MUMBAI: Hiphop/R&B-inspired girl group XG made their much-anticipated debut at one of the largest music festivals in the US, Coachella 2025 (Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival).
Coachella is one of the biggest outdoor music festivals in America, held in the desert region of Coachella Valley in Indio, California. This year, the first weekend took place over April 11–13, with the second weekend over April 18–20. The 2025 lineup featured headliners Lady Gaga, Green Day, and Post Malone, with Travis Scott also featuring in a special performance. XG, the only Japanese act performing this year, was listed as the second headliner marking a historic first for Japanese female artists. Their placement on the official flyer has sparked excitement ever since the lineup announcement late last year.
XG took the stage as the closing act for Coachella’s largest indoor venue, the Sahara Stage. No Japanese artist has ever headlined this stage before, making this a groundbreaking moment for the group.
Welcomed by thunderous chants, the group appeared in special outfits designed specially for the occasion, radiating their signature style. They kicked off the show with “HESONOO + X-GENE” from their first mini album NEW DNA.
Energy surged through the crowd with their first all-rap track “WOKE UP,” a viral global hit that topped the Global Japan Songs Excl. Japan chart for 9 consecutive weeks and ranked on YouTube’s trending charts in 19 countries, including #1 in the U.S. The excitement continued with “GRL GVNG,” which made history as the first Japanese track to reach #1 on Billboard’s Hot Trending Songs Powered by Twitter. The group wowed the crowd with a choreographed performance utilising chairs as the main prop.
CHISA hyped up the audience, asking, “What’s up Coachella?” While MAYA followed with, “We're so happy to finally be here at Coachella! Let’s have fun tonight!!” sending the full house wild.
The group also debuted “SHINOBI (DANCE BREAK),” a brand-new performance themed around “shinobi” (ninja), featuring masked dancers and an electrifying stage production. The group then performed “LEFT RIGHT,” which made history as the first song by a Japanese female artist and Japanese group to chart on the Mediabase Top 40 Radio Airplay Chart, staying for a record-breaking 13 consecutive weeks - the longest ever for an Asian girl group. This was followed by “IN THE RAIN,” which had just been released on April 11 as a single from their 2nd mini album. In the dance break section, 10 dancers brought a powerfully delicate performance that kept the energy high.
From there, the setlist charged ahead with uptempo tracks like “TGIF,” “PUPPET SHOW,” and “IYKYK.” When they performed “IS THIS LOVE,” which became a viral sensation as the global campaign song for Shiseido’s “Anessa,” the crowd hit fever pitch. The party continued with “NEW DANCE” and “SOMETHING AIN’T RIGHT,” before closing with fan-favorite “SHOOTING STAR.” Backed by a live band and exclusive staging crafted just for the festival, XG blazed through 13 songs in an hour - fueling constant cheering and crowd singalongs in one of the most high-energy sets of the night.
Though this was XG’s first Coachella appearance, the crowd’s nonstop chanting of “XG” even after their set ended, the lingering electricity in the air made it clear: this was a massive success. Their performance was also live-streamed on YouTube, generating huge global reactions across social media. On X (formerly Twitter), the hashtag #XGCHELLA (a fusion of “XG” and “Coachella”) trended worldwide at #5 and broke into the top 5 trends in 11 countries, including #2 in the U.S.
XG is set to return to the same stage on April 20 for Weekend 2.
Currently, XG is in the midst of their first world tour, XG 1st WORLD TOUR “The first HOWL”, spanning 47 shows in 35 cities across 18 countries and regions. The tour began with a Japan performance in May 2024, with most shows selling out. They’ll head to São Paulo, Mexico City, and Seattle before wrapping up with a tour finale at Tokyo Dome on May 14. On the same day, XG will release their latest single, “MILLION PLACES.”
