There’s no one set formula for success, but if you do happen to discover one of those formulas, you might as well keep using it. It seems that might potentially be the strategy of KQ Entertainment, who debuted K-pop boy group Ateez to great and continuously growing success back in 2018. As we have detailed elsewhere, prior to debut, Ateez had trained under the working name of “KQ Fellaz” and had undergone intensive dance training in Los Angeles, California. And sure enough, the next K-pop boy group from KQ would train under the name “KQ Fellaz 2” and undergo in-depth training in Los Angeles. That group would of course become Xikers. So here is the full answer to when exactly did Minjae, Junmin, Sumin, Jinsik, Hyunwoo, Junghoon, Seeun, Yujun, Hunter, and Yechan make their debut as Xikers and what their first album and songs were.
Xikers Debuted on March 30, 2023 with the Lead Singles “도깨비집 (Tricky House)” and “Rockstar”
Xikers debuted on March 30, 2023 with the mini-album House of Tricky: Doorbell Ringing and the lead singles “도깨비집 (Tricky House)” and “Rockstar.” House of Tricky: Doorbell Ringing contained seven songs in total: “The TRICKY’s Secret,” “Doorbell Ringing,” “도깨비집 (Tricky House),” “Dynamic 淸亮(청량),” “Rockstar,” “XIKEY,” and “Oh My Gosh.” All songs on the album were composed and arranged by at least Eden, Kim Hongjoong (leader of Ateez), Ollounder, Peperoni, Oliv, and Maddox, with some additional composers like Buddy and Door on some songs. Xikers members Minjae, Sumin, and Yechan also contributed lyrics to every song except “The TRICKY’s Secret” and “Dynamic 淸亮(청량).” While the music video for “도깨비집 (Tricky House)” was released in tandem with the debut, the music video for “Rockstar” would not arrive until April 24, 2023.
In its first week of release, House of Tricky: Doorbell Ringing sold 103,318 units according to Hanteo Chart data. Within two weeks, House of Tricky: Doorbell Ringing debuted on Billboard 200 at #75 with 12,500 albums sold in the United States. These were great accomplishments for a new boy group.
A day prior to their official debut, Xikers held a debut showcase. Besides then, on March 30, 2023, Xikers performed for the first time on M Countdown with “도깨비집 (Tricky House)” and “XIKEY.”
Prior to all of their debut activities, Xikers originally trained under the aforementioned name of KQ Fellaz 2. KQ shared short interviews with each of the 10 members of the group in August 2022 to introduce them. Also in August 2022, the reality show [KQ Fellaz 2] Ready To One began airing, chronicling the time of KQ Fellaz 2 as they trained in Los Angeles. September 2022 then saw the beginning of another series about predebut training and challenges for KQ Fellaz 2, 더 플레이어: K-POP 퀘스트 (“The Player: K-Pop Quest”). These assorted activities and related predebut performances helped fans to get to know the group long before they had actually debuted.
So in summary, Xikers made their debut on March 30, 2023 with the mini-album House of Tricky: Doorbell Ringing and the lead singles “도깨비집 (Tricky House)” and “Rockstar.” It was a very well-received debut that only ignited excitement for their future!
For more about the group, check out how old the Xikers members are, who the leader is, and our maintained archive of all of the Xikers music videos. Or for more big K-pop boy groups that debuted in 2023, check out the debut of Boynextdoor or Zerobaseone.
