Xdinary Heroes' First Release as a Five-Member Group, 'IMPULSE': "Youth Wavering Between Hope and Anxiety"

Xdinary Heroes. Photo courtesy of JYP Entertainment.

JYP Entertainment said the band Xdinary Heroes will release its ninth mini-album, "IMPULSE," at 6 p.m. on Oct. 12. The album captures the hopes and anxieties, desires and impulses of youth.

Xdinary Heroes said through their agency on Oct. 12, "We hope people will accept whatever emotions come their way, whether positive or negative, as they are, and not deny what they feel."

This is the band's first new release as a five-member group comprising Jungsu, Gaon, O.de, Jun Han and Jooyeon since Gunil left in August. The members said they aimed to present music with a brighter mood than their previous release, "DEAD AND," while highlighting each member's individuality in their playing and vocals.

The title track, "Obsessed with Youth," sings about the longing and turbulent emotions of youth. The members said the feeling they experienced most strongly while working on the song was "a heart brimming with hope, with anxiety coexisting within it." They added, "We, too, are going through youth, wavering between conflicting emotions just like in the title track, so we were able to immerse ourselves deeply in the process."

Onstage, they focus on revealing the emotions they are experiencing now rather than presenting a perfectly polished image. The members said, "We think the best way to express ourselves is to fully reveal the emotions we can experience only at this point in our lives, even if we are somewhat awkward."

Xdinary Heroes. Provided by JYP Entertainment.

The album features seven tracks, including the title track, "Give Up The Ghost," "Slashhh!," "u and me in arguments," "You Right There," "Love in dystopia," and "Breathe in, Breathe out." The members participated in writing and composing several of the songs.

Each track also has its own distinct arrangement and approach to playing. O.de said "Breathe in, Breathe out" was "originally a song with a very grand atmosphere, but we reinterpreted it with an acoustic arrangement." Gaon picked "u and me in arguments," which features a raw band sound, while Jooyeon chose "Give Up The Ghost" as the song he most wants to perform live.

Xdinary Heroes have taken the stage on world tours, at the U.S. music festival Lollapalooza Chicago and the Busan International Rock Festival, and as the opening act for British rock band Muse during its concert in Korea.

They singled out Lollapalooza Chicago as a particularly memorable performance. The members said, "It was our first major festival abroad and a stage we had dreamed of for a long time, so it meant a lot to us." They added, "It remains such a precious memory that we still wear our Lollapalooza T-shirts all the time."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.