Earlier this year, XLOV debuted as the first K-pop group with a genderless concept. Since then, the members—Wumuti, Rui, Hyun and Haru (three of whom participated in MNET’s first installation of the survival show, Boys Planet)—have continued to push the boundaries of gender expression within the K-pop industry, embodying this idea of freeing yourself from societal expectations. With each comeback, they’ve challenged norms through their appearance and actions, both onstage and offstage.
On November 5, they released their first mini album, complete with six songs, effectively doubling their previous discography. The album title, ‘UXLXVE,’ alludes to their initial group name (before it was changed to XLOV for easier pronunciation) and signifies unfinished love, a topic visited repeatedly throughout the album, as seen through the various stages of relationship formation.
Breaking Barriers & Situating Queerness within the Industry
Already, XLOV has broken many barriers with the ‘UXLXVE’ album alone, from queer messaging within their lyrics to movements not typically seen in boy group choreographies, as well as their alignment with the queer community. Since their debut, the members have shown enthusiastic support of queer fans and at the comeback showcase for their recent album release, they extended multiple invitations to openly queer South Korean celebrities, including actor and broadcaster Hong Seokcheon, drag queen Nana (Kim Youngrong), and singer Holland.
On November 6, members Wumuti and Rui also made an appearance on the 13th episode of The You.Ik.Ham podcast with MCs Hong Seokcheon and Sunsea Lee, where they discussed the concept behind the album and their group and explained what gender means to them. Watch the full 50-minute interview here.
In this episode, leader Wumuti also talks about their role in the production of XLOV’s music and the group’s overarching goal of providing strength to listeners who face criticism and backlash for expressing their truest selves.
“Scent”
The album starts off with an R&B-inspired track, featuring a harmonious pre-chorus and groovy guitar riffs. The members sing about having fallen in love with someone and their intense desire to be close with them. The lyrics (“We’re innocent, deep in scent”) seem to allude to the group’s concept of being free from societal norms by stating that there’s nothing wrong with the way that they love.
“Rizz”
The title track, “Rizz,” follows up as the second song on the album and features catchy, repetitive melodies and distinct drum beats. The song is all about captivating someone and being confident in one’s appeal. From the lyrics (“Take it slow, boy, I’m gonna kill it hard”), we can assume that the person being attracted is a male figure, establishing a queer undertone to the theme of the song.
When it comes to the choreography for this performance, the members stunned fans with their synchronized execution of front splits at the very beginning of the song. The choreo also features multiple incorporations of the finger hearts that the members often use to represent their group name.
Continuing the theme of pushing boundaries, the music video for this track features heavy references to vampires and magic circles (protective barriers), with an explicit caption at the beginning of the music video that states, “Don’t cross the line.” Throughout the video, the members are repeatedly seen disrupting or moving outside of the circle, playing into their desire to cross boundaries in their artistic expression.
“Dirty Baby”
Once again tying into the theme of being free from societal expectations, “Dirty Baby” works to reclaim ways of loving that are often deemed wrong and ultimately talks about having deep synergy with someone who’s able to appreciate you as your truest self (“But you’re the one who sees me through the noise, I’ll be right on your freq”). The song is also notable for its lyrics, “I don’t explain, I just exist,” which appear to reference a point made by Wumuti about the members not being obligated to explain their personal gender identities and reinforce the idea that everyone should be allowed to exist in the way that they want.
“Biii:-P”
XLOV continues to experiment with an array of genres with their fourth track. “Biii:-P” features a more upbeat and bouncy melody that’s reminiscent of old-fashioned video games. The repetitive distinct beats of the chorus, paired with the repetition of the lyric “beep,” emulate the thumping of a heart, as the members sing about moving on from a messy relationship and having fun falling for a new crush. The repeated line, “Hello, my name’s freak,” paired with the lyrics “Love on me, hate on me; baby, you can spin it how you want,” seems to refer to the members being perceived negatively because they are different, leading to a break in the relationship. By repeatedly introducing themselves as “freak,” they reclaim a label that was initially imposed upon them. This line also plays into the telephone call theme of the song, as it’s followed by the sound of a call being hung up.
The enthusiastic and bubbly attitude of “Biii:-P” is further conveyed through the kaomojis (Japanese emoticons) used in the official lyrics, in which text symbols were combined to form emojis that conveyed the mood of particular lines. Additionally, the vibrant outfits and cute choreography of the song point towards its heavy inspiration within Japanese gyaru culture.
“Kiss and say goodbye”
“Kiss and say goodbye” is a much slower and more mellow song on the album, featuring a sentimental and guitar-heavy bridge. The lyrics speak to having a mutual understanding that a relationship won’t work and agreeing to say your final goodbyes. It touches upon the topic of fated tragedy as the members sing about wanting to be perfect for their love interest and still caring deeply for them, but knowing that, ultimately, they must part ways.
“Drip Drip”
The final song on the album, “Drip Drip,” brings the mood back up with a faster-paced melody and features elements of house music. It establishes a more hopeful end to the album as the members sing about having no more tears and being able to move past former heartbreak after meeting someone who gets them to love again. After touching upon themes of initial attractions, heartbreak, and intimacy, the album finishes strong by hinting at the prospect of new beginnings, leaving listeners with the hope that things will always turn for the better.
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Featured Image Credit: XLOV Official X
