Music group XG changes its name after member Cocona comes out as transmasc non-binary
Music group XG has changed its name from ‘Xtraordinary Girls’ to ‘Xtraordinary Genes’/ (Getty)
Music group XG has changed its name from ‘Xtraordinary Girls’ to ‘Xtraordinary Genes'/ (Getty)
Japanese music group XG, which originally stood for ‘Xtraordinary Girls’, has changed its name, one month after member Cocona came out as transmasculine non-binary.
On Monday (12 January), the band revealed that it would keep the moniker XG, but that the name would now stand for ‘Xtraordinary Genes’.
In a statement via Billboard, the group explained that the name change represented “a symbolic milestone for the group as all seven members have entered their 20s,” and that it signalled “a new phase of artistic and personal growth”.
“‘Xtraordinary Genes’ represents the innate creativity, individuality and forward-thinking energy embedded within each member of XG,” the group added.
“More than a rebrand, the shift serves as a declaration of evolution – from their starting point to the source that drives their artistry – as the group continues shaping culture without boundaries.”
In December, on their 20th birthday, Cocona came out via Instagram as transmasculine non-binary and revealed that they had undergone top surgery earlier in 2025.
“The hardest thing I’ve ever faced was accepting and embracing myself. But as I slowly began to do that, I was able to open a new door. That moment changed the way I see and understand the world, and it gave me the courage and strength to grow,” they wrote.
“Now, I can finally say, ‘There’s nothing wrong with who I am inside.’”
Accompanying news of their name change, XG announced the release date of their debut studio album The Core. The record, described as moving “freely across genres” and featuring “X-POP, a new genre crafted by XG themselves”, will be released on 23 January.
“At the heart of these transformations remained XG’s unwavering identity and distinctive energy,” reads a statement about the record’s release.
XG
— XG OFFICIAL (@XGOfficial_) January 8, 2026
1st Full Album
THE CORE – 核
2026.01.23 Frihttps://t.co/foP7dxOaJP #XG #HYPNOTIZE#XG_HYPNOTIZE#XG_THECORE_核#XGALX pic.twitter.com/OKpR29Lx2D
“This release represented the most candid reflection of who XG were at that moment and marked a powerful starting point for the infinite possibilities that lay ahead.”
The Core was preceded by “Gala”, the first official single from the record which was released back in September.
XG were formed in 2022, with members Cocona, Chisa, Harvey, Hinata, Juria, Jurin and Maya. They dropped their debut single “Tippy Toes” in March that year, but it wasn’t until the release of their second single, “Mascara”, that they began to chart. The song reached number 14 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, and they have since scored 13 other top 100 hits.
Last year was the band’s biggest year to date, after they secured four Music Awards Japan nominations for their top five single “Woke Up”, plus an MTV Video Music Awards Japan award in the Best Visual Effects category for the song’s music video.
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