Under JYP Entertainment, the band Xdinary Heroes continues its growth as a next-generation leader.
Xdinary Heroes recently spoke with Xportsnews about their upcoming eighth mini-album, ‘DEAD AND,’ ahead of its April 17 release.
The album features seven tracks, including the title track “Voyager” and the pre-release “X room,” along with “Helium Balloon,” “No Cool Kids Zone,” “Hurt So Good,” “Rise High Rise,” and “KTM.” All six members—Gunil, Jungsu, O.de, Gaon, Jun Han, and Jooyeon—are credited, solidifying their identity as a cohesive band.
Since their debut, Xdinary Heroes have contributed to every album, evolving into a performance-oriented band. This album explores various forms of “farewells” encountered on the journey toward one’s goals.
Gaon explained, “The keyword we focused on during the album’s production was ‘farewell.’ There are many types of farewells, and we musically captured those we could, resulting in these seven songs. The title ‘DEAD AND’ suggests a dead end, prompting us to consider whether it truly is the end.”
Gunil shared, “The previous album was about the beginning of love. I thought it would be interesting to explore its end in the next album.”
Xdinary Heroes have demonstrated their growth by earning credits on every album.
Jungsu stated, “Working on everything together as six members offers many advantages. While developing ‘X room,’ we discussed a topic that aligned with farewells and recalled the ‘X room’ concept from entertainment shows, expressing various farewells beyond romantic ones. This outcome could only have been achieved collaboratively.”
The members also reflected on significant personal growth achieved after overcoming challenging moments.
Gunil reflected, “If I consider when I felt most broken, it was at the beginning of our debut. It was difficult to focus on my perceived unfavorable traits instead of acknowledging any strengths.” He added that reading helped him overcome these challenges, teaching him not to be easily swayed.
O.de shared his own story: “Before debuting, I was involved in sports for over five years but had to stop due to a knee injury. I then transitioned to idol training before joining a band, which was unexpected and initially discouraging. However, by proactively trying new things rather than dwelling on my setbacks, I’ve reached where I am now.”
As JYP Entertainment’s next-generation band following DAY6, Xdinary Heroes have garnered significant acclaim. Gunil expressed gratitude toward J.Y. Park, stating, “During album preparations, J.Y. Park communicates with us through a group chat, sending videos of musicians he likes and suggesting we try playing in a similar style, for which we are very thankful.” He added that he looks forward to feedback after the album’s release.
O.de also noted their bond with DAY6, saying, “Although we haven’t shared our album with DAY6 yet, they often praise our unique sound, which they believe cannot be replicated domestically, and offer tips and encouragement on vocals.”
Gaon conveyed their aspirations, stating, “One frequently mentioned goal is to create music until we die. We want to keep performing as long as we’re alive.” Gunil added, “Though not a new ambition, I dream of performing ‘Night of the Fireworks’ at a large open-air concert with actual fireworks.”
Image source: JYP Entertainment
