The first HOWL (+ my music influences)

It's finally time to write a dedicated XG post! I haven't been concerting much since moving back to Hawaii, but so few artists come through that really motivate me to brave being among "the youth" so let me tell you about one that did. XG's The first HOWL North America tour. I flew to Vegas for a night before my vacation just to see them.

First, a 30 year recap of my favorite musicians to give context on why I traveled across the Pacific to see them! As an avid seeker/consumer of music, I have "eras" of the most impactful artists that represent my evolving obsession with different genres. I use 5 year buckets because I think they tell a unique story:

Artist	Era (Years)	Genre	Notes
TLC	94-99	R&B	CrazySexyCool & FanMail are foundational in my music library. When I think about quality R&B music, a catchy topline, or memorable bars, TLC is the standard. A massive part of my musical journey has been trying to replicate the feeling I had the first time I heard "Creep" or "Diggin' On You."
Thrice/The Juliana Theory	99-04	Rock/Emo	My middle/high school era was earmarked by the first three Thrice and The Juliana Theory albums, works all indelible to a heavy-in-her-feels, scenester teen Julie. Lyrically some of my favorite music ever written. Dustin Kensrue still pens songs I will pour over to find meaning.
Imogen Heap	04-09	Electronic Pop	The Garden State OST introduced the majority of the world to Imogen Heap by way of her Frou Frou collab with Guy Sigsworth. Their brand of dreamy, ethereal electronic pop imprinted on me for the next decade as it was unlike anything I'd ever heard before. Immi was a role model for so many young girls, including myself, who wanted to get into music production but didn't have an example to look up to. I already made a whole mixtape dedicated to her so go check that out! This era was my introduction into the world of electronic music.
Russ Chimes	09-14	NuDisco/House	It's been over 15 years since hearing my first Russ Chimes track, but I still love his music on a different level. I can listen to his tracks on repeat for hours and never get bored -- see my dedicated Deezer playlist with 4 hours of RC originals and remixes. Much like Imogen, I've blogged about him in the past and would fly to see him live in a heartbeat. Who knows if he'll ever perform again, but I plan to be there!
Lido/Brasstracks	14-19	FutureBeats/Alt-R&B	Lido and Brasstracks are the backbone of every RnBass mix. They are the genre bending, gospel r&b inspired, jazzy hip hop, electronic experimentation sound that I live for! This kind of music MUST BE experienced live for full effect. I've seen Lido perform solo in Vancouver, but absolutely need to make my way to a Brasstracks & Friends show one day.
Mamamoo/XG	19-24	X-Pop	The last 5 years of my life have slowly, but surely been sucked into a kpop blackhole. Blackpink got me into the genre, but Mamamoo was the reason I stayed. This is not news, as I talk openly about the secret ingredient to an RnBass setlist. However I was not expecting to find a group like XG amongst the plethora of Korean idol groups. An all-Japanese girl group with a passion for 90s/00s R&B and a quirky, futuristic, Y2K aesthetic? If X-Pop is the drug, I am the addict.

It goes without saying that I'm a continued fan of every artist above, but the eras are there to indicate the evolving nature of my genre exploration. It's no mistake that I started at R&B, experimented with ever genre under the sun, and ended-up at X-Pop. I joke that XG is the gen-z TLC, if TLC were Japanese, had twice as many members, were all kpop trained dancers, and debuted 30 years later.  

The girls are incredibly talented, hardworking, and charismatic, but XG is 7+1 because they would not exist without one man's passion project, executive producer Simon Jakops.

From an old interview with Simon:

"My father is Korean, my mother is Japanese, and I was born in America. 

'JAKOPS' is the name I used when I became a producer, and I made it by arranging 'JAPAN', 'KOREA' and 'produced by Simon'. I've always dreamed of being the first in music exchanges between Korea and Japan.

On XG:

The team name is an acronym for 'Xtraordinary Girls', meaning 'extraordinary and special girls'.

XG's music expresses independence and dignity, and they are a team that really excels in charisma and energy. In order to show this kind of image, I trained very hard. I think the members followed us well.

I think other artists are the same, but the members are really passionate about their dreams. I want to be the first to brag about that. K-pop fans and Korean fans in particular have strict standards for what idols can do, and we have also worked hard and practiced hard to reach those standards.

When I first met the members, the youngest was still in elementary school, but everyone is now in high school or 20 years old. Since I have been watching over the members for a long time since I was young, I feel a great sense of responsibility.

I don't know if I should say this, but for the past 5 years, I've never been in a relationship, and I've only been working (laughs). It was fun. I'm nervous and anxious, but it's like a dream to see XG standing on the Korean stage.

On X-Pop:

I didn't have a conventional word that XG was aiming for, so I was worried about how to define it. Our music is a new attempt in 'J-POP', and if we say 'K-POP' strongly, there may be some inconvenient eyes. That's why we used the expression 'X-POP' to create our own music and genre.

The letter "X" has the concept of "mix", but it has the meaning of being mixed without various prejudices. I want you to look at it with an unbiased eye.

K-POP is already loved all over the world, but I think that not only music, but also spreading music to the world through the K-POP system can contribute to the development of K-POP. There is a part of us that can let us know more about K-pop in our own way, and I hope that through our activities in Korea and Japan, we can increase the understanding of the cultures of both countries among our fans.

Through 'XG', I wanted to create an artist who aims to go global."

As as person who listens and DJs to every and all genres, XG's crossover appeal is the music representation I've always craved in my life. Yes, I'm a little obsessed, but how often does an artist feel like a physical, emotional, and intellectual embodiment of yourself?

Regarding The first HOWL, XG blew away every expectation I had about their live performance and set a new bar for idols (imo). Seeing the girls sing, rap, dance, perform, and connect individually and together with such a global audience was incredibly special. I would absolutely go see them perform again and will continue to celebrate them as they shatter records in music history! 

The wolf symbolizes XG.

The leader of a pack of wolves is called the Alpha.

The name of the fandom is "ALPHAZ", a word that unites all fans who relate to XG.

'We a pack' and will start a movement worldwide.