In movies, heroes and villains are sworn enemies, hating each other, fighting for the greater good (or bad) with the hero always coming up triumphant. In the world of K-Pop, however, an alternative universe exists where heroes and villains are one, existing in a place where villains shower their heroes with the utmost respect, kindness, excitement, sincerity, and support for their work and general existence. This universe belongs to the sextet-K-Pop-rock band Xdinary Heroes (comprised of Gunil, Jungsu, Gaon, O.de, Jun Han, and Jooyeon) who, on November 13, gifted their U.K.-based fans (impeccably named Villains) with a show at London’s O2 Academy Islington, the second stop of their Break the Brake World Tour in Europe. This London tour came just five days after the band performed in the city’s iconic OVO Wembley Arena for Korea On Stage, performing in a lineup alongside the likes of ATEEZ, Jannabi, P1Harmony, and more. 

A band of instrumentalists, vocalists, rappers, and, some may even say, dancers (yes, we’ve all seen them moves!) Xdinary Heroes have exuded a plethora of musical powers and talents since their debut in December 2021. From high-energetic pop-rock songs to emotional, heartfelt, rock-ballads, Xdinary Heroes can do it all, and the performances from the Break the Brake World Tour further validate this. 

To kickstart the night, Xdinary Heroes dived straight into the rock-heavy sounds of their recent mini-album, Livelock, with a spectacular performance of “Freddy.” There was no denying that Xdinary Heroes were going to be great performers and while it was only the first song of the night, Xdinary Heroes had already achieved the status of next-level performers, with “Freddy” setting the bar high for what was to follow. The likes of “Come into my head,” “Test Me,” “Hair Cut,” “Man in the Box,” and “Ghost,” Xdinary Heroes had fans in high spirits, singing, screaming, and chanting along to the band’s songs as they weaved in and out of different styles of up-tempo rock and pop-rock music.

Since their debut with “Happy Death Day” and the release of their first mini-album, Hello,world!, Xdinary Heroes have illustrated musical versatility through their impeccable instrumentations and exceptional vocal projections that allow them to deliver various sounds and styles, placing them as one of the best talents within today’s music scene.  Xdinary Heroes’ music perfectly captures each of the members' vocal and instrumental talents but their ability to master and deliver pure emotion on stage is another kind of phenomenal, especially when it comes to their rock-ballads. “Dear H.,” “Good enough,” and “Paranoid” played consecutively one after another, leaving no room to recover from the emotions that were felt and influenced by each ballad track; it was an unforgettable experience, hearing and witnessing each of these songs live. The vocals were outstanding, sounding the same as they do when recorded, if not better, with the members projecting more rawness and intensity into the sea of villains before them. 

Breaking away from the emotions brought on by the ballads, Xdinary Heroes re-lifted the mood with two cover performances, First, they delivered  an incredible rock version of ITZY’s “WANNABE,” complete with Jooyeon, Gaon, and Jungsu all doing Ryujin’s iconic shoulder dance, followed by their take on American rock band Boys Like Girls’s 2006 single “The Great Escape.” Xdinary Heroes' musical gift shines through each of their cover tracks as much as it does with their original songs, the way that they add their signature style and sound to other artists' tracks is one of their many musical superpowers. Bringing the cover section to a close, the members asked the crowd for suggestions as to which artist or song they should cover next, receiving the response “Bring Me The Horizon.” Gunil asked if we had seen their cover of Bring Me The Horizon’s track “Drown” (which, if you haven’t listened to yet, then definitely go and check that out) and promised to prepare a Bring Me The Horizon cover for their next visit. 

Following on from the covers, Xdinary Heroes brought the concert back to their own original material, diving into “Bad Chemical” before delivering one of their most anticipated tracks of the night, the addictive and energetic “Freakin’ Bad.” From the volume that filled the room, it was clear that Villains had been waiting all night to sing along to the lyrics of “Freakin’ Bad”’s chorus and its iconic “if you seek it, why owe you?” line. Several times in the night, Jun Han had the crowd hypnotized under his sensational guitar-playing spell with his guitar solos in “Freakin’ Bad” being another highly-anticipated moment of the night. Hearing his guitar section on the band’s EPs is incredible but hearing him play in person is a whole other experience! 

With the show being held in the U.K., everyone knows to expect an unpredictable weather climate and currently, the UK is cold. But on this day, Xdinary Heroes brought heat into the venue with Gunil declaring that the show was “going to get hotter” as they moved into the last section of the show. After performing “Sucker Punch!” and “Strawberry Cake,” O.de announced that the show had reached its last stage of the night, much to the sadness of the crowd. “Pirates” began the last stage with the members encouraging Villains to sing along, impressing Jooyeon who shouted “good” as the crowd sang along to his section. Xdinary Heroes then jumped straight into a performance of their nu-metal-inspired track “Bicycle,” providing high energy and intensity, complete with member headbangs, vocal screams, and fierce instrument playing. Bringing the show to an almighty end, “Break the Brake” further filled up the room with more Xdinary Heroes' intensity, receiving tons of reciprocated energy and love from their devoted Villains before the members exited the stage. 

Of course, the show didn’t end there! After a few minutes, Xdinary Heroes re-appeared with an outfit change for their encore, each of them now wearing their official tour T-shirts and holding onto their official lightsticks. “AGAIN? AGAIN!” began the encore stage before Xdinary Heroes gave us a breathtaking performance of their stunning rock ballad “PLUTO.” This track beautifully led the show into a sentimental moment where each member shared their feelings and emotions about the show. This was a special and touching moment for both Xdinary Heroes and Villains as it was clear how appreciated and loved the members felt by everyone in attendance. After taking the time to individually talk to the crowd, Xdinary Heroes went into a performance of “X-MAS” before officially bringing the show to a close with a vibrant performance of their superior debut song, “Happy Death Day.” Each member let loose on stage, interacting with one another, ending the show on a euphoric high. 

An unforgettable and special night, Xdinary Heroes’ Break the Brake tour in London was an exceptional show for U.K.-based Villains, allowing us to witness the extraordinary talents of this exceptional rock band, and to see Gunil, Jungsu, Gaon, O.de, Jun Han, and Jooyeon all make their rockstar dreams a reality. Thank you to MyMusicTaste, JYP Entertainment, Studio J, and Xdinary Heroes for bringing the show to London and for allowing Kraze Magazine to attend. It was a night not to be missed! And we can’t wait for Xdinary Heroes and U.K. Villains to reunite again in the future.

Edited by Lacey Diluvio