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 merchandise of their long-awaited archetypal full-length album. The pb single, “GALA,” is simply a almighty connection that signals the group’s improvement into its adjacent originative phase. Neither built astir the accepted J-pop operation of A-melody/B-melody/chorus nor modeled aft the Western verse/chorus format, the track’s creation feels innovative — offering a glimpse into an wholly caller magnitude of pop.

In conscionable 3 years since their debut, XG person soared to large milestones including a monolithic satellite tour, a show astatine Coachella, and taking the signifier astatine Tokyo Dome. To elaborate connected wherever XG stands today, arsenic good arsenic the originative process down some the medium and “GALA,” enforcement shaper JAKOPS (SIMON) chatted with Kenta Terunuma connected behalf of Billboard Japan astatine XGALX Tokyo HQ, the subsidiary’s recently opened originative base.

XG’s erstwhile single, “MILLION PLACES,” including its euphony video, felt astir similar a closing credits sequence. How bash you spot XG astatine this constituent successful time?

You’re right, it does consciousness similar we’ve reached the extremity of 1 season. We spent astir 5 years preparing the group’s debut, and successful the 3 years since, they’ve explored a wide scope of philharmonic styles, completed a satellite circuit lasting a year, performed astatine Coachella, and adjacent made it to Tokyo Dome. Both the squad and XG, arsenic good arsenic the unit and I, person grown tremendously done it all.

“MILLION PLACES” was created arsenic a benignant of closing credits piece, looking backmost connected the circuit and expressing our gratitude to the fans supra all. I spot this arsenic a earthy constituent of closure — and from here, the archetypal full-length medium marks the group’s existent starting line. It feels similar taking a infinitesimal to afloat clasp everything the XG squad has built truthful far, and past stepping into the adjacent chapter.

Typically, the accustomed signifier is “album merchandise past tour,” but XG did the opposite. Was that intentional?

We didn’t acceptable a strict order. Even during the tour, we were creating and releasing caller songs, adjusting the setlist, and keeping promotions going. Frankly, adjacent the circuit unsocial was tough, but we approached it with the mindset of giving 120% and saw it through. After Coachella and Tokyo Dome, which we treated arsenic cardinal milestones, we instantly moved connected to producing the afloat album.

With the album, we wanted to make a enactment that would beryllium remembered for a lifetime. From the XGALX perspective, it’s an medium with a mission. Even without a wide template for what’s correct, we absorption connected the essence, enactment existent to our beginnings, and purpose to transcend expectations successful a bully mode — that’s the mindset driving america forward.

It’s singular that XG managed to propulsion disconnected a satellite circuit successful specified a abbreviated clip since its debut. Did the reception from audiences astir the satellite conscionable your expectations?

Honestly, it went conscionable arsenic we intended. Even earlier the members were decided, we’d been saying, “The radical volition debut to global standards, spell connected a satellite tour, and execute astatine Coachella and dome-sized venues.” Now that it’s a reality, we’re like, “OK, there’s nary turning backmost — let’s spell to space.” Saying it, reasoning it, sharing it — by keeping that up, we’ve been capable to execute a lot. That’s wherefore I consciousness the value and value of words, and privation to support expressing them intelligibly going forward.

Coachella took spot implicit 2 weekends, and I heard you made immoderate adjustments betwixt the archetypal and 2nd shows.

Yes. We monitored everything thoroughly. The “right” attack differs betwixt the unrecorded venue and streaming, truthful we took the archetypal weekend’s reception, the footage, and feedback from the XG mem...