A few weeks before blowing out the candles marking the end of its second year of career, the group Xdinary Heroes performed on the Bataclan stage in the opening concert of its first European tour, thus demonstrating that musical genres are not matter of culture!
South Korean music currently occupies a prominent place in the international musical landscape. A good number of groups perform to sold-out audiences in more or less renowned venues, and the artists themselves take center stage through numerous collaborations with the fashion, cinema and even the music industries. beauty. However, beyond this fame, a “typical” description of this musical trend comes up again and again in many media: that of watered-down pop, for young women, with precise choreography. And yet, different groups unite fans just as much and have the chance to perform on our stages!
This is the case of Xdinary Heroes, which, less than two years after its debut, can boast of having brought together nearly 1,500 people during its first Parisian concert. The choice of the venue, the Bataclan, is particularly judicious. In addition to its history, the place is famous among fans of Asian music and pop-rock style. Many Japanese, South Korean and upcoming groups have had the chance to perform there. A powerful story mixed with the proximity offered by the place. Needless to say, stepping onto the same stage as The Cure (80s), Marilyn Manson (1990s), or much more recently ATEEZ, in 2019 for its very first French concert, is a success for a young band like Xdinary Heroes.
However, the success of Xdinary Heroes was not a given. In a musical landscape mixing electro, pop and street music, rap and hip-hop, where the emphasis is placed on the groups' dance performances, it was difficult to anticipate the future of the group. The group can, moreover, act as an alien among all those launched by JYP Entertainment. Too young to have experienced the pop-rock period of the 2000s and 2010s led by Imagine Dragons or even ONE DIRECTION, today's fans are, however, still as seduced by the mastery of the instrument. In front of an almost full house, Xdinary Heroes demonstrated, for the most skeptical, that rock was not an antagonist of pop.
The performance lasted more than two hours. One hundred and twenty minutes during which the band was able to show all of its qualities, covering most of the titles from its discography. A particularly well-balanced setlist between the hit tracks from Xdinary Heroes, and these lesser-known pieces, but present on its three albums. A balance also present in the progress of the concert, combining energetic titles, more rock pieces and ballads which will bring a few tears to the most sensitive. Beyond the successes of “Hair Cut” or the emblematic “Happy Death Day”, titles such as “Paranoid” were highlighted, becoming real discoveries for neophytes.
Further proof that Xdinary Heroes is a music group in its own right, mastering its instruments and possessing singing qualities. Two covers will punctuate the evening: that of “WANNABE” by ITZY, and “The Great Escape” by BOYZ LIKE GIRLS, a pop-rock group that began in 2005, further proof of Xdinary Heroes' desire to demonstrate that this movement is still topical in 2023!
Through this first European tour, Xdinary Heroes proved that, despite its youth, the band had nothing to envy of its elders. On the contrary, with a concept and a musical universe of its own. In addition, he was able to attract a diverse audience mixing fans of the K-Pop movement and those from the 2000s/2010s who lacked pop-rock sounds. The announcement, a few days after this concert, of the partnership between Live Nation and JYP Entertainment for future tours of the label's groups suggests that Xdinary Heroes could well perform in front of several thousand people during its next visit!
The entire KARAOME team would like to thank MyMusicTaste, JYP Entertainment and Xdinary Heroes for allowing this live report.
© Photo Credits: Louise AUDRY for KARAOME - JYP Entertainment