe Xdinary Heroes is creating music that is unique and can't be replicated by anyone else.
Jooyeon: We are becoming an artist with a wide spectrum, not confined to one genre. We are working on maintaining our own unique color in all genres.
