What happens when you merge Studio Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke, video games, Squid Game, and AI? That you get a brilliant, highly cinematic music video. Cho Gi-Seok directs Howling, one of the new songs by XG. Today, the seven-piece band is releasing a new “mini album,” as they call it, titled Awe, with eight new songs for fans to enjoy. Here’s what you need to know.
Cocona, Jurin, Chisa, Hinata, Harvey, Juria, and Maya debuted just two years ago with Tippy Toes, their first single. The global success was almost instant: fans around the world fell head over heels with their kawaii aesthetic and their sound, mostly focused on hip-hop but highly influenced by other genres like pop and R&B. Today, they boast almost six million monthly listeners on Spotify and are touring the world.
Today, and after several weeks announcing it, XG finally releases a mini album titled Awe. They had teased their listeners with a few singles, including IYKYK, Something Ain’t Right, and Woke Up. But there are five more new songs, all of which blend different genres seamlessly. Howling though is the one that’s got an impressive music video that takes us back to our childhood — at least to those of us who grew up on anime and Studio Ghibli. With looks resembling Princess Mononoke herself but also Shishigami (the Forest Spirit) and Moro’s wolf clan, we see the seven singers play different characters. Merging nature with technology, the jaw-dropping visuals create a universe we all want to inhabit.
