interviews

XLOV's first album, "the never-ending LOVE is getting thicker, It's not the end"

their debut single [I'mma Be] contains 'unfinished love' and 'the many kinds of painful love they've experienced', and they want to show off the various and delicate charms that only each member can express. the concept of X, which contains the meaning of the unknown and denial, LOV, which contains unfinished love, and words with different shapes and meanings that were condensed into one and reborn with their own color, is the origin of the concept that unfolds from the title song of the same name [I'mma Be].

"with their bold, genderless concept, xlov isn’t simply introducing something fresh—they’re affirming that being different isn’t a fleeting trend to be celebrated but a truth (for many) that should be embraced and encouraged."

"what sets xlov apart is their empowering message: it’s okay to stand out, it’s okay to be different, and most importantly, being different doesn’t need explanation—it’s simply who they are. with their genderless concept, they are showing the world that identity is multifaceted and self-expression shouldn’t be confined by stereotypes. their debut feels refreshingly authentic, embracing individuality in a way that challenges traditional norms. they make it clear that gender is just one aspect of who someone is, and it should never be a box to check off or something to hide. in a world where norms often restrict self-expression, xlov is fostering a space where genderless expression is the new normal (whatever normal is)."

"together, they are expanding the boundaries of what it means to be an idol group, proving that artistry doesn’t have to fit into a set mold. they aren’t just adopting a concept—they are truly embracing it with a sense of confidence and authenticity that feels both refreshing and inspiring."

"by breaking away from traditional norms, xlov aims to foster inclusivity while delivering compelling music and electrifying performances."

xlov: "first of all, we’ve been thinking about how to show our uniqueness in our debut song and how to reflect the color of xlov through it. we chose “i’mma be” as our debut single because we found its atmosphere incredibly captivating after listening to many songs."

wumuti: "when i wrote the arrangement of this song, i was confident that i could show our members well with this song by maximizing the charming points that i felt when i first heard “i’mma be,” so this song was chosen as our debut title."

xlov: "the most addictive part of “i’mma be ” is the black melody, “i’mma be your woo woo woo. ” it’s reminiscent of a fox’s cry. we think this melody alone expresses the “neutrality” and “delicacy” that xlov pursues. of course, we will showcase many of our ideas through outfits and performances, but we believe listening to “i’mma be” will give fans insight into our direction."

xlov: "when we say “genderless,” we think it might be a little difficult for english-speaking fans to fully grasp. by “genderless,” we aim to break stereotypes that suggest only certain genders can do this or that. the art we express is “gender-free,” and we hope it empowers more people to embrace their true selves and pursue who they want to be."

xlov: "x represents the unknown, lov stands for negativity, and lov also symbolizes unfinished love. the name combines words with different shapes and meanings. if you look closely, x.l.0.v resembles the face of an odd-eyed person. isn’t that funny? (laughs)."

xlov: "the art xlov presents is an aesthetic we’ve all thought about and loved for a long time. it’s not just about one member’s taste—it’s something new and unique that many people, including ourselves, have been waiting for. it’s something we all resonate with, which makes the balance feel natural."

xlov: "we draw inspiration from various places, but one unique source is our drawings. in these sketches, we find much of our imagination and inspiration, which shapes how we approach our work.

xlov: "as we’ve said before, we hope our performances and music inspire a sense of freedom and liberation, motivating fans to embrace their true selves."

"they poured out their guts—their wounds, their genderless approach, their fearless ambition, and their desperate determination. as someone who has often viewed the world through a slightly skewed lens, i felt an instant connection and couldn’t help but take on the project wholeheartedly."

wumuti: "hi everybody, mr hope is back!"

hyun [about joining xlov] "i kind of felt like it was fate (so i said) "ah hyung, i'll do it."

wumuti: "I'mma Be is a hip-hop, r&b, bass song. and the message we want to convey with this song is 'the me i want to become' and this message is really in it in a big way, and 'this side of me will soon become your wish [i'mma be your wish]. i'm already doing what you wish to do. you should try it to.' it's a song that holds this message, so the points we're talking about here like holding the title of 'genderless group' - when i decided to do this concept and the reason i picked this song first of all the 'whoo' - as soon as i heard this for the first time, i thought 'this is it' and continued to work with the song, with the lyrics and the choreography with the thought of 'let's convey this'. i wanted it to be a debut song with the message of 'rather than reading the room/the vibe, let's just do it exactly how we want to, how it is in my head'."

host: "what did you think about this song when you first heard it?"

hyun: "for me when i first heard this song i thought it was a really mean song with a bitter atmosphere and i thought 'oh? is this a (type of) song that has released in the recent kpop scene?' it had that kind of new feeling."

host: "is there anything you think we need to focus on when we watch the music video?"

wumuti: "i'm so proud of the mv's colour, its filter? i think it was almost like a movie? it has a kind of movie vibe. so i like that so much. and for the other key points, actually the four of us each have our own characters. the story of the characters in the mv is kind of abstract, so i thought it might be difficult to do it like that, but i think the story expresses that! i usually like to draw, i often draw abstractly, so like that story kind of makes you think, 'oh? is this right?' there's a lot of things that pass by (?) in an abstract way, but i think that's really interesting/fun. so when fans, evols, ask, i don't tell them the story/lore [laughing]."

rui: [about wumuti comforting them during boys planet] "during that time wumuti hyung was always by my side and the things he kept saying to me was 'the results of that time aren't the end of you, keep working hard and later i will make it so that you can shine.' he said these words a lot to me, so it was really comforting during that time."

haru: [on which super power they would like to have] "for me ... uh in the sky ... like this"

rui: "the ability to fly! cute!

hyun: "cute!"

host: "where do you want to fly to?"

haru: "i just ... like this ... above [does little angel wings]."

wumuti: [on representative colours and animals] "rui is pink, hyun is blue, i'm red, and haru's yellow. pink, blue, red, yellow. a lot of people ask where the colours come from. but for this, it's really just what was in my head when thinking about our image. rather than the colours meaning something, it's just the colour i see when i look at the person, i did it like that. and our emojis are bunny, butterfly, monkey, fox."

wumuti: "should we describe the title track in one keyword? i think the word 'confidence' works. i think the word 'love' is also correct, too."

hyun: "i've been thinking about one... how about 'prologue'? it's the beginning of the beginning. it's like a preview before we go to the main episode."

wumuti: "there's a part in the lyrics that says 'this is just a preview'.

hyun: "that's good."

wumuti: "then, there's a story about "preview" in our lyrics, too.

hyun: "my promotional name is 'hyun'. my real name is 'kim jinhyung'. wumuti gave me my stage name. i said i wanted a one-character name with 'h' in it. so wumuti suggested 'hyun'.

hyun: "our song has a very mysterious and bleak vibe. if you want to feel the scent of winter for sure, please listen to our song!

xlov, the rookies, making an impact from the start! their debut song 'i'mma be' features a strong beat and elegant vibes while highlighting xlov's individuality and a message about self expression! xlov's unique style and revolutionary genderless concept instantly drew the attention of kpop fans worldwide!

evol: "what is your favourite part of the dance to i'mma be?"

haru: "i think, after all, it has to be the chorus ... 'fox'. [does the choreo 'fox' motion, same as ksl sign for 'fox']

wumuti: "i'm also a big fan of having the variety and invidiuality wihtin the same framework ... like they're similar but different. so like when xlov came together as a group; we all have hearts but they're different colours. even if we all have off eyes, they're different colours. i've always loved that concept.

evol: "what was your favourite part of the music video

wumuti: "i really love the part where, on the chessboard, i suddenly bam! collapse for a second - just for a moment. that part is so cool to me.

wumuti: "i was thinking, what if 'i'mma be' became a theme song for an anime?"

haru: "i was thinking the same thing!"

wumuti: "because the vibe of 'i'mma be' really fits, and there were certain things i thought about during the music video meetings. i don't usually have the best memory, but i do watch a lot of different anime. even though i don't remember everything i've watched, i tend to jump around and watch a variety of them. i feel like there are defintely some anime that would match our song well, and i really hope our music gets featured in an anime one day!