| NAME | Xdinary Heroes |
|---|---|
| KOREAN | 엑스디너리 히어로즈 |
| FANDOM NAME | VILLAINS |
| DEBUT | December 6, 2021 |
|---|---|
| AGENCY | JYP Entertainment & Studio J. |
| MEMBERS | Gunil, Jungsu, Gaon, O.de, Jun Han, and Jooyeon (6) |
Xdinary Heroes combine powerful rock music with expressive performances. The guys are known for producing much of their music themselves and are among the few rock bands to have established themselves as mainstream within the K-pop scene.
Come along and learn more about the story of Xdinary Heroes!
PRE-DEBUT
In October 2021, JYP Entertainment announced an upcoming new debut with a mysterious teaser titled “Coming up Next”. That alone was enough to spark fans’ curiosity, since JYP has produced one hit after another since its founding in 1997. The new project therefore had high chances of success right from the start.
The second hint came on November 1: "Heroes are Coming". This was a nod to the group’s name, which was finally revealed a week later. “Xdinary Heroes” is short for “Extraordinary Heroes”, meaning that anyone can become a hero. This message is backed by the boy group’s motto: “We Are All Heroes”. To this day, this motto frequently appears, for example, at the end of the band’s music videos.
In November, the six members – Gunil, Jungsu, Gaon, O.de, Jun Han, and Jooyeon – showcased their vocal talent and, above all, their skill at playing instruments such as bass, drums, and keyboard in several performance videos.
On December 6, 2021, Xdinary Heroes celebrated their official debut with the single “Happy Death Day”, which combines elements of rock, pop, and punk.
The new group was JYP Entertainment’s first since the debut of the Japanese girl group NiziU a year earlier, and the first boy group since Boy Story in 2018. In fact, it had already been over six years since JYP had last produced a rock band – DAY6!
CAREER
With “Happy Death Day”, Xdinary Heroes laid the foundation for their career, which really took off in 2022. As early as April, the band announced their first physical album, “Hello, World!”, which was released on July 20, 2022, and sold over 65 thousand copies. The album reached #4 on the Korean Circle Album Chart and brought Xdinary Heroes many new fans.
In September 2022, the fandom also finally got a name: VILLAINS. The name translates to “villains” and represents how the band and their fans complement each other, since heroes cannot exist without villains.
Before the year was even over, the guys followed up once more, releasing their second mini album, “Overload”, in November. The album was originally set to be released on November 4, but in late October the agency announced that the release would be postponed out of respect for the victims of the “Halloween crowd crush” on October 29. Over 150 people died in a deadly crowd crush in the Itaewon nightlife district on Halloween.
The disaster triggered a nationwide period of mourning, and many K-pop artists cancelled concerts, fan meetings, and promotional appearances and postponed their comebacks. Xdinary Heroes did the same. “Overload” was ultimately released on November 11, a week after its originally planned date.
The following year, fans didn’t have to wait long for new music either: Xdinary Heroes presented their third mini album, “Deadlock”, on April 26, just 5 months after “Overload”. The new album sold over 130 thousand copies, marking the group’s commercial peak at the time. For the following albums – “Livelock” (October 2023), “Troubleshooting” (April 2024) & “Live and Fall” (October 2024) – sales declined compared to their predecessors, although they remained stable in the upper 90-thousand range.
In October 2023, Xdinary Heroes announced their first world tour, “Break the Brake”, which included concerts in Asia and Europe. It began on November 3 in Seoul and ended on March 31, 2024, in Bangkok.
On March 24, 2025, just a few months after their 3rd anniversary, the sixth mini album, “Beautiful Mind”, was released. For the first time in almost two years, sales rose again: the album sold 105 thousand copies, making it Xdinary Heroes’ second best-selling album at the time, surpassed only by their third mini album, “Deadlock”.
In May, the rock band kicked off their second world tour, “Beautiful Mind”, named after the album released shortly before. This time, the guys performed in Asia and North America. The tour ended on August 16, 2025, in San José.
That summer, the guys also ventured onto the international festival stage for the first time, as they were invited to perform at the renowned Lollapalooza Festival on July 31.
After having already contributed a soundtrack for the webtoon “Killer Peter” (2024) and the popular dance competition “Stage Fighter” (2025) in previous years, Xdinary Heroes recorded their first official soundtrack for a K-drama in July 2025: “Break the Darkness” (The Nice Guy OST Part.1)
The year ended on October 24 with the seventh mini album, “Lxve to Death”, which sold 109 thousand copies.
2026 marked another high point in the rock band’s career, as their eighth mini album, “Dead And”, broke Xdinary Heroes’ personal sales record, which had stood for 3 years! The new album sold nearly 150 thousand copies in its very first week after release — 20 thousand more than the previous record holder, “Deadlock”.
DISCOGRAPHY
FUN FACTS
- Gunil studied music at the renowned Berklee College of Music in the USA. His passion for playing drums came from a drummer he met at a church at the time.
- Jungsu and O.de had originally trained for a debut as idols rather than as a rock band.
- Jungsu learned classical piano as a child.
- Gaon was a member of a co-ed rock band during his school years.
- Jun Han was the last to join JYP Entertainment.
- Jooyeon only learned to play bass after joining JYP.
OUR FAVORITE PERFORMANCE
With their rock sound, energetic performances, and a steadily growing international fanbase, Xdinary Heroes have proven in just a few years that they are among the most exciting bands of their generation. For VILLAINS, one thing is certain: Xdinary Heroes’ journey has only just begun.
Sources: Xdinary Heroes social media channels, JYP Entertainment, The Korea Times, Circle Album Chart, Hanteo
