ALBUM REVIEW: XG Finds Their Sound on THE CORE – 核
by Vy Le | January 29th, 2026
XG, short for Xtraordinary Genes, is a seven-member artist group consisting of JURIN, CHISA, HINATA, HARVEY, JURIA, MAYA, and COCONA. Since debuting in March 2022 with “Tippy Toes,” they’ve built steady global momentum, becoming the first Japanese artist to reach No. 1 on Billboard’s “Hot Trending Songs Powered by Twitter” chart and later appearing on the cover of Billboard. Following the release of their first full-length album, THE CORE - 核, XG has embarked on their second world tour, XG WORLD TOUR: THE CORE, bringing this new era to audiences worldwide.
THE CORE was released on January 23 and is XG’s first full-length album. The project consists of 10 tracks, with two pre-release songs, “GALA” and “4 SEASONS.” According to their website, the album is a statement that gets straight to who XG are at their core. Rather than chasing trends or surface-level aesthetics, the project focuses on the fundamentals of sound, identity, and intention. The album moves freely across genres, connecting different moods, eras, and spaces while still maintaining a clear and consistent XG identity throughout. Positioned as an expression of X-POP, a genre defined by XG themselves, THE CORE reflects their belief that good music should stand on its own, making this album both their most honest work so far and a strong starting point for what comes next.
To welcome listeners into this journey through sound, the album opens with “XIGNAL (The Intro).” At just 1 minute and 36 seconds, the track sets the tone for the entire ride. With heavy delay effects and layered synthesizers, it feels like an ecstatic journey into space. The group’s vocals repeating phrases about how amazing and incredible everything feels elevate the experience and immediately pull the listener in.
“GALA,” “TAKE MY BREATH,” and “HYPNOTIZE” all share a similar vibe, almost like walking through a high-end fashion retailer. I previously had more in-depth thoughts on “GALA,” but I felt the same atmosphere carry over into “TAKE MY BREATH” and “HYPNOTIZE.” All three tracks lean into a luxurious deep house sound. While “GALA” focuses more on hype and empowerment, “TAKE MY BREATH” and “HYPNOTIZE” feel flirtier and more romantic. What I really appreciate is that even though they share similar characteristics, each song still feels distinct in its own way.
“ROCK THE BOAT” is another standout, mainly because of how catchy the chorus is. The repetition of “rock the boat” and the rhyme between phrases like “beat like” and “streamline” make it hard to forget once you hear it. I’m also a big fan of the contrast between HARVEY and COCONA’s rap styles. HARVEY’s delivery is sweeter and cuter, while COCONA comes in right after with a much deeper, calmer tone, creating a strong contrast. The bridge of this song feels extremely XG in the best way possible, reminding me of earlier releases like “Shooting Star” and “Left Right.”
“NO GOOD” feels the most different among the tracks in the first half of the album. It leans more into an R&B sound and carries a sense of emotional desperation in its lyrics. This song allows the members to showcase their vocal abilities more than their rap, which I really appreciated. I love the overall sound and vibe, but I do wish the chorus had a stronger hook to make it stand out more. I feel like this track would have completely won me over if the chorus were catchier, similar to something like “ROCK THE BOAT.”
“UP NOW” brings in a more K-pop-leaning sound. JURIA’s opening verse reminded me of TWICE’s more recent releases, especially the way she blends singing and rapping. The standout part of the song is the pre-chorus, particularly the line “So tell me, what you want?” The way each word is slightly broken up makes it incredibly satisfying to listen to. The section that follows, with percussion that sounds almost like clapping, gave me strong 2010s pop vibes. It feels like the pre-chorus is the pre-game, building energy before everything kicks in.
“O.R.B (Obviously Reads Bro)” completely caught me off guard. A pop-punk track sneaking its way into an album dominated by deep house and pop was unexpected, but I was immediately into it. Japan has a strong rock scene, so it was fun seeing XG experiment with this genre within the same album. That said, the use of AAVE in this track stood out to me. Hearing words like “hunnid,” “outta,” “brosef,” “broski,” “broheim,” and “braddahs” wasn’t something I expected in a pop-punk song. In an interview with NME, the group explained that their lyricist wanted to capture a sense of team unity and a shared safe space, describing it as more of a feeling. It’s not my place to decide whether the usage is appropriate or not, but it definitely caught me off guard on first listen.
“4 SEASONS” is the most distinct track on the album. It’s the only slow-tempo, acoustic song, and its production is much less dense than the rest of the project. There’s no heavy use of delay or reverb on the vocals like on “XIGNAL (The Intro).” Listening to it felt like being at a K-pop concert during that emotional moment where both the artists and the fans slow things down together. It’s cute, heartfelt, and feels especially fitting for the cold winter weather.
“PS118” was also released ahead of the album. Originally debuted in November as a solo track by JURIN featuring Grammy-winning rapper Rapsody, this version reintroduces the song as an XG track with all members involved. It leans into a lo-fi hip-hop sound. According to their website, the song captures JURIN’s growth and sense of identity as she moves through an endless universe, emphasizing inner strength and trusting her own direction without being influenced by outside opinions.
One of the strongest aspects of THE CORE is how well the album is framed from start to finish. “XIGNAL (The Intro)” opens the door to a new world with a dreamy, spacey feeling, while “PS118” closes the album by reinforcing the message of not being afraid to explore and try new things. Overall, THE CORE does exactly what it sets out to do. It solidifies XG’s identity and places a clear stamp on their name. They are true all-rounder artists. They can rap, they can sing, and they have a strong sense of style and artistic vision to back it all up.
Tracklist
01. XIGNAL (The Intro)
02. GALA
03. ROCK THE BOAT
04. TAKE MY BREATH
05. NO GOOD
06. HYPNOTIZE
07. UP NOW
08. O.R.B (Obviously Reads Bro)
09. 4 SEASONS
10. PS118
Listen to THE CORE – 核 HERE
