XG Executive Producer JAKOPS (SIMON) on Group’s Next Chapter & Why New Album Will Be ‘The Greatest Record in the World’: Interview

XG has officially announced the release of their long-awaited first full-length album. The lead single, “GALA,” is a powerful statement that signals the group’s evolution into its next creative phase. Neither built around the traditional J-pop structure of A-melody/B-melody/chorus nor modeled after the Western verse/chorus format, the track’s composition feels innovative — offering a glimpse into an entirely new dimension of pop.

In just three years since their debut, XG have soared to major milestones including a massive world tour, a performance at Coachella, and taking the stage at Tokyo Dome. To elaborate on where XG stands today, as well as the creative process behind both the album and “GALA,” executive producer JAKOPS (SIMON) chatted with Kenta Terunuma on behalf of Billboard Japan at XGALX Tokyo HQ, the subsidiary’s newly opened creative base.

XG’s previous single, “MILLION PLACES,” including its music video, felt almost like a closing credits sequence. How do you see XG at this point in time?

You’re right, it does feel like we’ve reached the end of one season. We spent about five years preparing the group’s debut, and in the three years since, they’ve explored a wide range of musical styles, completed a world tour lasting a year, performed at Coachella, and even made it to Tokyo Dome. Both the team and XG, as well as the staff and I, have grown tremendously through it all.

“MILLION PLACES” was created as a kind of closing credits piece, looking back on the tour and expressing our gratitude to the fans above all. I see this as a natural point of closure — and from here, the first full-length album marks the group’s true starting line. It feels like taking a moment to fully embrace everything the XG team has built so far, and then stepping into the next chapter.

Typically, the usual pattern is “album release then tour,” but XG did the opposite. Was that intentional?

We didn’t set a strict order. Even during the tour, we were creating and releasing new songs, adjusting the setlist, and keeping promotions going. Frankly, even the tour alone was tough, but we approached it with the mindset of giving 120% and saw it through. After Coachella and Tokyo Dome, which we treated as key milestones, we immediately moved on to producing the full album.

With the album, we wanted to create a work that would be remembered for a lifetime. From the XGALX perspective, it’s an album with a mission. Even without a clear template for what’s correct, we focus on the essence, stay true to our beginnings, and aim to exceed expectations in a good way — that’s the mindset driving us forward.

It’s remarkable that XG managed to pull off a world tour in such a short time since its debut. Did the reception from audiences around the world meet your expectations?

Honestly, it went just as we intended. Even before the members were decided, we’d been saying, “The group will debut to global standards, go on a world tour, and perform at Coachella and dome-sized venues.” Now that it’s a reality, we’re like, “OK, there’s no turning back — let’s go to space.” Saying it, thinking it, sharing it — by keeping that up, we’ve been able to accomplish a lot. That’s why I feel the weight and importance of words, and want to keep expressing them clearly going forward.

Coachella took place over two weekends, and I heard you made some adjustments between the first and second shows.

Yes. We monitored everything thoroughly. The “right” approach differs between the live venue and streaming, so we took the first weekend’s reception, the footage, and feedback from the XG members into account, and made bold adjustments for the second weekend. There was a Seattle show in between, so they had almost no rest. The schedule even cut into their sleep, but they thought, “If we don’t push ourselves now, we’ll regret it for life,” and made slight changes to the setlist. As a result, they pulled off a live performance they were satisfied with, and there were countless behind-the-scenes moments that were truly emotional. That experience was definitely put to use at Tokyo Dome. Some members had minor injuries or pain, but they didn’t show weakness and gave their best. Maintaining peak condition — that’s what struck me again as the ultimate mark of professionalism.

You then began working on the album. How did the process begin?

Until the Dome show, we were so busy that there wasn’t even time to talk. Once the show ended and we had a brief pause, everyone naturally came to the shared understanding: “Next up is the album.” We kicked into full gear in June, recording and writing songs every single day without a break. Aside from one or two tracks created during the tour, we completed about ten songs in just over a month. Right now, we’re in the mixing and mastering stage, so there’s still no letting up. We’ve been saying all along, “Let’s create the greatest record in the world,” and now we’re in the phase of turning those words into reality. The seven members are growing at an astonishing, almost scary pace. I came to today’s interview thinking, “I just want to show off these girls.” [Laughs]

Absolutely. [Laughs]

These past three years have also been a time in which my relationship with XG’s seven members has evolved from “raising and being raised” to becoming professional partners. Behind the scenes, it’s all about conditioning, self-management, organizational skills, and, above all, maintaining their best performance every single time. That’s much harder than reaching a single peak, yet XG faces it head-on. I feel that dedication forms the core of their performances. They’re truly formidable.

With an album expected to capture XG as they are now, where did most of the production take place?

We have bases in both Japan and South Korea, so we worked while moving between the two. This time, there was a long period of intense, almost daily production in Korea. We discussed the direction as we went, making adjustments along the way. The first time everyone heard a new song together was at my wedding in June. At my wedding — where the XG members, who feel like family to me, and the core XGALX staff were all there — we played “GALA,” agreed that this would set the tone for the album, and from that moment, everything took off.

What was your vision for the lead track “GALA,” and how has the response been so far?

The inspiration came largely from electronic music I encountered while we were in Europe for the tour, and from my experience working on music for Paris Fashion Week. Building on a house foundation, we layered in experimental progressions and the kind of rap and vocal production XG excels at — breaking conventions and refreshing our sound. I’m confident this track clearly marks a new dimension for XG.

XG’s music carries the sensibility of both major pop and the underground. Ever since Madonna’s “Vogue,” that relationship has always involved a mix of collaboration and tension. How do you see that dynamic reflected in XG?

I don’t really think in terms of genre, or what’s mainstream versus not. The only standard is whether it’s good music. Rather than chasing what’s already popular, we want to be the ones bringing new ideas into the mainstream. We draw from everywhere — club, rock, J-pop, Latin, K-pop, hip-hop, jazz, classical, traditional music.

Take the music from Katsuhiro Otomo’s animated movie AKIRA, for instance. Many people associate it with a distinctly Japanese vision of the future — the nightscape of Neo-Tokyo, motorcycles racing through it. But in reality, the soundtrack uses Balinese instruments, blending in another culture entirely. It looks and feels very Japanese, yet there are elements of a different culture underlying it. I really like that hybrid feeling.

Tell us about this new space, XGALX Tokyo HQ.

This is our newly opened base in Tokyo. It’s more than just an office — it’s designed so artists and staff can work closely together and share creative ideas seamlessly. Every floor and space was built around the idea of making communication and collaboration as easy as possible. We’ve only been using it for two or three months, but it already allows us to handle everything including practice, recording, choreography checks, even hair and makeup, all on the same floor. It’s an ideal environment for the artists, and a place where the entire team, including the staff, can come together as one. That’s what we set out to create, and what we want to keep building.

Last question. Since XG’s debut, it seems the bar for girl groups in J-pop has been raised. Do you feel any change in the scene as a whole?

I get the impression that a wider variety of genres is now visible. I can genuinely sense that teams and movements exploring directions I once wondered, “Why haven’t we seen this yet?” are steadily on the rise. I’m simply happy about that, and it makes us even more determined to highlight our own strengths. That’s become the motivation for moving into the next chapter.

—This interview by Kenta Terunuma first appeared on Billboard Japan