EXCLUSIVE: X:IN on Their Latest Album ‘Defend Myself,’ Owning Their Voice, and Meeting Indian READYs

K-pop girl group X:IN has returned fiercer and more self-assured than ever with their 3rd mini-album ‘Defend Myself.’ Marking their first release under new agency BeBy Entertainment, X:IN—comprising E.sha, Nizz, Aria, Nova, and Hannah—takes a bold creative leap with their most vulnerable album yet. With all members actively involved in the songwriting process and creative planning, ‘Defend Myself’ marks a new chapter for X:IN, one that is authentic, raw, and unapologetically expressive.

In an exclusive interview with Namaste Hallyu, X:IN spoke about the inspiration behind their latest release, the challenges and joys of filming the ‘Attention seeker’ music video, their favorite memory from India, and a message for the Indian READYs.

Speaking of the inspiration behind ‘Defend Myself’, Nizz shared, “This album in particular is one in which all of our members were actively involved, and it is also an album that contains our story.”

Since there are many clear concepts in the songs, I think it would be great if you focused on our visuals constantly changing to match the mood of the songs. All four songs in our album have very different vibes and different concepts. We think that everybody is going to find something that they really enjoy in our album.

– Nizz

What makes ‘Defend Myself’ even more meaningful is that the members took part in writing the lyrics. “We thought it would be nice to be able to express the various emotions that we feel in the song,” Nizz said. “When we were planning the performance, our member E.sha came up with a lot of ideas. Especially, the point choreography of the title song is the bridge where different people collide, and I think that’s the most important point. She came up with a lot of ideas for that, too,” she continued.

Aria added, “I think for each one of us, the writing process was different. For some of us, it was very easy because we were just writing our personal experiences and stories. But some said that it was hard because they had to put their honest, experienced feelings into words, and they had to be lyrical.”

Notably, the group headed to the U.S. to film the music video for their title track ‘Attention seeker,’ and the California desert, where it is largely shot, came with its share of challenges. Aria recalled, “I think the most challenging part for me was dancing in the desert. There was a lot of sand, and it was quite deep. So our feet kept slipping in, and there were a lot of cacti too. And we were also told there were rattlesnakes.” Still, she added with a laugh, “I totally enjoyed the whole process. So everything was fun to me.”

Hannah, too, found the desert scenes memorable. “We filmed in the desert at night, and it was so pretty. I felt a lot of healing while filming it,” she shared.

The most difficult part was filming in the dark black clothes. I had a jacket, and it was really heavy, and we filmed outdoors where we danced the most and where the sunlight was the strongest.

– Hannah

Nova chimed in with a fond behind-the-scenes memory of how Aria ended up with tears running down her eyes while filming her solo scenes and close-ups.

Of course, with a project so personal, fears and doubts are inevitable. “I think that the title song ‘Attention seeker’ was a bit of a challenge for me,” shared the group’s leader, E.sha.

If you look at the songs we’ve done before, there were a lot of songs that were filled with beats or raps in the chorus, but this time, there were some parts that I could show vocally, so I think I felt a bit of pressure about that, but I think I also practiced and prepared a bit more with focus.

– E.sha

X:IN’s diverse lineup brings a global flavor to their music and identity. Aria explained how they try to incorporate each member’s strengths, including their cultural backgrounds, into the album. Giving an example of their 2023 song ‘SYNCHRONIZE’, Aria shared, “If you listen closely, you’ll hear a lot of Indian-influenced instruments in it. In the future, too, we plan to do a lot of stuff like that.”

The members also opened up about fears they had to overcome while working on this album and shared their advice for all the fans struggling to find their voices. They also discussed their plans for 2025, genres they wish to explore, a possible multi-city India tour, and what makes India so special.

Sharing one of her fondest memories from India, Nizz humorously recalls how, even though she enjoyed meeting Indian READYs, she especially loved the poori and butter chicken she had during her visit. Meanwhile, Nova talks about being surprised to see a cover group dancing to their debut track ‘Keeping the Fire’.

We’re not on stage, but ‘Keeping the Fire’ was on. So, I came out to see and there was a cover dance team performing our song ‘Keeping the Fire’ right on stage. It was so cool to see because they were wearing outfits matching our ‘Keeping the Fire’ outfits.

– Nova

Wrapping up the interview, E.sha has a heartfelt message for all the Indian READYs, “First of all, I hope you listen to our new album a lot. It hasn’t been that long since we went to India, but it also feels like it’s been a long time. We want the opportunity to perform in India again soon and meet the Indian READYs in person. We are so, so grateful for all the support from so far away.”

With ‘Defend Myself’, X:IN redefines their musical identity while opening a deeper conversation about strength, healing, and self-worth, making this comeback one of their most impactful yet.

Check out X:IN’s full interview here: