Remember that viral TikTok featuring a trilingual 16-year-old idol who had a sick rap flow? Well, if you didn’t know, her name’s Cocona from the global girl group XG.
Yesterday (January 25), the seven-member girl group kicked off their 2023 with a new single album, Shooting Star, featuring the lead single of the same name. The bass-bumping, hip-hop track is an ode to space with metaphorical lyrics of reaching the top with confidence. (“Taking off from the ground it’s amazing / So outta this world, I’m in space / Now I’m going up, headin’ to the stars / Wouldn’t trade it out for another life, no”)
According to an official press release, “the releases are the essence of XG itself and represent the group’s energy and the mission of ‘Believing in yourself and being whatever you want to be.’” In addition to the dreamy supporting track, “LEFT RIGHT,” is described as “a song inspired by synthetic notes, sharp drum sounds, and powerful trap beats and finished with XG’s unique vocals and raps. The lyrics ‘The only direction I know’ reinforce XG’s positive and empowering philosophy.”
XG is a Japanese girl group based in South Korea that debuted last year under XGALX, a subsidiary label of Japanese company Avirex. Although the septet is based in South Korea, all members are Japanese and sing in English — pushing their title as a global girl group. The group comprises Jurin, Chisa, Hinata (Japanese-Korean), Harvey (Japanese-Australian), Juria, Maya, and Cocona.
Watch XG’s exclusive live performance of “Shooting Star,” released today, below.