[OSEN=Park Jun-hyung] On the afternoon of the 28th, a showcase for the 3rd mini-album ‘i=!’ by the group XLOV (Umut, Louis, Hyun, Haru) was held at the Cube Convention Center in Sangam-dong, Seoul.
XLOV debuted in January of last year with the single ‘I’mma Be’ and has been active as a multinational four-member group with a genderless concept. Their previous work, ‘I God,’ ranked 6th on U.S. Billboard’s ’25 Best K-Pop Albums of the First Half of 2026.’ Meanwhile, member Hyun was unable to attend the showcase due to a leg injury.
[OSEN=Sun Mi-kyung] “Winning 1st place on a music broadcast is a dream and goal we always hold.”
Group XLOV held a showcase commemorating the release of their 3rd mini-album ‘i=!’ at 2 p.m. on the 28th at the Cube Convention Center in Mapo-gu, Seoul, where they performed their new songs ‘Hush’ and ‘Toothgem Chihuahua’ for the first time.
Released at 6 p.m. that day, XLOV’s new album ‘i=!’ focuses on moments of choice and the alternative possibilities existing behind them. It deals with the fear and confusion felt in front of outcomes altered by a single choice, while also raising the question that unchosen possibilities may still exist somewhere, showcasing an expanded worldview. XLOV presented double title tracks: ‘Hush’ and ‘Toothgem Chihuahua.’
Regarding the double title tracks, Haru explained, “Because the album is titled ‘i=!’, we wanted to capture the stories of opposing entities existing in the world. We brought double title tracks to feature extreme and contrasting images: ‘Hush,’ which can show fear, and ‘Toothgem Chihuahua,’ which can show cuteness.”
The title track ‘Hush’ is a song centered around heavy bass, combined with oriental motifs and bold sound design. It captures the dual nature of life through contrasting entities: a god guiding people onto the right path and an opposing god maximizing nightmares. It translates the paralyzed state caused by trauma into XLOV’s unique sound.
Another title track, ‘Toothgem Chihuahua,’ combines dreamcore and hyperpop with intense house rhythms, strangely twisted sounds, and repetitive vocal loops to complete a unique atmosphere. It depicts a dream world where a wolf raised by a Chihuahua family believes it too can become a beautiful Chihuahua.
Louis shared regarding the double title tracks, “Personally, when I first heard ‘Hush,’ the moment I heard the instrument sounds, I thought, ‘This is it.’ I thought, ‘It’s a quintessential XLOV song.’ ‘Toothgem Chihuahua’ felt somewhat dreamy, cute, and sad at the same time. I worried a bit about how to approach the recording, but they explained the story in great detail, which helped me record well.”
Umut, who participated in the songwriting, stated, “This is the first time XLOV is attempting an oriental-style title track. I think direct oriental instruments and sounds can attract the most attention,” adding, “I think ‘Hush’ delivers a mood that is dark and horrifying while also containing the beauty that only XLOV can show.”
Furthermore, regarding the selection of the ‘oriental style’ concept, Umut said, “First of all, we are all Asians, and thanks to the many overseas fans who have been supporting and loving us in the nearly two years since our debut, there was also the intention to spread the beauty of the oriental style more widely with our own strength.”
He added, “It was also a path everyone was interested in. Even during our trainee days, we were interested in basic dance techniques. We wondered if we would ever be able to properly showcase this with our skills, and now that we feel a bit more prepared, we brought it out.”
Haru raised expectations for the new title track performance by saying, “This time, we keep spinning turns in the chorus, and I think that part will be the key point. We spin seven turns in the chorus, so it would be great if you could pay attention to that.”
Aside from the double title tracks ‘Hush’ and ‘Toothgem Chihuahua,’ the album includes ‘Cat Move,’ capturing a cat’s provocative charm based on electronic dance sounds; ‘All Tied Up,’ a unit song by Louis and Haru featuring heavy bass and dreamy synth sounds; and ‘Silence,’ a track by Umut and Hyun conveying unique emotions through warm piano melodies and jazz-based R&B sounds. A speed-up version of ‘Toothgem Chihuahua’ adds even more unique charm.
Umut introduced, “I am always thinking about how to expand our musical spectrum. This time too, we tried to show music and performances we haven’t tried before. If you listen to an album track by track in order, I think you might feel like you’ve watched a movie.”
Having debuted last year as K-pop’s first gender-free group, XLOV has gathered attention for its original charms, with their 2nd mini-album ‘I God’ surpassing 200,000 copies in initial sales. With their upward trend continuing, their goals for this promotion were clear.
Louis expressed his hopes, saying, “We worked really hard to prepare this, so it would be great if fans listened to it a lot. If you look closely at the music video details, they are connected, so it will be very fun to find them one by one,” and added, “I’m really looking forward to music broadcast activities, and it would be amazing if we could win 1st place on a music broadcast through this opportunity.”
Umut also drew attention by saying, “The story and wish XLOV always tells each other and prays for before a comeback is 1st place on a music broadcast. It seems to be a goal and dream we’ve held always, from being young children dreaming of becoming K-pop idols to the day we became artists.”
In addition, regarding the modifier they want to gain as XLOV other than ‘gender-free,’ Louis shared, “I want to gain the modifier ‘the ultimate beauty.’ For us, rather than ‘pretty’ or ‘handsome,’ ‘truly beautiful’ is understood to mean ‘being true to oneself,’ so it feels like the nicest compliment to hear. I hope people immediately think of XLOV when the phrase ‘the ultimate beauty’ is mentioned.”
The concept of being K-pop’s first ‘gender-free’ group is XLOV’s identity. The members honestly expressed, “We started our activities knowing it was a very new path and that there would be various perspectives. We hope you think of the direction and lifestyle we present not as ‘try doing it like us,’ but as widening perspectives so everyone can live their own world and think, ‘such a direction and life also exist.’ It makes us proud that our courage is becoming the driving force and courage for many people to head in the direction that suits their lives.”
Regarding the differences from other K-pop idols as a gender-free group, Umut stated, “All four of us grew up watching K-pop, starting our dreams as fans and trainees. Our love and respect for K-pop are deeply rooted. We always think of ourselves as part of K-pop. The difference is that we are challenging ourselves by putting forward a gender-free, genderless concept for the first time. We are striving to make this unfamiliar concept approach people more softly and beautifully.”
Expectations are rising for the kind of music XLOV—who has built their own worldview since their debut last year with deep narratives and original concepts—has completed with new music and deeper stories.
