'Pure Survival': How Pop Group XG Made It Through Six Years of Tough Training

Before every show, the seven members of pop group XG stand in a circle and hold hands. Their leader, Jurin, shouts "Hesono," and the rest shout "Oh!" while throwing their arms into the air. This chant is more than a routine — it stands for the deep bond the group has built over more than ten years of training and growing up together. The word "Hesono-o" is Japanese for "umbilical cord," which can represent a person's fate or destiny.

The idea came from Chisa, the group's oldest member, who once dreamed that the members were connected like a mother and child. When she shared the idea, everyone loved it, and "Hesono-o" became a key part of XG's identity. "We're so strongly connected, we're always thinking the same things," Chisa says. The chant is now something the band cannot imagine performing without.

XG's members — Maya, Juria, Hinata, Harvey, Cocona, Chisa, and Jurin — spoke to the BBC after their debut at Capital's Summertime Ball at Wembley Stadium in London. All seven wore bright neon outfits with fluffy faux fur and detailed belt buckles. Cocona wore a necklace that read "rock star," and Harvey's many bracelets rattled as she walked. Each member has her own style, but together they move and think as one.

The band's journey began in 2016, when the members were selected from thousands of hopeful young performers across Japan. Twenty-one candidates made it into training, living together in dorms and spending long days learning to sing, dance, and speak multiple languages. Some of the girls were only 11 or 12 years old when they started. It was a strict program that pushed them hard every day.

Training was often very tough. In a documentary, trainees were scolded for posting photos on social media, and some were pushed to exercise until they cried or got sick. "It was the toughest and most difficult experience I've ever had," says Maya. "A battle against myself physically and mentally." Chisa now calls the whole experience "pure survival."

Even through the hardship, the girls formed close friendships. When split into smaller teams, they began pushing each other to improve. In their free time, they went on trips, held sports days, and watched movies together. "Especially scary movies," says Hinata, "because we would all huddle up together under a blanket, being scared together." She says it felt just like being real-life siblings.

After six years, XG debuted in 2022 with their first single, "Tippy Toes," which showed their ability to move between rapping and singing. Later that year, "Galz Xypher" featured four members rapping in three languages and went viral on TikTok, earning 49 million YouTube plays. Songs like "Shooting Star" and "Woke Up" mixed futuristic looks with smooth 1990s R&B sounds. By 2025, they performed at Coachella as the only Japanese act on the lineup.

While XG's career grew, Cocona went through something personal. On their 20th birthday last December, they came out as transmasculine and non-binary on Instagram. "I was born and perceived as female, but that label never represented who I truly am," Cocona wrote. It was a rare and brave statement in the world of Japanese pop music.

The rest of the group stood fully behind Cocona — Jurin took the announcement photos, and Chisa did Cocona's makeup. Fans responded with love and support. After the announcement, the band changed what their initials stand for, from "Xtraordinary Girls" to "Xtraordinary Genes," sending the message that it's okay to be yourself. "Breaking fixed ideas and preconceptions is a big part of our concept," says Jurin.

XG's new album, "The Core," features a wider range of sounds, including the ballroom-inspired "Gala" and the piano-driven "Hypnotise." The rock track "O.R.B" is widely seen by fans as a song of support for Cocona. The group will bring the album to life on a year-long world tour, with a UK stop at Wembley Arena in September. Off stage, the members stay grounded — Hinata watches anime, Jurin snowboards, and Harvey secretly carries a trombone mouthpiece wherever she goes.