Xikers are a part of the fifth generation of k-pop, having debuted just over a year ago in March 2023, and are from KQ Entertainment, the same company that ATEEZ debuted under. They have ten members: Yechan, Minjae, Sumin, Hyunwoo, Hunter, Junghoon, Junmin, Yujun, Jinsik, and Seeun, who range from 18 to 21.

Here are my credentials: None, which is in fact why I wanted to do this review. I try to balance super popular and lesser known artists on the blog, so that everyone can find someone they’re interested in. The reason I chose Xikers specifically is because I’m actually seeing ATEEZ in concert this summer (read the review here), and in doing my pre-concert deep dive of them, I decided that they would be a fun breather before diving headfirst into another three-part deep dive. So let’s do this!

EP #1: House Of Tricky; Doorbell Ringing

Though they did have a pre-release, Geek, Tricky House is Xikers’ official debut. Relying on a pulsing EDM beat that at times interpolates tropical drums and a vaguely Middle Eastern (?) string instrument. The pre-chorus knocked me off-balance a bit when its tempo was constantly increasing, a touch I haven’t seen much but I do like. My first thought as the song began though was that it doesn’t sound that different from ATEEZ’s sound, which doesn’t help when the group already have to struggle to establish an identity. The song works in fits and starts, with a highlight being the bridge, but it doesn’t gel very well, and comes across more like various parts being sewn together.

Rockstar is also from this first album, and while it keeps Tricky House’s enthusiasm and more bombastic tendencies, it’s a much stronger piece overall. Its verses embrace this youthful, synthy brightness and its pre-choruses are honestly great as they count up to seven with an infectious, percussive beat. And then we have an anti-drop, which just takes all the vulnerability and charisma the rest of Rockstar worked so hard to build and throws it out the window. Songs like this drive me crazy, because it’s so much more disappointing when a song has good parts and then doesn’t live up to them rather than being bad all the way through. It’s an issue I have with a lot of artists, like NCT 127, Treasure, and occasionally ATEEZ too. So close, but no cigar.

From the EP, House of Tricky: Doorbell Ringing, I enjoyed the dramatic spoken intro Tricky’s Secret and the solid build-up in Oh My Gosh. I also wanted to mention Dynamic, Rockstar’s intro, with its excellent guitar riffs, though I wish it wasn’t so short. My opinion towards Rockstar also softened a little—albeit, not that much.

EP #2: House Of Tricky; How To Play

I was hoping from Homeboy’s title that it would lean into the more melodic, sweet parts that I enjoyed in Rockstar, and it does. It’s a song designed for summer, that much is clear, and I like it more than their last two songs, though it’s predictable in parts. The bridge especially was great, and I loved the way it led into the final chorus. I have to admit, I really didn’t like the rap here, and not just because Yechan was wearing American flag overalls, though that was certainly part of it. It felt out of place and far too harsh for a song like this, and interrupted the flow. Overall, it’s definitely an improvement, but not quite there yet.

Do Or Die, in my opinion, takes the good from their past singles: the confidence and strong beat from Tricky House, the rock influences from Rockstar, and Homeboy’s connection to Youth. Then, it throws a hefty dose of punk and some goofy zombie movie moments to round the rest out. It’s not a perfect song, certainly; I wasn’t a fan of the rap, for the same reasons as in Homeboy, and I wish that the chorus was melodic all the way through instead of starting with such harsh vocals. But, I think it’s absolutely a step in the right direction, and is the first song of theirs that feels like it establishes a core sound for them, and it’s unique in the landscape of k-pop. It’s also the first song of theirs that had me singing along, and its outro is just great.

From the EP, House of Tricky: How To Play, though I enjoyed the sunny sound of Run, my hidden gem was the tropical-meets-pop-rock sound of Skater, which reminded me a lot of ATEEZ’s Wave, and gave Xikers a chance to showcase their vocals. I wish it had been the single instead of Homeboy. And besides Koong, this album is a huge improvement over the last one in terms of them finding a style.

EP #3: House Of Tricky; Trial and Error

We Don’t Stop is up next, and while it does build somewhat on what Do Or Die started, it’s a bit of a letdown, if we’re being honest. Much of it relies on sing talk heavy verses and a chorus that wants to be hard-hitting but is unintentionally dull. The best part is by far the pre-choruses, which do a good job setting up a payoff. But the issue is that this song doesn’t have one. I admit that I laughed when the song literally stopped for one of them to say to the camera “we don’t stop, man”, though, so kudos for that. Otherwise, this one isn’t for me.

From the EP, Trial and Error, I enjoyed the fast-paced beat of Break A Leg, especially in the moments where the EDM and rock work together. But otherwise, I didn’t like this album.

EP #4: House Of Tricky; Watch Out

Witch leans further into horror than Xikers have gone before, from the spiderweb album cover art to the creeping, unsettling video music in the background. The heavily autotuned droning wasn’t for me but the first verse and pre-chorus inspires some hope (though I was still wary). It turns out though, that instead of the anti-drop I was dreading, the song actually has a decent payoff for its buildup, which is a relief. While it’s decent, though, I don’t think it’s as strong as Do Or Die, and it still uses the unfortunate harsh-on-the-ears trends of their other songs, most notably in the outro. But, it may be a step in the right direction.

From the EP, I enjoyed the tense intro Watch Out, but my hidden gem was Bittersweet, whose punky rock sound comes the closest to recreating the best parts of Do Or Die for me. It’s a bit (unintentionally) rough around the edges, but I really wish it had been the title.

EP #5: House Of Tricky; Spur

I was wincing immediately from the off-key “lalalala” that opens Breathe, I admit it. Almost two years of this blog and I feel like I’ve developed a sixth sense for when a song is going to fly off the rails. But, of course, eternal blind optimist I am, I still let myself have a little glimmer of hope when the pre-chorus began, because it’s honestly not bad. There’s the percussive guitar and a bit of a rock edge that would be a great addition in a song that’s…not this one. And then the chorus came in and dashed all my hopes, in the greatest upset in this world since the sun rose this morning. I don’t know how I have the audacity to be surprised; I’ve heard this exact song template a dozen times (at least seven in my NCT 127 review). Well. Moving on.

From the EP, I enjoyed the creeping, off-kilter build of You Hide We Seek, but my hidden gem was easily Highway. With a first verse that comes in like a battering ram and doesn’t slow down from there, it melds pop, rock, and a fun dash of punk that’s a really great fit for them. And I liked the outro too! It feels like the Xikers I loved so much in Do Or Die has not quite returned, but has poked their heads out and waved.

Verdict: TL;DR

I’m glad I did this. Like I said, I knew almost nothing about Xikers before this deep dive, but that’s not true anymore. I had fun watching them do a couple interviews and play both Who’s Who and the Tower Of Truth, and I was happy to see how much they seem to enjoy being on stage. Their music may not be for me, but I can’t deny that they’re very talented.

My Top 5 songs are Do or Die, Homeboy, Rockstar, Skater, and Run, with Bittersweet as an honorable mention. Xikers gets a 7 (original: 6.75) out of 10 from me. Like I’ve said ad nauseum, I have very little patience for songs that have great setups and bases and don’t deliver on them, and nearly all of their titles fall into that category for me. They have a habit of making very blunt music, when their greatest successes come from when they lean into sharper genres like rock or punk. I think that right now, Xikers are still in the process of discovering their sound, which makes total sense given that they’re a very new group. I just hope that they manage to find their feet and make songs that are great all the way through, because they clearly have the potential to.

Next time, we’re onto a long deep dive! Tschüss!