What began with a ringing doorbell ends with a bang, as xikers is closing the doors on its “House of Tricky” saga with “House of Tricky: Wrecking the House” — the boy band’s most ambitious album yet.

xikers had a strong vision for its sixth and latest EP, going so far as to dip into their own pockets for a few fun projects.


“We wanted to make an impression with this album and also build up some expectations for what’s coming next,” said member Minjae during a roundtable interview in central Seoul on Wednesday, ahead of the album’s release on Friday.

For the grand finale, the members decided to include their own ideas of fun, he added.

“So we gathered some money to buy colored lights and hung them up in our training room, filming our practice videos as if we were the directors,” Minjae shared with a smile.

The members also contributed ideas for the music video, suggesting camera angles and movements to the director to highlight the choreography and performance.

“Since it’s the finale of the ‘House of Tricky’ series, there has been a bit of pressure,” said Seeun.

“We deliberated a lot about how we would present ourselves better on stage, and that made us closer in the process,” he continued, adding that the team now feels more confident about what they’ve prepared.

xikers' sixth EP, “House of Tricky: Wrecking the House,” marks the conclusion of the boy band’s “House of Tricky” series that began with its debut EP, “House of Tricky: Doorbell Ringing” (2023), followed by “How to Play” (2023), “Trial and Error” (2024), “Watch Out” (2024) and “Spur.”

The new album features five songs: the lead track, “Superpower (Peak),” along with B-sides “Iconic,” “See You Play (S’il vous plait),” “Blurry” and “Right in.”

The lead track, “Superpower,” is a hip-hop-inspired electronic dance pop that the members confidently describe as their favorite.

“The moment I heard the beat, I immediately wanted to start working on the lyrics,” said rapper Yechan.

Junmin also added that, just like its title suggests, the song is meant to energize listeners.

“I think the song is xikers’ take on an easy-listening track,” said Junmin. “I hope we will be able to hear it playing on streets, and that everyone who listens to the song will feel energized, just like the title says.”

xikers, which debuted in March 2023 under KQ Entertainment, consists of 10 members: Minjae, Junmin, Sumin, Jinsik, Hyunwoo, Junghoon, Seeun, Yujun, Hunter and Yechan.

The group completed its second world tour, “Road to XY: Enter the Gate,” in May. Opening with a Seoul show, which marked xikers’ first concert on its home turf, the group then performed in New York, Rosemont, Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles and Tokyo.

The latest tour was particularly significant for Junghoon, who returned to the group in April after a two-year hiatus due to a knee injury, therefore marking his first participation in a tour.

“It was so much fun — our fans in the audience cheered for us and supported us so enthusiastically every time we finished a song or made comments,” he said.

“As the venues we performed grew bigger than last time, and now performing with all 10 of us on stage, instead of nine, there was a lot more synergy in that,” Seeun added.

In August, xikers also opened for Ateez, its senior labelmates under KQ Entertainment, for the group’s U.S. leg of its “In Your Fantasy” tour.

“It was our first time in three years opening for Ateez,” said Junmin. “Back then, we were trainees and so nervous that the only thing we could focus on was not making mistakes. But this time, our goal was to show who we are, and make an impression on that massive audience there.”

For Minjae, the experience once again reaffirmed his passion for performing, and inspired him to work toward xikers someday being able to fill such large venues themselves.

“Being in front of so many people was just so exciting and made me happy,” the leader said. “It reminded me, ‘Yes, this is why we are doing this so hard, even when no one is watching’”

Looking forward, the group is mulling a potential first full-length album release now that its six-EP “House of Tricky” series has come to a close.

And in the longer run, xikers hopes to become a group that burns bright like summer, as Minjae recalled a fan comment that has stayed with him as a guiding pillar: “xikers is a group that sings of summer.”

“We want to be remembered as a group that reminds people of summer — with our energy and passion,” he said.

BY SHIN HA-NEE [shin.hanee@joongang.co.kr]