XG took the stage as second headliner at Head in the Clouds: LA, the Asian-artist showcase festival presented by 88rising, on August 8 at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles. The seven-member group opened with an a cappella rendition of “THE VISION” before launching into “WOKE UP,” then powered through a 16-song set backed by a full live band, pulling from their debut full album “THE CORE – 核” alongside fan favorites like “SOMETHING AIN’T RIGHT,” “IYKYK,” “LEFT RIGHT,” and “SHOOTING STAR.”
It was XG’s third appearance at Head in the Clouds and their highest-billed slot at the festival to date. The set followed a busy summer for the group, who also performed at Fuji Rock Festival in July, and comes amid their ongoing second world tour, “XG WORLD TOUR: THE CORE,” which kicked off in February.
Who is XG?
XG is a seven-member group made up of JURIN, CHISA, HINATA, HARVEY, JURIA, MAYA, and COCONA. The group’s name stands for “Xtraordinary Genes,” reflecting their mission to spread a “BOLD” culture through genre-defying music and performance. XG is the first act signed to the production label XGALX and debuted in March 2022 with the single “Tippy Toes.” Between 2024 and 2025, the group staged their first world tour, “The first HOWL,” playing 47 shows across 35 cities, including a run at Tokyo Dome, and drawing roughly 400,000 fans. In April 2025, they performed at Coachella, closing out the festival’s Sahara stage. XG released their first full-length album, “THE CORE – 核,” in January 2026.
Author’s Comment
Third time’s the charm, honey — XG went from festival guest to second headliner, and if you think that jump happened by accident, I’ve got a bridge in Shibuya to sell you. A Japanese girl group commanding a live band in front of an American festival crowd is still not something you see every day, and the fact that nobody’s blinking anymore tells you how far they’ve come. I’ll admit it: I was skeptical when XGALX said they’d build a global act from scratch, but watching them casually toss off sixteen songs like it’s Tuesday has shut me right up. Keep going, girls — just don’t let the label work you into the ground chasing the next stage.
