While the bulk of their latest album THE CORE is inspired by electronic, house, and R&B music, one particular track on XG's newest album does lean into hard rock and even nu metal. "O.R.B. (Obviously Reads Bro)" is the Japanese outfit's love letter to Cocona, their youngest member, who came out as transmasculine non-binary last year on his 20th birthday.
The video is a throwback to Y2K culture, with handcams, bedazzled flip phones, and styling that harkens back to the beginning of this millennium. Tongue-in-cheek moments like Maya paying for ice cream with Monopoly money help to highlight the line at the heart of the song's chorus: "If you don't like it, fuck you." This flies in the face of squeaky-clean image, something paramount to K-pop and all of its regional variations, and as a way to support their brother-in-arms Cocona during his transition, it's a wonderful thing to see play out.
Check out the music video for "O.R.B." below:
XG's newest album THE CORE is available now via their proprietary label XGALX. They are set to tour North America this November, with the following dates and cities announced:
11/03 Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
11/05 Los Angeles, CA @ Crypto.com Arena
11/09 Chicago, IL @ United Center
11/12 Hamilton, ON @ TD Coliseum
11/14 Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center
11/17 Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
11/22 Mexico City, MX @ Arena Ciudad de Mexico
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