[EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW]: How XD:I Combines K-Pop and EDM for High-Energy Performances
Photos: The ARK Foundation
Among the acts who performed on the first day of the Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) in Incheon, South Korea on October 3, rookie group XD:I took to the Circuit Grounds stage. Swan, Betty, Hazè, and Kana unveiled a 40-minute set full of energy and excitement, performing like seasoned pros in front of an international audience at a massive EDM festival. Led and produced by Swan, formerly Jiyoon of Weeekly, the group came together to create a unique concept through its members’ experiences as K-Pop trainees and/or DJs. Debuting on August 5, 2026, the group strives to provide entertainment through a mashup of K-Pop and EDM performance, combining live vocals, rap, choreography, and DJing. After their time at EDC Korea 2026, the group took some time to reflect on that incredible moment, their inspirations and dreams, and future plans with The Kraze.
Q: Congratulations on your debut earlier this year! For our readers who are getting the chance to know you for the first time, can each member give a little introduction about themselves?
Swan: Hi, I’m Swan, the leader and producer of XD:I! I make music for XD:I, and I also choreograph most of our songs and direct our performances. I’m like the captain of this pirate ship!
Betty: Hi, The Kraze! I'm Betty, the main DJ of XD:I. Here's a fun fact about my name: people have always told me I look like Betty Boop, so that's where “Betty” comes from! I've been DJing for almost four years now, and I've mostly played heavy, bass-driven music like bass house, speed house, dubstep, and trap.
Nothing makes me happier than getting a crowd hyped with my music. It honestly gives me the biggest rush of dopamine. Through XD:I, I want to get even more people hyped up and jumping with us!
Hazè: Hi, I’m Hazè from XD:I, and I’m one of the vocalists in XD:I.
Kana: Hi, I’m Kana, the voice of XD:I. I think my voice is a key part of our identity, and I want people to know it’s XD:I the moment they hear it.
What does the name “XD:I” mean and how does it relate to the group’s goal?
“XD” is the face you make when you’re really excited/hyped, [and] “:I” is the poker face you put on to get through the daily grind.
I hope our “XD” can become a part of your everyday life, so that even on the days when you feel down like “(:/),” you can listen to our music and become XD!
Your group’s concept blends K-Pop and EDM performance with a focus on a festival-first live model. What do you hope that K-Pop listeners and EDM listeners, who might not be fans of both genres yet, take away from your music and performance?
We want people to headbang and dance until their bodies hurt, so they can forget about the pain of real life…just like we do. It doesn’t matter what genre they’re into. We just want to make dance floors hot again and bring the fun back to the music industry. We’re all here to have fun, right?
We hope our music can give people the feeling of being at a festival, even when they’re just listening to us with their headphones. Even if someone isn’t familiar with either genre, we hope they can simply enjoy the energy, fun, and feel like dancing with us.
To put it simply, we're a group with EDM as our genre and K-Pop as our performance style. But honestly, I see XD:I as a genre of its own. So I hope everyone can just feel “the XD:I genre.” It means we have our own color, and we're not limited to just one genre.
And to us, “the XD:I genre” is all about getting people to jump and have fun. It's not K-Pop where you just sit and watch, and it's not EDM where you just jump around. It's a genre where your eyes are entertained and you can be part of us too. That's exactly why festivals are where we shine the most.
Tell us about your debut single, “SPRAY U.” What is the idea and meaning behind this song?
The idea for “SPRAY U” came from a video of a color festival! Everyone was wearing clothes they didn't mind ruining, getting covered in color, and just going completely wild. And somehow, the messier it got, the more free everyone looked. That kind of footage became the reference for “SPRAY U.”
In the song, spraying someone means covering them with our colors, energy, and attitude, leaving a mark that cannot be erased. The track is based on tech house, but we intentionally made it louder, rougher, and a little more chaotic than typical tech house. We wanted the sound itself to feel like that moment when everyone stops caring about getting messy and just lets go.
How did your members discover their passion for the EDM genre?
S: I was an EDM kid when I was in middle school. I was a huge fan of artists like Porter Robinson, Giraffage, Flume, and Skrillex. I kept discovering EDM little by little, and then I went through the COVID-19 pandemic.
After the pandemic, I went to college and discovered so many different genres of EDM through a music club at my university. That’s when I heard “Start Shit” by Crankdat, and I completely fell in love with it. I became obsessed with dubstep and bass music.
I also found out that “Bangarang (feat. Sirah),” which I had always loved from Skrillex, was actually dubstep, and I was like, “Wait, I’ve already loved this!”In a way, hearing “Start Shit” really started some sh*t for me (Haha!). Then, when Skrillex came to Korea, I went to an EDM festival and really experienced that whole festival culture for the first time. That was EDC Korea last year. And now, somehow, we performed at EDC Korea 2026. Haha. It’s kind of crazy when I think about it.
B: Back in high school, I was obsessed with EDM. I'd have it on repeat while studying. It was peak EDM era, so Zedd, Alan Walker, Cash Cash, and Martin Garrix were all over the pop charts. EDM became the soundtrack to my everyday life, way before I even knew what the genre was called.
But the moment I truly fell in love with EDM and DJing came a bit later. It was the summer of my senior year, right before the Suneung, Korea's university entrance exam. A friend told me about a festival called Your Summer Festival and asked if I wanted to go. To be honest, I barely knew what a DJ was back then. I only went because teens got half-price tickets! I figured a DJ was just someone who stood on stage and hit play on one song after another.
But that day changed everything. The tracks I used to play through my headphones were coming alive right in front of me. It felt unreal. Thousands of strangers were jumping, laughing, and screaming to the exact same beat. That energy was indescribable!
On the subway ride home, I actually cried. I was so overwhelmed that I couldn't put it into words. That's when I made up my mind: “I want to be the one who creates this energy.”
So as soon as I started university, I joined a DJ club called E.A.T (Electronic Artwork Team) and finally learned how to DJ. And before I knew it, I'd been behind the decks for four years straight. Anyway, my love and passion for EDM may have begun by chance, but perhaps it was inevitable all along.
H: To be honest, I first became interested in EDM after joining my company. Through my experience at EDC this time, I really came to feel how enjoyable EDM is and how it can bring so many people together to enjoy the music as one. Experiencing a festival firsthand also helped me discover the charm of EDM even more.
Kana: I originally focused mainly on jazz, so EDM was a very different world for me. What really attracted me to it was about [how] the music can connect a whole crowd, even when everyone is a complete stranger. I believe there’s a unique kind of freedom in EDM that’s hard to find in other genres.
Which music artists inspire you the most?
S: I’ve always loved pop divas like Lady Gaga. And these days, I feel like so many young women artists are really taking over the music industry: ADÉLA, Zara Larsson, Slayyyter, PinkPantheress, and so many more artists [that] I can’t even name them all. I love seeing so many beautiful, passionate women taking the lead and shaping the music industry. It makes me so happy and inspired to see.
B: So many artists, especially DJs, inspire me that it’s hard to name them all. However, the one who has left the biggest impression on me lately is Jessica Audiffred. At EDC Korea 2026, she played the Circuit Grounds stage right after XD:I. I watched her set from both backstage and the crowd, and I was totally blown away.
From her energy on stage and the way she commanded the crowd, to her seamless mixing flow—every part of it was something I wanted to study and learn from. And honestly, I think energy and aura are everything for a DJ, and Jessica has both without a doubt. I was inspired so much just by watching her.
H: I really like Taeyeon. I admire not only her incredible vocals, but also the way she brings her own unique color to the stage and expresses the mood and emotions of each song so well. I hope to become an artist like her who can naturally draw people’s attention and have my own distinct atmosphere and identity.
K: BLACKPINK, especially Jennie, is a huge inspiration for me. I love the way she owns the stage and makes every performance feel so effortless. The way she brings a song to life through her tone, expressions, and little details is really special. I admire how she always has her own way of expressing music, and that’s something I really want to develop as an artist.
For Swan and Betty, what aspects of your experiences as solo DJ performers are you bringing into your group work with XD:I?
S: One thing I bring into XD:I is the ability to handle unexpected situations and improvise on stage. I’ve learned how to read the audience and spontaneously raise the energy of a performance based on their reactions.
I’ve also performed in all kinds of places, from elementary school events to outdoor stages in the countryside. Because of that, I know how precious every stage is. No matter how big or small the stage is, I always try to give it my absolute best.
B: I've been DJing consistently since 2022, and over the years, I've put together countless sets. To humblebrag a little bit—I actually won second place in a DJ competition back in 2024! Because of that background, I have total confidence when it comes to structuring a mix.
I know exactly what catches people's attention, which track makes for the ultimate banger, and how to build a seamless flow that keeps the energy right where it needs to be. I'm bringing all of that experience and intuition straight into XD:I. Right now, I'm the one who builds the flow for our group sets.
For Hazè and Kana, how does singing and dancing in XD:I differ from traditional K-Pop group performances?
H: I think the biggest difference is that we combine the performance elements of K-Pop with the free-spirited energy of EDM. I also think that interacting with the audience and building up the energy together is something special about XD:I.
K: In traditional K-Pop, the choreography and vocals are very detailed and structured. But with XD:I, we still have that performance, and also want to capture the freedom and spontaneity of an EDM festival.
What was it like getting to perform at EDC Korea 2026, such a well-known global festival headlined by famous EDM artists?
S: As I mentioned earlier, the festival where I had the most intense and unforgettable experience as a fan was EDC Korea 2026. Coming back to the same festival just one year later, this time as a performer instead of an audience member, was honestly an incredible and surreal experience. It still feels like a dream. At one point, the audience started getting excited on their own and formed a circle pit.
When I saw everyone running around in a circle, I found myself screaming without even realizing it. And we shouted, “Open the pit!” Then people really opened up huge pits. Everyone was going absolutely crazy and having the time of their lives.
The applause, the screams, everyone singing along…I was so overwhelmed by the moment. And then, our last song was a song I wrote and composed with DnB Seoul. Hearing that huge crowd go wild to the lyrics and melody that I created… It was like a dream I’ve always dreamed.
But this is only the beginning! I want to experience bigger stages and become a global artist. I’m so grateful to my fans, my company, and my family for giving me the strength to dream bigger. Let’s go worldwide!
B: It was insane. My dream of becoming a DJ actually started at an EDM festival. So the fact that I got to play on a stage as big as EDC still blows my mind. Just last year, I was standing in the crowd as a fan. This year, I was the one up on stage—I still can't really believe it.
But what blew me away even more was seeing how many people were feeding off our energy. It was way beyond what I expected. Looking out from the stage, I could see people [enjoying the] mosh pit and headbanging, completely losing themselves in our set.
And that energy came right back to us. The crowd gave us something I can't even put into words. It was like we were all fueling each other. After that stage, there was only one thing on my mind: I want to keep doing this, on an even bigger scale, with even more people jumping and going crazy with us.
H: Since this was my first time ever attending a festival, I was really excited and looking forward to it, but I was also worried about making mistakes during the performance and whether I would be able to fully enjoy the experience myself. But when I saw the audience enjoying our performance and jumping along with us, I was able to really enjoy the stage as well. It was my first festival, so it still feels surreal that I got to experience it by performing at EDC, and I feel incredibly honored.
K: It was surreal. I remember looking out at the crowd and thinking, “Wow, is it real?” It was a huge stage, especially being surrounded by so many amazing EDM artists. I just wanted to enjoy the moment with everyone. It definitely became the moment that made me want to keep performing on bigger stages.
What is your greatest dream for XD:I in the future?
S: First, I want to sell out Madison Square Garden. But of course, that won’t be the end. Once I do that, I’ll think about what comes next. I don’t want to plan everything too far ahead. Everything is more exciting when it’s not expected!
B: My dream is to have our own festival one day, and take it on tour. Just like Knock2 and ISOxo did with Niteharts Festival, I want to build something that's completely ours, from the lineup to the vibe. And of course, I want every single show to be sold out!
But at the end of the day, it's really about the people. I want to share all of our energy with as many people as possible and give them their best night ever! Back in high school, one festival night changed my whole life. If XD:I can give someone that same kind of night, I think that's enough.
H: I want XD:I to become a group that makes people want to see and experience us live, rather than simply listen to our music. I also hope that when people think of XD:I, they think of unforgettable, exciting moments and powerful energy that they can share with us. Not only in Korea, but around the world, I want us to perform at festivals and become a group that can enjoy those special moments together with our audience.
K: Honestly? ‘‘World domination.’’
