Hip-hop and R&B-inspired girl group XG will release its debut full-length album in January 2026, via XGALX. The ladies shared the news during their appearance this weekend at A-Nation 2025, Japan’s largest summer festival, in Tokyo.
This marks XG’s first music festival appearance since Coachella 2025 (Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival) in April this year. Their performance at America’s largest music festival garnered high praise from both domestic and international media outlets, trending at number two on the global X trend chart and creating a major sensation worldwide.
XG, welcomed by thunderous audience applause as the headlining act, appeared in costumes specially prepared for the day, fully expressing XG’s unique personalities. They kicked off with the danceable tracks “TGIF” and “Something Ain’t Right,” instantly painting the venue with XG’s signature color. During the summer-tinged dance track “New Dance,” audience members swayed and danced along. Jurin hyped up the crowd, saying, “Since this is the last show today, I hope it’s a truly wonderful time where we can all feel like we’re traveling through space together!”
For “GRL GVNG,” the first track by a Japanese artist ever to top the US Billboard chart, and “Hot Trending Songs Powered by Twitter — they thrilled the audience with a sophisticated performance with choreography using chairs. From “Hesonoo + X-Gene,” XG’s first all-rap song “Woke Up,” which went viral worldwide, delivered a breathtaking stage performance that instantly raised the venue’s energy levels.
During “IYKYK” and “Puppet Show,” they mesmerized the audience with dynamic, energetic performances. On stage, Hinata commented, “This is actually XG’s first live stadium performance, and we’re having so much fun being able to perform in front of so many people!” For the popular Japanese track “Mascara” and “Million Places,” which celebrates the special journey of their world tour, the members rode on moving platforms to further energize the entire venue.
“Is This Love,” the global campaign song for Shiseido’s “Anessa” that ranked on Billboard Japan’s comprehensive Hot 100 chart for 22 consecutive weeks, enveloped the venue in a frenzy with a performance mixing piano and original versions. They also performed “Left Right,” which became the first track by a Japanese female artist and Japanese group to rank on the US radio chart Mediabase Top 40 Radio Airplay Chart. They concluded with “Shooting Star,” ending their approximately 50-minute, 13-song set with fireworks.
After the members left the stage, the large screen displayed footage of member Harvey opening her eyes amid rising smoke, announcing that XG would release their highly anticipated first full-length album on January 23, 2026. This surprise announcement caused a stir in the venue and was met with loud cheers. Being XG’s first full album, anticipation is high for what kind of work and concept it will showcase. A special website for the project was also launched alongside this announcement.
The project will serve as a bold statement, capturing the group’s deepest essence. The album moves freely across genres, weaving together different eras and spaces to create a boundless musical journey. At the heart of these transformations remains XG’s unwavering identity and distinctive energy.
It stands as a declaration of X-pop, a new genre crafted by XG themselves. Guided by the belief that “good music holds value on its own,” the album expresses a timeless journey that transcended boundaries of time, space, and culture.
This release represents the most candid reflection of who XG was at that moment and marks a powerful starting point for the infinite possibilities that lie ahead.
Starting September 1st, the world tour of The First Howl exhibition will begin at Harajuku Laforet Museum in Tokyo. This exhibition will feature carefully selected photos taken during the tour, displays of actual stage costumes, video content, and sales of new limited merchandise, so please be sure to check it out.
XG will also embark on their China Festival Tour, performing consecutively at major Chinese music festivals in Beijing on October 2nd, Guangzhou on October 4th, and Luzhou on October 7th. On October 11-12, they will perform at Coca‑Cola X Fes 2025 held at Saitama Super Arena.
