Xikers returns with darker, deeper charisma in their bold 4th mini album

From left: Xikers members Hunter, Jinsik, Hyunwoo, Sumin, Minjae, Yujun, Junmin, Yechan and Seeun pose for a photo during the press showcase held in Mapo-gu, Seoul, Thursday. (Kwon Min-seo/The Korea Herald)

K-pop boy band Xikers released their 4th mini album, "House of Tricky: Watch Out," on Friday, showcasing more powerful performances and charisma than ever before.

The album comes in three distinct versions, each depicting a different phase of Xikers' journey. “The ‘Tricky’ version represents the maze Xikers are trying to escape from, while the ‘X’ version captures the moment they discover the light and run toward it. The ‘Hiker’ version shows the moment of breaking free from the maze,” Minjae said during a press showcase held in Mapo-gu, Seoul, on Thursday.

The lead track, “Witch,” falls under the trap genre and features a mysterious performance where Xikers appear to dance with an unknown, mystical being.

The group emphasized the album’s theme of "breaking through" and how each member pushed their limits.

“All of us worked hard to express the flow of the story from start to finish on stage, focusing on emotions and expressions to truly ‘break through’ in our performance,” Minjae added.

Although member Junghoon is still recovering from a knee injury sustained in May last year and was unable to participate in recording, the 10-member group’s energy remains as strong as ever.

Looking ahead, Xikers shared their ambitions to continue performing on the global stage. Minjae mentioned that they were deeply inspired by the Coachella performance of Ateez, a popular K-pop band from the same agency.

“While promoting our 3rd mini album, we watched Ateez perform live at Coachella. It was incredibly moving, and we dream of one day standing on a global stage like that,” Minjae said.

Yujun also noted that all members have now turned 20, expressing his desire for fans to recognize their growth and maturity, moving beyond their earlier youthful image.

Since their debut in March 2023, Xikers has shown impressive growth. Their debut album, "House of Tricky: Doorbell Ringing," reached No. 75 on the Billboard 200 chart just 12 days after its release. Six months later, the group embarked on their first world tour, starting in North America from October last year to January this year, and continuing in Europe until February.

By Lee Jung-youn(jy@heraldcorp.com)