xikers finds themselves in newest EP, 'House of Tricky : How to Play'

Boy band xikers raised eyebrows when it took just 12 days to enter the Billboard 200 chart after debuting in March. Peaking at No. 75, its debut EP “House of Tricky : Doorbell Ringing” sold over 100,000 physical copies and also landed xikers on ...

Boy band xikers sat down for a press interview to talk about its new music at the office of KQ Entertainment, its agency, on July 25. [KQ ENTERTAINMENT]

Boy band xikers raised eyebrows when it took just 12 days to enter the Billboard 200 chart after debuting in March. Peaking at No. 75, its debut EP “House of Tricky : Doorbell Ringing” sold over 100,000 physical copies and also landed xikers on the Grammy’s list of “11 K-Pop Boy Groups To Watch In 2023.”

Now, xikers is ready to unveil its sophomore EP “House of Tricky : How to Play” on Aug. 2. The band sat down for a press interview to talk about its new music at the office of KQ Entertainment, its agency, on July 25.

“I can’t believe it’s already been over 100 days since our debut,” said Junmin. “Time flew by as we prepared for another EP.”

Four months is considered a speedy return in K-pop. xikers says the quick comeback was exciting as it could apply self-reflections and feedback from its debut promotions as soon as possible.

Concept photo for xikers' "House of Tricky : How to Play" [KQ ENTERTAINMENT]

“I didn’t have the mental space to be relaxed on stage, because it was our first release ever and we always wanted to show bursts of energy,” Hyunwoo said about xikers’ previous activities. “As we got more experience, I think we now have routines and our own way of doing things on stage. We also have a better idea of what fans will enjoy.”

“I paid extra attention to every piece of feedback from fans,” Yujun said. “Before our debut, we pretty much only saw ourselves perform in the practice room mirror. Now, we try to see things from fans’ perspective and think about how we’ll look the best to them on stage and camera.”

“House of Tricky : How to Play” continues with the fictional backstory that xikers debuted with: Minjae, Junmin, Sumin, Jinsik, Hyunwoo, Hunter, Junghoon, Seeun, Yujun and Yechan are 10 boys who have been rejected as “unfit” in a perfect dystopian world. The boys embark on a journey to find themselves, receiving hints from a character named Tricky.

Concept photo for xikers' "House of Tricky : How to Play" [KQ ENTERTAINMENT]

Like how xikers promoted two songs “Tricky House” and “Rockstar” for its first EP, the new release features two lead tracks of very different styles. “Do or Die” is a funky rock number featuring KQ’s signature thunderous roar-style rap. “Homeboy” is a more relaxed number that sings about the boys’ journey.

“While promoting two songs for our debut EP, we saw that it’s a good way to show the public many different charms that we have,” the band’s leader Minjae said. “If we get the opportunity, we’d also love to perform the four other tracks.”

“In this EP, I tried to use a lot of clever expressions,” Sumin, who participated in writing the lyrics for a number of tracks, said. “Any unique words, onomatopoeias, or phrases from local Korean dialects, I try to remember and use them in the lyrics.”

“The EP is just as colorful as our hair colors,” he added, sporting bright green hair.

xikers debuted in March 2022 with the lead tracks "Tricky House" and "Rockstar." [KQ ENTERTAINMENT]

It hasn't been long since their debut, and the members say they’ve been spending their days with gratitude toward all the achievements the band has already seen.

“We recently had the chance to perform in Spain in front of a large audience,” Yechan, the group’s youngest, said. “We were honored that so many of them sang along and cheered for us. It made us feel like this is just the beginning, and we really have to work hard together.”

“We were so grateful to perform at KCON Thailand 2023 and cover 2PM’s ‘Heartbeat’ [2009],” Thai member Hunter said. “It’s very well-known in Thailand, and I’ve listened to it since was little. I was so grateful to perform that song at KCON in my home country. I’m glad a lot of Thai fans found out about us through that performance.”

“The moment I heard we made it onto the Billboard chart, I wondered if it was real,” Seeun said. “It’s a chart I’ve only heard about from the news, and I couldn’t believe we were on it. Years down the road, it will be a lasting memory for us.”

Members also shared how they became the proud sons of their families upon debuting.

Concept photo for xikers' "House of Tricky : How to Play" [KQ ENTERTAINMENT]

“My dad is not a very expressive person,” Seeun said. “But when our EP entered the Billboard, my mom told me that he’d been telling everyone in town and boasting about it.”

“My older brother, who rarely acknowledges anything I do, told me ‘That’s quite impressive’ and bought me clothes,” Junmin laughed.

“When I went back home, my parents got so many of the albums and my photo cards to decorate what used to be my room,” Hyunwoo said. “I don’t even know how they got so many of my photo cards. It motivated me to keep working even harder.”

In the saturated sea of fourth-generation K-pop idol groups, which debuted in the 2020s, xikers had the fortune of debuting under KQ Entertainment. The firm started out small but garnered attention thanks to the success of boy band Ateez, and xikers also received attention for being the hit band’s "younger brothers."

xikers members pose for the press interview. [KQ ENTERTAINMENT]

But that also means xikers has been faced with the task of carving an identity of its own, ultimately establishing its unique style and sound in the public eye.

“Producer Eden-ary and Hongjoong of Ateez, who writes a lot of songs for us, give us advice all the time,” Minjae said. “They tell us not to be overly conscious of distinguishing ourselves. As long as we keep doing what only we can do — singing, making facial expressions and giving off the vibe just the way we are — it will come across to the audience. That’s also what we should be focusing on, instead of worrying too much about being different.”

BY HALEY YANG [yang.hyunjoo@joongang.co.kr]