Photo = KQ Entertainment

 

Group XIKERS stood at the starting point of a new series and showed an even more grown side of themselves.

 

XIKERS held a showcase for the release of its seventh mini album ‘ROUTE ZERO : The ORA’ at NOL Theater Hapjeong Dongyang Life Hall on the 19th and shared stories about its new album.

 

Having debuted in March 2023, XIKERS has built its own identity with a unique concept and differentiated charm in every album. With its sixth mini album ‘HOUSE OF TRICKY : WRECKING THE HOUSE,’ released last October, the group recorded 327,734 copies in initial chodong sales, achieving a career high, and its growth was recognized as it won the Next Wave Award at the 33rd Anniversary Hanteo Music Awards 2025 held this past February.

 

The seventh mini album ‘ROUTE ZERO : The ORA’ marks the starting point of a newly introduced series after wrapping up the ‘HOUSE OF TRICKY’ series, which had continued for two years and seven months since the group’s debut. The album contains a total of five tracks, including the title track ‘OKay,’ with members MINJAE, SUMIN, and YECHAN participating in the lyrics for all songs.

 

JINSIK introduced the album by saying, “It is an album that carries the meaning of starting from zero, with nothing, after breaking out of Tricky House at the end of our previous journey, and you will be able to see XIKERS’ growth.” MINJAE explained, “Since we had tried various concepts from the beginning of our debut, we came to the conclusion that from the outside, it could look a bit chaotic,” adding, “We worked hard to choose the genres we had been able to do well so far, and since we are now in our fourth year, I also think we have become more mature, so I think this album came out with a sense of unity and weight.”

 

They also talked about the title track ‘OKay.’ YECHAN introduced it as “a song that can fully show XIKERS’ rough and untamed charm,” adding, “You can see XIKERS’ fearless and confident side as we boldly cast aside the rules set by the world.” JUNGHoon added, “There is a part in the chorus where ‘OKay’ is repeated, and I think we will be able to show explosive energy, so I think you will be able to feel a sense of catharsis.” There was also a unique attempt during the working process. SUMIN revealed, “I tried putting the national anthem in as backing vocals from the fifth bar of the verse all the way to the end,” adding, “I wanted to include a lot of fun elements, and I also had a desire to promote our country, so I tried various things.”

 

They also shared how they felt after completing the first performance. MINJAE shared, “This kind of setting always makes me really nervous, but at the same time, there is a thrill that coexists with it,” adding, “In the case of this stage, it is a song that feels like we are all walking on a knife-edge together, so I think it is a very joyful and thrilling performance.” HYUNWOO said, “We worked hard to establish our original identity as goblins, and I’m happy because I think details like our hair colors and lenses came out well in the music video too.”

 

The process of preparing the performance was also extraordinary. YECHAN said, “The choreography is very powerful and definitely leaves us out of breath, but we are practicing live in the practice room with microphones on, just like the real stage,” adding, “The rapper members also have 0% AR, so we practiced until we had no strength left in order to show a more perfect performance.” SEEUN said, “During the period of preparing for this comeback, we discussed a lot with the company about how we could show an even higher-quality stage,” adding, “While preparing for various award ceremonies and performances, we matched our energy and teamwork, and based on that, we tried to include our growth in this album.”

 

MINJAE also opened up about his honest feelings. He said, “One of the things I admired about many artists before debuting was that it was clear they wanted to show the world what they liked and this side of themselves,” adding, “But as I continued promoting, when I asked myself whether I was truly and happily showing the things I really liked and could do well, I couldn’t answer with certainty that I was.” He shared, “Starting with this album, I worked hard to achieve results that would allow me to answer, every time an album comes out, that I think we really did that.”

 

Regarding the stage, he also added, “At some point, I became too focused on the things that are seen, so there were definitely moments when I didn’t fully feel that all 10 of us were genuinely enjoying ourselves on stage,” adding, “Because I thought that in order to enjoy ourselves on stage, practice underneath it has to firmly support us, I had a lot of conversations with the members during this break about tightening up those areas.” He shared, “Thankfully, even amid their busy schedules, the members practiced really hard and tried to fill in the areas where each of us was lacking, so rather than remembering it as a difficult time, I remember us encouraging one another and preparing in a fun and dedicated way.”

 

The members also continued to share their ambitions. HUNTER said, “I hope we can achieve good results, such as winning No. 1 on a music show or topping a music chart, and more than anything, I think it is important to walk a path that does not go wrong with our fans.” SEEUN said, “I want to hold a concert in Korea soon and meet many fans, and I also want to stand on major festival stages like Coachella or Lollapalooza.” SUMIN shared, “We are a group that uses the stage widely and freely delivers a lot of energy to the audience,” adding, “Whenever fans tell us, ‘I was comforted a lot after watching your stage,’ or ‘I was exhausted, but it became a great driving force for me,’ it makes me strongly feel that I chose this job well.” As his closing remark, MINJAE pledged, “We will diligently climb one step at a time and eventually reach the highest place,” adding, “We will remain a passionate idol group for a long, long time.”

 

XIKERS’ seventh mini album ‘ROUTE ZERO : The ORA’ was released through various online music sites at 6 p.m. on this day. Attention is focused on what new narrative XIKERS, standing at the starting point of a new series, will write with this album.