Group xikers shared their determination to reach the top through steady, step-by-step growth.
A showcase for xikers’ (Minjae, Junmin, Sumin, Jinsik, Hyunwoo, Junghoon, Seeun, Yujun, Hunter, Yechan) 7th mini-album ‘ROUTE ZERO : The ORA’ was held on the 19th at the NOL Theater Hapjeong Dongyang Life Hall in Mapo-gu, Seoul.
‘ROUTE ZERO : The ORA’ marks the beginning of a new series following the conclusion of the ‘HOUSE OF TRICKY’ series, which spanned 2 years and 7 months since their debut. It depicts the starting point of a world they encounter for the first time after leaving the TRICKY HOUSE.
Regarding the new series, Jinsik said, “It means starting from zero, where everything has been erased. Please look forward to xikers’ growth as we find our own new path, even if it’s a rough one.”
Minjae added, “This album opens a new chapter, and personally, it coincides with a time when I’m opening a new chapter in my own life. Looking back at my activities and myself, I felt I hadn’t moved a single step closer to my goals, so I prepared very hard.”
He continued, “I love the studio as much as the stage, and I feel joy every time new music is born. From that perspective, I thought I needed to reorganize what sounds I like and what image I want to show the world. I decided the album should be new and enjoyable, and that I should make music I love and enjoy, breaking away from fixed perspectives. Personally, I’m very satisfied with this work and it’s an album I cherish. I’d give this album a 10 out of 10.”
Explaining his personal “new chapter,” Minjae shared, “Before debuting, I admired many artists and felt the great charm of this job is showing the world ‘I will show you this side of me.’ My goal was to work hard so that my direction could be clear. However, while promoting, when I asked myself, ‘Am I happily showing the things I truly love and am good at?’ I couldn’t answer with a definite yes. While I’ve always participated in writing lyrics, I had a greed to be more deeply involved. My goal is to release a song I produced solo or leave a discography where I wrote a perfect verse and can say, ‘I really did well on this.’ That’s why I strive for results that allow me to answer ‘I think I did’ every time an album comes out.”
Minjae further added, “As xikers, we pursue making the stage very exciting, but I think there were moments when I didn’t feel like I was fully enjoying it. I believe that to enjoy the stage, solid practice underneath must support it. During this hiatus, I had many conversations with the members to get back on track. Despite our busy schedules, everyone worked hard and tried to fill their individual shortcomings. I remember the members pooling their strength to prepare fun and diligently rather than just the hard times.”
Minjae also explained the points he struggled with. “Because we try many new things, we have diverse capabilities, but it’s hard to define us in one word. I reached the conclusion that it might look chaotic from the outside. I don’t think that’s entirely negative, but I felt it was far from the direction we pursued. So, I agonized over selecting the sound we are best at and can move to most naturally. Since we’re entering our fourth year, I think we’ve become more mature, resulting in an album that is more unified and has more weight than the previous one.”
The new title track ‘OKay’ captures the bold and confident energy of xikers as they daringly cast aside the rules set by the world.
Junmin explained, “Until now, I think we focused on matching everything together, but now we’ve tried to show a more free-spirited energy and put a lot of effort into finding our own individualities. We spent a lot of practice time on our individual parts to show a unique stage.”
Yechan shared, “The choreography is powerful and very breathless. We practiced live vocals in the studio with microphones on, just like a real performance. The rappers are doing their parts with 0% AR. We practiced hard until our strength was completely gone to show a more perfect side. Since dancers are joining us this time, I think we can show a more immersive and overwhelming performance. We practiced a lot to show everything.”
xikers also mentioned what sets them apart. Sumin confessed, “I think xikers are the ‘mischievous kids’ of the stage. I believe we are a group that uses the stage freely and delivers energy to the audience. I feel that more strongly when we clearly convey the emotions we want to share through the song. When I see the comments fans leave after a performance, saying things like, ‘Your stage gave me a lot of comfort’ or ‘I was exhausted by life, but it became a huge driving force,’ I think I chose this job well and that I can be a help to others. Personally, I think that’s a big differentiator, and whenever I feel they sense my sincerity in every stage, I find comfort in knowing I’m doing well.”
xikers have ambitious goals. Hunter said, “I hope to achieve results like 1st place on music shows and topping domestic and international charts. Above all, I think it’s important to walk the right path. We’ve received many awards and good results at recent award ceremonies, and using that as driving force, we plan to work even harder.”
Seeun emphasized, “There are many stages we want to stand on and many dreams we have, but I want to hold another concert in Korea soon and make many great memories with fans. I have a strong desire to show our side at large festivals like Coachella or Lollapalooza.”
Jinsik explained, “I want to earn the description ‘As expected of xikers.’ Every time we make a comeback, I want to clearly show our own colors, be great at live singing, and be great on stage. I think ‘xikers are xikers’ is a description in a good direction.”
Minjae added, “We plan to grow step-by-step and eventually reach the highest point. I want to remain a passionate group for a long time, so that when we look back in the future, people will say, ‘These guys worked hard, and they’re still working hard and doing well.'”
