XG (Xtraodinary Genes)
Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Australia
12th of October 2026
Review by Kayla Hamilton
There was something in the air the second I stepped onto the grounds surrounding Rod Laver Arena. The excitement in the air. The outfits from the eager fans. Just the overall vibe was infectious. It was clear that even before doors open Japanese pop group XG are a force and the Melbourne (plus others who had travelled) ALPHAZ were well and truly in their gravitational pull. Even the security was getting sucked into the mood!
Once we were all in the venue, a soundtrack of 2000s bangers united the age groups in attendance. The lights dimmed and Queen’s ‘We Will Rock You’ thundered through the arena. Upon finishing, the screen activated and a video of a ride over Earth from space was shown. Accompanied by a soundtrack featuring a John Williams score from E.T, the intergalactic showcase was in full swing. Space ships and clouds flying by, we were then shown pods featuring the members. We were ready for landing.
What an entrance. A laser show, the members appearing cloaked on a platform. The opening notes of ‘Gala’ rang out and they individually revealed themselves. Their spacesuits were next level and the entire performance was extravagant in the best way. Flowing seamlessly from ‘Gala’ into ‘Something Ain’t Right’ and ‘Mascara’– it was one of the best openings to a concert I’ve ever witnessed.
They took a moment to introduce themselves and address the crowd, highlighting that Harvey is half-Australian so it really tied them to the country. Maya really showed off her English skills and took charge of the stage in these moments. Cocona definitely had a huge cheer squad behind them, but every single member got love from the room.
After a quick chat, they performed a few more songs, and headed back to the platforms for ‘Woke Up’. After ‘Puppet Show’, they went backstage for a costume change, while another video played for the crowd. The production level thus far was elite and through the videos, another lean into a futuristic vibe was set. This time though, it felt a lot more personal and philosophical. Talking of evolution and growth, it’s clear that we are in real time watching this group go through their evolution into their next phase. This led into ‘GRL GVNG/HOWLING’, where they had more of an ethereal feel in their all white costumes.
Once again, the stage production for ‘HOWLING’ was amazing, but ‘In The Rain’ blew me away. Vocally, it was intense and beautiful, the dancing was contemporary and lyrical in feel and with the lights making it look like rain was actually falling- it was just stunning. The juxtaposition of the beat thumping though with ‘IYKYK’ gave a whiplash for the crowd, but again, in the best way. The party atmosphere seemed to grow and by the time they got into ‘O.R.B’, the mood just became super fun. Through this track, they were just all over the stage: riding skateboards, scooters, fighting with traffic cones. It just grew more chaotic as the song went on.
Leading wonderfully to the two different stages, the rap line performed ‘PS118’ and for me, this was a big highlight. It again showed that they were definitely performing live. While they still have the quality of ‘pop rappers’, they definitely have it down better than so many others in the genre. Harvey with a more cutesy style, Cocona has this relaxed swag that makes their flow sound more natural, Maya has an attitude and force in her delivery that really stands out live and Jurin, she definitely handles the more complex lines but she carries herself with so much maturity and authority.
They switched out, and while the rappers got ready for the next stage, Chisa, Hinate and Juria came out and sang ‘4Seasons’. Their voices are simply stunning. Taking places on different parts of the stage, with an orange light flooding the room to create such a warm atmosphere, the stripped down nature of this track truly showed their strengths as vocalist.
The other four members rejoined for ‘Hypnotize’ to drive the show home (before the encore anyway). Dressed in stunning earth fits, their dance skills were showcased with ‘Tippy Toes’ and ‘No Good’. Finishing off this bracket with a coordinated fall off the stage, I found myself jumping even though I could see the padding they were landing on.
While waiting for the encore, the room got very rowdy. With an encore chant, howls from the audience, fan chants- it was not exactly coordinated but the demand spoke volumes. The cameras panned across the audience, highlighting different fans.
Eventually, it was time for the encore and they came out with ‘Shooting Star’. This is where they chatted to the crowd, with us playing charades with them. This lead into an acapella rendition of ‘Winter Without You’ and then a heartfelt performance of ‘Million Places’. During ‘New Dance’ they went down to the barricades and interacted with the fans (this is where those VIP tickets really are worth it). They finished the show with ‘Left Right’ and goodbyes to the audience, in what capped off an absolutely incredible show.
Immediately it was evident why XG has become such a force. While I wouldn’t say they had the most ‘synchronised’ choreography, it was exactly that made it so good. Their choreography is rooted in real dance foundations, the transitions are creative and constantly keep you on the toes. It is also so obvious that even though there is a little playback, they are fully singing live. All their costumes were tailored to highlight their individuality and while they sometimes get lumped into the ‘K-POP’ sphere, they really do embody a real J-POP or even late 90’s/00’s pop group vibe. The stage setup was smart, giving moments for them to cat walk, while spaces in the crowd and at the back. Screens were utilised and the lighting/stage production just was another level.
If you walk into this show as a casual fan, get ready to become absolutely obsessed.
XG truly are Xtraordinary Genes and it is clear, they are just going to keep getting better and better.
XG have one more show on their Australian leg of The Core tour.
You can catch them tonight (as this review drops) at Sydney’s Afterpay Arena (formerly known as Qudos Bank)
Tickets available here.
Leave a Reply