A Debut That Hit Unexpectedly Strong — We Are Ready For More of Xdinary Heroes
Let me put it out there at the very beginning: this is definitely not for everyone, but this debut is it. This is how you drop a memorable — extraordinary, if you like — debut single. Xdinary Heroes just released their first-ever track on December 6 but we are already in awe to see what’s next. They certainly set the bar high for themselves with “Happy Death Day.”
Xdinary Heroes
Xdinary Heroes is JYP Entertainment’s first boy band in six years, and overall second after DAY6. This makes it inevitable to compare them to their senior band, but you really shouldn’t! It’s already clear that they are aiming for a completely different concept.
The group is composed of six members born between 1998 and 2002. Gunil (drummer, leader, and a Berklee graduate!), Jungsu (keyboardist, and who might be familiar from the 2019 JYP Entertainment Trainee showcase), Gaon (guitarist), O.de (keyboardist), Jun Han (guitarist), and Jooyeon (bassist, maknae).
Their name is a shortened version for “extraordinary heroes,” and with their slogan, "we are all heroes,” they are suggesting that we are all heroes of our own stories. If you are not part of Gen Z either, let me help you out here: everyone IS a main character!
As their name suggests, Xdinary Heroes made an extraordinary debut with “Happy Death Day.” It’s a very powerful introduction, bringing a seemingly new sound into the K-Pop scene.
”Happy Death Day”
As I mentioned at the beginning, “Happy Death Day” is probably not for everyone. But for me, it brought instant nostalgia and I was in awe from the beginning. Like the emo teenagers we were while rocking it out every weekend — and also some weekdays — with our high school bands… It isn’t just me, right? Now, I feel like Xdinary Heroes is the Gen Z (high-level) version of that memory.
“Happy Death Day” is a punk rock song with some emo lyrics criticizing the two-faced nature of people, specifically fake people who attend birthdays but just simply couldn’t care less about the one celebrating. The wild blast of energy captures your attention from the get-go. It is a heavy song, full of hard instrumentation and obnoxiously loud vocals, but this is the charm of the genre and I’m all here for it. This gives the song a unique sound for an idol band which already sets them apart from other K-Bands.
Keyboardist Jungsu took part in the songwriting, while guitarist Gaon was also part of the creative process, the two together giving us the twist of death horror for the birthday concept.
The music video also starts out at a birthday party where people seem warm until they have to say their congratulations, but turn cold with no genuine interest the next second. The members of Xdinary Heroes enter the event as a band dressed like clowns, but they get rid of their accessories and start performing in their real punk style in almost an instant. There is also a rooftop performance, graphic elements, a virtual-looking reality, and an HQ-like basement, so there is a lot to look at while bopping your head and jumping around to the music.
And wow, as a beauty enthusiast, ex-makeup artist — and to be honest, just someone with good eyes — I can’t finish this article without mentioning their makeup. Spiced up with some Gen Z vibes, these Joker and casual clown fusion looks could easily make a glossy editorial. Great job. You know what I will be doing this weekend — hint: recreating their looks.
We can’t wait to see where Xdinary Heroes is going with all this, but we are excited and full of curious expectations!